Statistics of the Soviet PVO 46-59

The late 1940's and 1950's were full of paranoia for both the Soviet Union and Western alliance. Neither understood the condition of the other, and the aggressive political posturing of the day did little to relieve tensions.

Stalin worried the West by threatening Europe with military force and by his support of the spread of Communism around the world. They reacted by attempting to contain Soviet expansion by establishing bases in nations surrounding the Soviet Union and by using reconnaissance aircraft to learn more about Soviet military capabilities.

Naturally the Soviet Union was not going to stand idly by and allow the West to fly over and photograph their cities and other strategic sites. Others in the Soviet government felt that if the West discovered how badly the war had devastated the Soviet Union, it would embolden them to attack. For these reasons it was decided not to allow any Western aircraft to enter Soviet airspace.

This policy resulted in the downing of a number of Western (usually American) aircraft. On several occasions Soviet aircraft were also shot down, but only after firing first. Only one incident listed here involved an aircraft overflying the Soviet Union (the U-2 in 1960) all other aircraft were either shot down in international airspace or as they approached the Soviet frontier.

Date	Description of intercept event
29 August 1945	A Yak-9 damaged a US Army air corps B-29 'Superfortress' and forced it to land.
April 1950	A Soviet aircraft attacked and destroyed a USAF B-26 'Maurader'
April 1950	Another Soviet aircraft shoots down a USAF F-51 'Mustang'
8 April 1950	Four Soviet La-11's attack and shoot down a US Navy PB4Y 'Privateer'
24 April 1950	Soviet interceptors shoot down a USAF P-38 'Lightning'.
5 May 1950	Soviet pilots attack and destroy a USAF B-24 'Liberator'.
26 December 1950	A MiG-15 shoots down a USAF RB-29.
6 November 1951	An La-11 aircraft attacks and downs a US Navy P2V 'Neptune'
16 February 1951	A US Navy PB4Y 'Privateer' was engaged and shot down by Soviet interceptors.
13 July 1952	Near Latvia a MiG-15 shoots down a US electronic surveillance aircraft.
1953	A Swedish DC-3 fitted with British made surveillance equipment is shot down by a MiG in the Baltic. A PBY Catalina is sent to search for survivors but is also shot down.
29 July 1953	A USAF RB-50 was shot down by a MiG-15 over the Sea of Japan.
18 April 1956	A MiG-15 shoots down a USAF RB-47 near Kamchatka.
27 July 1958	A MiG-17P engaged and destroyed a USAF RB-47 near Armenia.
2 September 1958	A USAF C-130 'Hercules' was shot down near Yerevan.
1 May 1960	Near Sverdlovsk an SA-2 'Guideline' battery shoots down an American U-2 reconnaissance aircraft.
1 July 1960	Over the Barents Sea a USAF RB-47H was shot down by Soviet interceptors.