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Home , Pilot (The Americans), Royal Danish Air Force

BORNHOLM MiG DEFECTIONS

Three daring defections to a small Danish island in the Baltic Sea gave the The West a unique opportunity to uncover the secrets of the MiG-15bis fighter of

MiGS BO RNHOLMWORDS: DICK VAN DER AART

ABOVE: The third, and last, of the Polish MiG-15 defections to Bornholm: 2nd Lt Zygmunt Gościniak landed his licence-built WSK Lim-2 wheels-up next to the half-finished runway at Rønne airport on 25 September 1956. The Polish pilot had expected to see a large air base, and was surprised to find only a small airfield on the Danish island. AEROPLANE

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n 5 March 1953, the steep dive to an altitude just above sea was designed for operations from When the apparently forbidden day Soviet dictator Josef level. He dropped his two tanks rough fields, the absence of a solid presence of the foreign air attaché Stalin died, a young Polish and flew at maximum speed towards concrete runway was not the problem. and his photographic activities were Air Force pilot defected Bornholm. More concerning was the length of prominently described in the Danish Owith a brand-new MiG-15bis jet His wingman saw Jarecki leaving the strip: a mere 1,100m (3,609ft), newspapers — which provided fighter to the small Danish island the formation and reported the barely enough for an aircraft with a welcome political ammunition for of Bornholm in the Baltic Sea. This unusual manoeuvre by radio to the landing speed of more than 200km/h another Polish protest — British spectacular incident started one of the regimental radar post at Slupsk, which (124mph). But Jarecki was an ambassador Eric Berthoud was most successful military intelligence was controlling their flight. Telling experienced pilot and made a perfect summoned to the Danish Foreign operations of the . the story of his defection to BBC landing. He climbed straight out Ministry. Rather embarrassed, he The defection of 22-year-old 2nd radio, Jarecki recalled: “I heard them of the cockpit and walked with his dutifully explained that his air attaché Lt Franciszek Jarecki to Bornholm calling on the radio, ‘731 escaped, hands up towards approaching airport was not aware that Bornholm was was nothing short of a sensation. 731 escaped!’ And I could hear the personnel, repeating the words, declared a closed area for foreigners. With his daring action Jarecki Russian colonel on the base yelling at “Kommunismus kaput — asylum”. Jeffs had, so he said, photographed gave Western military intelligence me: ‘Come back, come back!’” The young pilot, wearing a dark the MiG because the Danes on the organisations their first chance to leather flying jacket, was eventually spot did not have a good camera. He examine an undamaged, armed handed over to the Danish police, had only done so after consulting and fully operational MiG-15bis. Jarecki climbed who took his gun and put him in with the local Danish military was put under severe custody. commander and gave his films political pressure by its NATO allies out of the cockpit The Royal Danish Air Force voluntarily to his Danish intelligence location of its small piece of territory and had therefore declared the island ABOVE: to delay the MiG’s return. With and walked with his (Flyvevåbnet) intelligence section contacts. Copenhagen chose to accept in the Baltic, almost behind the Iron a ‘no-go’ area to foreign snoopers. Before the Danish great reluctance Copenhagen allowed realised at once the importance of this the British clarification, albeit with a Curtain. In the delicate Cold War That the British air attaché had government closed British and American experts to unexpected opportunity to uncover fair amount of scepticism. atmosphere, Poland’s foreign ministry cleverly not asked for permission was the airspace over hands up towards Bornholm with a inspect this advanced Soviet combat the secrets of the most modern Soviet expected that a barrage of strong painful enough. NOTAM (notice aircraft, but requested that the approaching airport jet fighter. Within a few hours a diplomatic protest notes, threatening Copenhagen wanted to keep to airmen), news foreign intelligence exploitation was personnel, saying group of technical experts had flown The head of the Flyvevåbnet “grave consequences”, would convince the affair exclusively Danish, but photographers in kept secret to the rest of the world. from Copenhagen to Bornholm in accident commission, Col Erik Denmark to return the “stolen” it quickly became obvious that the a chartered light This eventually proved a somewhat ‘Kommunismus a PBY-5A Catalina amphibian. The Rasmussen, was given the task MiG‑15bis without delay. American and British intelligence aircraft pictured impossible demand, as not one but British air attaché in Copenhagen, of dismantling the MiG-15bis At NATO’s highest levels the bodies had little confidence in the Jarecki’s MiG-15bis from an unusual three Polish MiG-15 pilots escaped kaput — asylum’ Wg Cdr F. R. Jeffs, RAF, booked with a team of 12 Danish military Danish Ministry of Defence was limited technical capabilities of the angle. to Bornholm. himself a seat on a chartered press technicians and preparing it for being persuaded to think of an excuse Royal Danish Air Force. British AEROPLANE On that memorable Thursday in The and travelled to Bornholm shipment to Værløse air base to hold on to the MiG-15 for as ambassador Berthoud made it 1953, Jarecki was formation leader of operations centre, the Polskie that same Thursday afternoon. His near Copenhagen. Rasmussen, an long as it could. The alliance wanted abundantly clear that his country a flight of four Polish MiG-15s. His Lotnictwo Wojskowe (PLW), quick thinking was, in retrospect, experienced fighter pilot, had already to carry out a complete technical wanted nothing less than a full call sign for the mission was ‘731’. immediately gave the order for not appreciated by the Danish concluded after a first, cursory investigation, preferably by NATO technical examination of the Polish Early in the morning the quartet had Operation ‘Krest’: intercept Jarecki’s government. inspection that the MiG‑15bis experts. As a fighter and taken off from the air base at Slupsk MiG-15 and try to stop his escape. Once he was on Bornholm, was virtually undamaged and pretext to keep that London on the Baltic coast for a training flight If necessary, he was to be shot down. Jeffs was in no way hindered in was remarkably well constructed. the angry Poles At NATO’s was more than BELOW: towards the East German border. The pursuers had no chance. Jarecki doing his job — gathering vital The machine that Jarecki flew to at bay, the Polish willing to give any The undamaged had a head and needed only intelligence for Britain. The Danish Bornholm was the latest variant, ambassador in highest levels the assistance needed. Polish MiG-15bis seven or eight minutes to get to media representatives, who were the MiG-15bis. The brand-new Copenhagen, Danish Ministry of The US envoy serial 346 on the The Polish pilot had seen Bornholm. kept at a distance, noticed to their aircraft had been delivered to the Dr Stanislaw applied even more grass strip at Rønne on 5 March 1953, Bornholm during earlier flights over At Warsaw Pact intelligence annoyance that the RAF officer was 28th Fighter Regiment (28. PLM) Kelles-Krauz, Defence was being pressure. Military shortly after its the Baltic and knew it was located briefings Jarecki had been told that photographing the Polish MiG‑15 in at Slupsk in February 1953, only a was told that the experts from the high-speed landing. about 90km (56 miles) north-west had built a large great detail. Apparently it took some month before Jarecki used it for his irrefutable fact of persuaded to think of Air Technical At far right is the of Kołobrzeg, a city on the Polish air base on Bornholm. The only time before the Danish military who flight to freedom. the violation of an excuse to hold on Intelligence Polish pilot, Lt coast. Near the airfield there, Jarecki landing site he could spot from the were on the spot realised what the air One might logically expect that Danish airspace Center (ATIC), Franciszek Jarecki, broke out of the MiG formation at air, however, was the short grass strip attaché was doing. They confiscated Denmark, as a NATO member, by a fully armed the US Air Force still in his black to the MiG-15 for as flying suit. an altitude of 6,000m (19,685ft) and of the civilian airport at Rønne. As his camera and he was ordered to would without hesitation retain the Polish Air organisation AEROPLANE put his swept-wing fighter into a the MiG-15’s sturdy undercarriage leave the site. MiG-15bis for as long as possible Force fighter, long as it could responsible for in order to conduct a thorough as well as the the investigation technical examination. However, pilot’s motives, had to be thoroughly of captured Soviet weapons, stressed the Danes were not entirely happy investigated before a Polish delegation in no uncertain terms that the Polish with their scoop. There was a clear could set eyes on the defected MiG. MiG-15bis was top of their list geopolitical reason for the Danish Poland would certainly be allowed to of Russian weapon systems to be reluctance regarding the participation recover the precious MiG-15bis, but tested. Early estimates of the MiG’s of foreign experts in the exploitation not for some time. performance had been made on the of the Polish jet. At the end of Ninety minutes after the jet landed, basis of photographs, radar tracks, World War Two, Soviet troops the US Embassy was knocking on combat experience in Korea and the had occupied the island after the the door of the Ministry of Foreign knowledge that the MiG-15 was surrender of the German garrison. Affairs in Copenhagen, requesting powered by a Soviet copy of the They left in March 1946, but only permission for the American air Rolls-Royce Nene engine. after the Danish government had attaché to be allowed to fly to In March 1953 the USAF and accepted Moscow’s unconditional Bornholm on the embassy’s Douglas the RAF were still fighting an air demand never to station foreign C-47 transport. Denmark said war in Korea, where the MiG-15 troops on Bornholm — not even a no. The Danish government had was regarded as the most dangerous single military attaché. Copenhagen immediately understood that the weapon of the conflict. For many was well aware of the vulnerable Polish defection was a delicate matter years American intelligence

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CLOCKWISE FROM RIGHT:

Preliminary inspection of 346 prior to the airframe being dismantled for technical exploitation. DICK VAN DER AART COLLECTION

Before moving the fighter from Bornholm, Danish technicians lowered the gun tray of MiG‑15bis 346 to access the armament. The type was quite heavily armed, with one 37mm cannon in the starboard side of the weapons tray under the nose and two 23mm guns on the port side. One of the 23mm guns of the second Polish MiG-15bis that flew to Bornholm was secretly tested at RAE Farnborough. services had tried in vain to capture DICK VAN DER AART COLLECTION aircraft was reassembled in a large, flight could end in a crash, and how allowed to put questions to him. To by the Soviet political officer to spy with a second MiG defector from ABOVE: one. The jet on Bornholm was the well-guarded hangar. A special could that be explained to Poland? the relief of the Danes Jarecki did not on his colleagues was one frustration Poland. On Wednesday 20 May Before coming to In a well-guarded first available flying example of the committee headed by Col Erik On Monday 16 March 1953, reveal any secrets. too many. That made him decide to 1953, Lt Zdzislaw Jazwinski followed a standstill against hangar at Værløse updated version and therefore of Rasmussen was given the task to a formal decision was made on Jarecki told the media that as defect. the example of Jarecki and flew to trees and rocks, MiG-15bis 415 air base near much greater military value than the ensure that, to the outside world, the future of Franciszek Jarecki. a second lieutenant in the Polish Bornholm with another MiG-15bis, Copenhagen, of Lt Zdzislaw two damaged MiG-15s which, in the meticulous examination of the Unsurprisingly, the results of his Air Force, the Polskie Lotnictwo which had by now been allocated Jazwinski lost a every part of the 1951 and 1952, were partly salvaged Polish MiG-15bis MiG-15bis remained a purely Danish interrogation showed without doubt Wosjkowe, he enjoyed the confidence Examination of the Polish the NATO codename ‘Fagot’. His wing, a horizontal was examined by behind enemy lines in North Korea. matter and that the participation of that the Polish pilot was not a spy but of the Soviet officers who were MiG‑15bis at Værløse was completed landing was, however, considerably fin and several a team of technical American intelligence experts NATO partners remained absolutely a genuine political refugee. Jarecki actually in command of the air arm. on 16 March 1953. Declassified less fortunate. Because of bad other parts. The intelligence experts from ATIC, stationed at USAFE secret. It was, of course, a question of accepted a British invitation for At the age of 18 he signed up for documents show that, just two days visibility, 22-year-old Jazwinski could fuselage sustained heavy damage, but from Denmark, the headquarters in Wiesbaden, West keeping up appearances. Moscow and asylum, with the later option to travel military flight training. He did well, later, the first top-secret preliminary not find the strip at Rønne. For want US and Britain. Of the cockpit of the Germany, and British engineers from Warsaw were not that easily deceived. to the US. Denmark agreed to release and after a short period with the 1st official results of the study were of anything better, he chose to make a sturdy jet remained major interest was the Royal Aircraft Establishment the Klimov VK-1 From declassified him, but only on Air Force Regiment in Warsaw he distributed among various USAF forced landing on an exercise field at intact and saved the life of the Polish engine. ATIC (RAE) suggested that for a thorough British and condition that was transferred to the 28th Fighter organisations by the headquarters of the Almegard military camp north of investigation — including a test US technical The foreign Jarecki left the Regiment of the 10th Air Division US European Command (EUCOM). Rønne. The MiG shot at speed across pilot. The cockpit of the flight — the Polish MiG should intelligence country as soon as at Slupsk. Because of its location They confirmed the previous knolls and gullies and came badly BORNHOLMS MUSEUM VIA experts did not just FLYVEVÅBNETS HISTORISKE MiG-15bis. Of great best be flown to a West European reports one can possible. near the Baltic coast only politically findings, but the experts damaged to a standstill amid thickets SAMLING interest to NATO’s base, preferably Farnborough or only conclude That generated reliable Polish pilots were stationed had identified several important and of bushes and trees. The landing gear intelligence experts want more time to was the Russian Wiesbaden. The Danes again said that the ATIC another problem. at this base. Jarecki had joined the hitherto unknown details. With pilot, was crumpled and one of the wings ASP-3N gyro no, but had to admit that the jet was and RAE test all the mechanical The MiG-15bis Communist Party and was appointed ammunition and fuel on board, the torn off. Soldiers in the camp rushed lead computing not safe on Bornholm, only 95km (59 Farnborough could be kept out as a political officer on his . aircraft weighed approximately 450kg immediately to the crash site and saw gunsight above miles) from Poland. It was feared that personnel were and electronic parts of sight, but to In the latter capacity it was expected less than had previously been assumed a shaken, but relieved, pilot climbing the instrument Poland might be tempted to ‘recover’ not only fully of the Polish MiG, do the same with of him that he would report on the by the US and British intelligence out of the cockpit, shouting in Polish: panel, in front of the aircraft with a parachute assault involved in the a pilot who was political reliability of his fellow pilots. services. Given the extra power of “I am a political refugee.” the bulletproof on Bornholm, or even to destroy examination widely regarded as The 28th was an elite unit with a the new Klimov VK-1 engine, this windscreen. USAF but to fly it. Denmark Jazwinski told Danish officials that the aircraft with a surprise attack by of the Polish a hero of the Cold combination of Polish and Russian indicated an improvement in the he was a friend of Jarecki and after, Polish bombers. Denmark’s fighters MiG‑15bis, but reacted firmly War proved an pilots, who could always count on version’s flight performance. Its hearing the BBC’s Polish language of the day, Spitfires and Meteors, even had a leading impossible task. flying the latest fighter aircraft. It internal and external fuel capacity was broadcast about his friend’s escape to were no match for the much faster role in the whole process. Once abroad as a free man, Jarecki consisted of three squadrons, each also higher than estimated. Bornholm, he had decided to copy the MiG-15. The foreign experts did not could unburden himself about his with 10 MiG-15s. Of the 30 fighters On 20 March 1953 the MiG-15bis flight. During a training flight from just want more time to test all the defection to Denmark, and might at Slupsk, 14 were replaced in was dismantled and packed into Slupsk with four other pilots from mechanical and electronic parts of reveal what the Danes for two long February 1953 with the brand-new crates for transport by ship to Gdynia. the 28. PLM, he suddenly dived to On Saturday 7 March 1953, two the Polish MiG, but to fly it. The weeks tried so desperately to keep MiG-15bis — the type which Jarecki Sixteen days after Jarecki landed on sea level, dropping his wing tanks to days after it landed on Bornholm, British ambassador in Copenhagen secret. Copenhagen asked London to ‘presented’ to the West on Bornholm Bornholm, his MiG-15bis — minus gain speed for his dash to the Danish the MiG-15bis was disassembled had already floated the idea. During keep the pilot away from the press. just a month later. a few ‘forgotten’ parts — was on its island. and shipped to Copenhagen on the the secret examination, London tried On 18 March, Jarecki left Denmark Jarecki also informed the press in way back to Poland. For Denmark a There was still some foreign lighthouse supply vessel Argus. To again to convince the Danes that in a British . A week London that he had a good life as an complicated political and diplomatic persuasiveness needed to convince the avoid a possible hijacking attempt a flight test was vital. Denmark’s later he was on BBC radio with the air force pilot in Poland. Nevertheless, circus had come to a satisfactory end. Danish authorities that the second by Russian or Polish warships, it repeated reaction was firm: it was exciting story of his escape, and soon he secretly hated the communist That relief did not last long. — identical — MiG-15bis had to be was escorted during the nocturnal illegal and much too dangerous. The British newspaper journalists were regime. The fact that he was asked Within 10 weeks Denmark was faced as thoroughly examined as the first

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RIGHT: one. What Denmark’s government British plan involving the removal of features. It was therefore examined And what of Jarecki? He did Another of the very saw as an inconvenient and politically the machine from Danish soil without just as thoroughly as the two previous not stay long in Britain. On 1 May few pictures of worrying situation was for Western the knowledge of Copenhagen aircraft. 1953 he flew to New York. As a serial 415 after its military intelligence services a most would jeopardise Anglo-Danish The now declassified RAE ‘communist’ he should have faced, in crash-landing on a welcome event. They had become training field at the relations, and might put continued technical report comprises no fewer theory at least, many legal obstacles Almegǻrds Barracks convinced that Bornholm was an Danish participation in NATO into than six separate volumes with to becoming an American citizen. In near Rønne on 20 ideal landing place for pilot defectors question. Berthoud wrote: “ hundreds of pages of technical this case, though, all US government May 1953. from the Warsaw Pact, and that in London can assess whether the details and drawings. British experts agencies saw the arrival of the Polish AEROPLANE many more would soon follow the benefits of a test flight could possibly concluded that the Lim-2, serial refugee (typically, no-one spoke of a example of Jarecki and Jazwinski. The justify the taking of such risks.” 1327, showed a very high quality of defector) as a wonderful propaganda headquarters of USAF intelligence in There was, in the end, no need to workmanship, noticeably better than opportunity, and the usual rigorous Europe seriously suggested that the steal a MiG-15 from Denmark. In the Soviet-made MiG-15bis 415 that screening by the Immigration and Pentagon should pay Denmark for April 1953 the US Far East Air Force flew to Bornholm in May 1953. Naturalization Department was the construction of a long and easily had launched Operation ‘Moolah’, skipped. In the US he founded visible concrete runway on Bornholm, offering a reward of US$100,000 to a company called Jarecki Valves, suitable for defecting Soviet and the first communist pilot to defect The examination of the MiGs from producing industrial valves. The Polish Ilyushin Il-28 bombers! to South Korea with an operational Not until 1956 did a third Polish at the last moment, Gosciniak’s MiG Bornholm in those early Cold War business was a success and he became MiG-15bis. That September, North MiG pilot venture to escape. On came safely to a halt in a huge cloud years provided NATO with a unique a millionaire. ‘Frank’ Jarecki died Korean Senior Lt No Kum Sok 25 September of that year, 2nd Lt of dust. and much sought-after insight into in Erie, Pennsylvania on Soon after examination of this flew his MiG-15bis to Kimpo air Zygmunt Gosciniak flew his Polish- Following a now well-known Soviet fighter aircraft development. 24 October 2010. second Polish MiG-15bis, which base in South Korea. This gave the built MiG-15bis — specifically a procedure, the virtually undamaged Their pilots also gave their generated additional valuable Americans the ideal opportunity WSK-Mielec Lim-2 — to Bornholm jet was disassembled and shipped to interrogators detailed information intelligence, the debate about test for a long series of test flights with from Zegrze Pomorskie air base a secure hangar at Værløse, where about the organisation and strength flights flared up again. The British the Soviet fighter. After a while the in north-west Poland. When the foreign experts were already waiting of the Warsaw Pact air forces. This FURTHER READING… BELOW: Joint Intelligence Committee was still RAF was invited to take part in the 28-year-old pilot approached the to conduct a technical examination. was shared with NATO partners and For more information on the Having sustained considering a plan to try and secure evaluation, and in 1956 Flt Lt Ernest civil airport at Rønne he was in for Although a MiG-15bis held hardly selected other countries, like . defections to the Danish island, we only light damage, a test flight if another MiG defected Chandler made a hard landing in a surprise. The concrete runway was any secrets for the West by 1956, the The — in total recommend The Secret MiGs of Lim-2 serial 1327 to Bornholm. In July 1953 British the MiG at Wright-Patterson AFB, only half-finished, and the presence of American and British intelligence secrecy, of course — returned the Bornholm by the author of this piece, was covered with ambassador Berthoud even discussed Ohio, badly damaging its main workers and construction equipment services were still very much favour when, in 1957, the defecting Dick van der Aart, published by tarpaulins before with the Foreign Office the tricky landing gear. prevented a normal touchdown. His interested in this ‘late model’ example. pilot of a fourth Polish MiG-15bis/ Brave New Books. It is available for being dismantled and shipped to political consequences of a ‘stealing’ a only option was a wheels-up landing As a Polish-built Lim-2 version, it Lim-2 bypassed Bornholm and made £15 from The Aviation Bookshop Værløse. MiG-15 for test flights. He warned on the rough, sandy surface parallel was part of a new production series a successful belly-landing in south- (www.aviation-bookshop.com). BORNHOLMS MUSEUM in a top-secret telegram that a covert to the runway. Avoiding a bulldozer with various updates and novel west Sweden.

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