Looking Down the Corridors: Allied Aerial Espionage Over East Germany and Berlin, 1945-1990

by Kevin Wright, Peter Jefferies

This is the only book, written by experts with first-hand knowledge, to examine in detail the clandestine reconnaissance operations over East Germany during the Cold War era. Between 1945 and 1990 the wartime Western Allies mounted some of the most audacious and successful photographic intelligence collection operations using their freedom of access to the internationally agreed airspace of the Berlin Air Corridors and Control Zone that passed over a large area of East Germany. The operations were authorised at the highest political levels and conducted in great secrecy used modified transport and training aircraft disguised as normal transport and training flights exercising the Allies’ access rights to Berlin and its environs. For nearly 50 years these flights gathered a prodigious amount of imagery that was analysed by intelligence analysts to provide the western intelligence community with unique knowledge of the organisation and equipment of the Warsaw Pact forces. Using recently declassified materials and extensive personal interviews with those involved at all levels this book provides, for the first time, a detailed account and analysis of these operations and their unique contribution to the Cold War intelligence picture.

224 pages, Hardcover

First published May 15, 2015

Reviews

[Des Pemberton · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was of interest to me as I was professionally aware of the flights in the late 1960s; took part in numerous 7 Flt, AAC, Sioux helicopter flights around West Berlin in 1972 and 73; and was a photographic interpreter/imagery analyst ++ in 6 Int Coy during two tours in the 1980s.

The book is well researched and contains a lot of data within the narrative that I found myself just skimming over; however, for those who like this detail, you're in for a real treat, for normal mortals, don't worry, these data-laden bits are easy to bye-pass. There are also a lot of acronyms and abbreviations, most of which I was used to, but to someone without any prior knowledge they may find a bit daunting. I personally blame the US culture, readily adopted from the 1970s/80s by the UK, of an excessive diet of alphabet soup.

This is book provides a good picture of Allied activities brought about by having an island of capitalism (West Berlin) within a sea of totalitarian Communism (East Germany). So, if you're interested in modern European history or Soviet/West relations then this book should interest you.

It is a shame the authors didn't delve more deeply into the actual, as opposed to the presumed, Soviet/East German attitude to the Allied overflights; they must've discussed them at quite high levels. On a personal basis, during West Berlin ground border patrols along the wire (West Berlin/East Germany), the border guard conscripts were quite friendly once they'd served a short time and no officers were around. It is difficult to measure their attitude from the air, but I experienced only one instance of having flares fired at the helicopter; the pilot and I got rather distracted viewing a couple of Frauen getting all over tans on their high-rise balconies when the border moved, m'lord.

[Mark Moxley-Knapp · Rating 5 out of 5]

An unexpected discovery during a trip to the National Air and Space Museum. On clearance, and small enough to carry (I was walking.) Very interesting, in-depth history of surveillance flights during the Cold War. From Chipmunks to KC-97s, all the allies and all the planes are covered, in great detail. Photo interpretation, ground excursions, interviews with participants, lots of photos of aircraft and their targets. As thorough as a book on a secret subject can be.

[Robert Walden · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good summary of an interesting and little known programme. Good to read alongside one of the good histories of BRIXMIS!