-- This excerpt is from the official USMLM Unit History 1964 --
On the afternoon of 10 March, a USAF RB-66 twin engine, jet reconnaissance military aircraft departed Toul-Rosieres Air Base in France on a local training mission. About an hour later the aircraft was observed on radar to be approaching the Soviet Zone of Germany. The plane disappeared from the radar screen after it had reached the vincinity of Gardelegen, northeast of Helmstedt. By 1700 hours, USMLM was on alert status, and by 1745 hours information had been received that the aircraft, which appeared to have crashed, probalby was the RB-66 and that the three crewmen had probalby parachuted. The parachuting had been observed by a British plane flying the air corridor to Berlin. At 1830 hours Chief USMLM organized three search teams which were to be prepared to depart on order. The first USMLM team departed at 2000 hours and the second team left a half hour later. At 2200 hours Chief USMLM went to a meeting at SERB and notified the Soviets that an American aircraft was reported crashed in the Soviet Zone of Germany. He requested assistance and informed SERB that USMLM search teams had been dispatched to locate the aircraft which presumedly went down "somewhere toward the west end of the central air corridor". Acting Chief SERB replied that he would inform higher headquarters, but warned that the USMLM officers should not violate the PRA or the TRA then in effect in the area in question. Chief USMLM stated that the tams had already departed and he expected the Soviets to assist those teams in getting to the crash wherever it might be.
That night the first USMLM search team drove through maneuvering elements of two Soviet Army divisions in the TRA and PRA and recovered samples of chaff dropped from the downed aircraft. The team came to within 300 yards of the crash site when it was effectively blocked by Soviet troops in two armored personnel carriers. The team was escorted under armed guard from the area to the Soviet Kommandatura at Gardelegen. The second USMLM search team proceeded to the area and talked with a German national who pointed out the crash site, but the team was stopped at about 0315 hours by a Soviet security detachment in an armored vehicle. The Soviet troops were very angry and aggressive. A Soviet lieutenant colonel ordered his troops to hook a tow bar from a Soviet truck to the USMLM vehicle and towed it to the Kommandatura at Gardelegen. The third search team departed Berlin on the morning of 11 March and arrived at the crash site about noon. The team was pursued and fired upon by Soviet troops and forced to stop. They were then escorted to the Gardelegen Kommandatura.
The 11th of March was a most frustrating day for the three USMLM search teams. From the time of their detention until their release at 2300 hours, they were held incommunicado at the Soviet Kommandatura at Gardelegen. Because of the friendly attitude of local German nationals in Gardelegen, the cars were ordered driven into the courtyard of the Kommandatura. Food was promised but never arrived. The Soviets repeatedly denied knowledge of the aircraft or the condition of the three crew members, but the local German nationals had said that two men parachuted safely while another was in the Gardelegen hospital.
At Potsdam a USMLM request for a meeting with SERB at 1000 hours was rejected with the explaination that Chief SERB and Deputy were not available. After continued attempts to arrange a meeting, Chief USMLM finally proceeded to SERB office at 1500 hours and delivered a statement to the Soviet lieutenant on duty, requesting an immediate meeting with the Chief of Staff, GSFG and the immediate return to US-control of the three USAF officers who reporteldy had parachuted from the RB-66. Finally, at2200 hours on 11 March Chief USMLM was able to meet with Chief SERB and transmit a letter from General Freeman to General Yakobovsky. However, the Soviets still refused to acknowledge the crash or provide any information or assistance.
On 12 March at about 0100 hours all three USMLM search teams returned to Berlin after having been ejected from the TRA and surveilled from Gardelegen to Potsdam. When the debriefing was completed,it was decided that it would be futile to send additional search teams into the restricted area.
At 1600 hours, Chief USMLM requested permission to visit the injured USAF officer reported to be in Gardelegen hospital. SERB promised to forward the request.
On 13 March at 1550 hours Chief and Deputy SERB were unavailable and a request for information on the status of the USMLM previous request to visit injured USAF officer was given to SERB lieutenant-interpreter. At 1915 hours the request was repeated. At 1045 hours lieutenant-interpreter telephoned USMLM a message from Chief SERB that there was no information, that permission had not been granted and that Chief SERB would contact Chief USMLM when information was received.
On 16 March at 1140 hours, at a meeting at Potsdam, Chief USMLM was informed that the injured USAF officer was suffering from bruises and a broken leg and was in a Soviet military hospital in Magdeburg where he was receiving all necessary aid. SERB stated that permission would be granted for an American medical officer to visit him. At 2100 hours an Air Force surgeon visited the patient who was suffering from partial amnesia.
On 17 March at a meeting with SERB about 2100 hours, Chief USMLM was told that the Soviets would permit a doctor and driver to make a second visit and the next day, at 1220 hours, an orthopedic specialist from USAFE made the trip. He was impressed by the medical care provided by the Soviets.
On 19 March at a USMLM-SERB meeting, Soviet permission was granted for an additional medical visit the following day. The USAF medical officer visited the injured again and pointed out to the Soviets his concern over certain apparent medical complications.
At 1050 hours on 21 March, Chief USMLM was informed that the USAF injured officer would be returned to US-control that afternoon. At 1500 hours, Chief USMLM and the USAF medical officer accepted custody of the patient who was then transported through the Helmstedt Checkpoint to the airport at Hannover where USAF aircraft flew him to Wiesbaden for further hospitalization.
At a meeting with Chief SERB on 24 March, Chief USMLM thanked the soviets for the excellent treatment given the injured USAF officer and requested information rgarding the status of the two remaining crewmen. In the meantime, East German newspapers had stated the flyers would be tried for espionage before an East German court. However, at 1010 hours on 27 March, Chief SERB telephoned Chief USMLM to inform him that the two remaining flyers would be turned over to US-custody at 1430 hours at Marienborn. Two East German Air Force officers participated as observers in the release meeting, but Soviet responsibility was insisted upon by Chief USMLM. An accusation of espionage was read by a representative of GSFG and this charge was denied by Chief USMLM. Chief USMLM signed a statement accepting custody of the USAF officers from Chief SERB at 1453 hours and they were transported through the Helmstedt Checkpoint in a USMLM vehicle for air evacuation from Hannover to Wiesbaden.
After the completion of arrangements for the return of the USAF officers to US-control, the Chief of Staff, GSFG directed SERB to inform Chief USMLM that he was greatly displeased with USMLM actions which resulted in USMLM vehicles entering restricted areas without Soviet permission. Chief USMLM replied that the emergency circumstances indicated that the lives of US citizens were in danger, therefore a decision to proceed immediately with the expectation of Soviet permission and assistance was justified. No further Soviet criticism was expressed, however, subsequent USMLM negotiation efforts to recober the aircraft wreckage continued throughout March and April without success. By the end of 1964, the wreckage of the RB-66 aircracft had still not been returned to US-control.