PB4Y-2 Privateer (BuNo 59645) Mission of 8 April 1950

[yahya]

I am looking for technical information on the possible external appearance and the avionics suite of the USN PB4Y-2 Privateer (BuNo 59645; the Turbulent Turtle), which took part in a ferret ELINT mission of 8 April 1950 over the Baltic Sea. The aircraft departed from Wiesbaden, Germany, and was later intercepted and shot down by Soviet La-11 fighters off Liepāja, Latvia. The crew of ten disappeared.

According to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VP-26, the aircraft was unarmed.

According to https://www.aircraftinformation.info/JB_AIF/usaf_bombers/b24_38.html, the Privateers could carry:

Operational Privateers had numerous bumps and bulges underneath the fuselage and nose which housed various air-to-surface radar and radar countermeasures antennae. Equipment that could be carried included AN/APR-1 (100-950 MHz), AN/APR-2 (900-1000 MHz), and AN/APR-5 (1000-3100 MHz) radar intercept receivers which included direction finders and pulse analyzers. Also installed were AN/ARR-5 and AN/ARR-7 communications intercept receiver and AN/APT-1 *Dina* (90-220 MHz), AN/APT-5 *Carpet* (450-720 MHz), and AN/APQ-2 *Rug* (450-720 MHz) jammers. Although all this equipment could not be carried at the same time, racks were provided to carry specific pieces of equipment as required for a given mission.

However, such WWII-vintage equipment was a bit obsolete in 1950. Furthermore, considering the ferret ELINT mission, the plane rather collected signals, and not emitted them.

What kind of mission payload could it carry?

According to https://theaviationist.com/2009/09/28/airspace-violations-episode-2/, the aircraft was to look at Soviet subs. Perhaps.

However, the more probable mission is described here: https://vpnavy.com/vp26_mishap.html. The plane participated in a ferret ELINT mission.

On these flights, the primary mission was to record and analyze the signals of the Soviet radars and electronic equipment. In 1947 the U.S. Navy Patrol Squadron, VP-26 had a detachment (Det 214) of three PB4Y-2 "Privateers", a four engine land-based patrol aircraft, stationed at NAS Port Lyautey, French Morocco. These three PB4Y-2s, had been specially configured to fly the elite air-reconnaissance missions.

On 8 April 1950, a VP-26 PB4Y-2, designated "HB 7" #59645, assigned to Det.A, took off from Wiesbaden Air Base, West Germany on a "FERRET" flight. At 1739 the "Privateer" was intercepted by four Soviet "La-11" fighters while flying at an altitude of 12,139ft over the Baltic Sea, off the coast of Latvia south of Liepaja. After refusing the "follow me" signals of the fighters, the "Privateer" was shot down, becoming the first publicized shootdown of the Cold War. The Soviets claimed that the plane had violated Soviet airspace over Latvia and had exchanged fire with the soviet fighters. All PB4Ys flying the "FERRET" missions were always unarmed due to countries like Sweden that would not allow them to land if they were carrying any weapons.

Any further information and suggestions are welcome.

 

[_Del_]

However, such WWII-vintage equipment was a bit obsolete in 1950. Furthermore, considering the ferret ELINT mission, the plane rather collected signals, and not emitted them.

From your source:

Equipment that could be carried included AN/APR-1 (100-950 MHz), AN/APR-2 (900-1000 MHz), and AN/APR-5 (1000-3100 MHz) radar intercept receivers which included direction finders and pulse analyzers. Also installed were AN/ARR-5 and AN/ARR-7 communications intercept receiver

While sort of old, most of the AN/APR-X gear descended from the P-540 like most early RWR/EW gear. The numbers mostly reflected improvements or changes on the frequency bands detected for the reciever. APR-4 could grab 38-4000 MHz. APR-7, 1000-6000 MHz, etc

AN/APR-4 was everywhere through the 60's in the US and longer elsewhere. They called the series "old faithful" because everyone used it. Multiple countries, branches, airborne, ship, ground setups from the series.

The equipment above was used to intercept and analyze radar and radio communications. In this case over the Baltic. They would have gotten information about pulse repetition rate/frequency, direction/location of the emitters, possibly intercept Soviet naval comms, probably skirting the coast off Karosta.

 

[yahya]

This booklet apparently contains a photo of BuNo 59645.

https://www.nsa.gov/portals/75/documents/about/cryptologic-heritage/historical-figures-publications/publications/coldwar/dangerous_business.pdf

The aircraft seems to be armed.

 

[yahya]

Does anyone have this book and could say if it contains any details on the post-war 'ferret' ELINT Privateers and their avionics?

Consolidated PB4Y-2/P4Y-2 Privateer

The research and devilment that went into getting this aircraft into the air.

www.ginterbooks.com