Numerical File, 5-2500

Read from the scan by GLM-OCR; expect the odd misread word.

QUOTED below is the cable classified Top Secret which was sent to Hqs. USAF on 13 Oct 55. USAIRA control number is C-103 and text follows:

"NIACT. TO: DINTA, WASH. DC. NOFORN. USAF handle as OPERATIONAL IMMEDIATE. USAF CRYPTO PASS TO CINCUSAFE AND USAIRA MOSCOW. THREE RELIABLE US OBSERVERS, SENATOR RICHARD RUSSELL, LT. COL. E.U. HATHAWAY, ARMY, MR. RUBEN EFron, VISITED PRAGUE 12-13 OCT. ARRIVING DIRECT FROM KIEV, VIA BAKU, TIFLIS, DNIEPERPETROVSK, BLACK SEA AREA, AND REPORTED FOLLOWING TO USAIRA AND USARMA.: ON 4 OCT. 55 AT 1910 HOURS BETWEEN ATJATY AND ADZHLJABUL, TEN MINUTES BY RAIL AFTER DEPARTING ATJATY IN TRANS CAUCASUS REGION, TWO ROUND AND CIRCULAR UNCONVENTIONAL AIRCRAFT RESEMBLING FLYING DISCS OR FLYING SAUCERS WERE SEEN TAKING OFF ALMOST VERTICALLY ONE MINUTE APART. DISC AIRCRAFT ASCENDED NEAR DUSK WITH OUTER SURFACE REVOLVING SLOWLY TO RIGHT AND WITH TWO LIGHTS STATIONARY ON TOP NEAR MIDDLE PART. SPARKS OR FLAME SEEN COMING FROM AIRCRAFT. NO PROTRUSIONS SEEN ON AIRCRAFT WHICH PASSED OVER OBSERVERS' TRAIN. BOTH FLYING DISC AIRCRAFT ASCENDED RELATIVELY SLOWLY TO ABOUT 6000 FEET, THEN SPEED INCREASED SHARPLY IN HORIZONTAL FLIGHT BOTH ON NORTHERLY HEADING. FLYING ATTITUDE OF DISC REMAINED SAME DURING ASCENT AS IN CRUISE, LIKE A DISCUS IN FLIGHT. TWO OPERATING SEARCHLIGHTS POINTING ALMOST VERTICAL SEEN NEAR TAKEOFF AREA LOCATED ABOUT 1-2 MILES SOUTH OF RR LINE. AFTER SIGHTING SOVIET TRAINMEN BECAME EXCITED AND LOWERED CURTAINS AND REFUSED PERMISSION TO LOOK OUT WINDOWS. US OBSERVERS FIRMLY BELIEVE THESE UNCONVENTIONAL AIRCRAFT WERE GENUINE SAUCER OR DISC AIRCRAFT. USAIRA RATES INFO B-2. ON 9 OCT. 55 AT DNIEPERPETROVSK AIRFIELD, HATHAWAY REPORTED 42 STUBBY JET FIGHTERS NOT FAGOTS AND ONE MULTI JET BOMBER DESCRIBED AS: ONE HALF AGAIN AS LONG AS US COCOA 47; ENGINES CANVAS COVERED BURied WING TYPE; CANOPY WELL FORWARD NEAR BLUNT NOSE; TRICYCLE GEAR; DEFINITE SWAYBACK SHAPE ON TOP OF FUSELAGE; SEVERELY SWEPT WINGS SET IN MIDDLE OF FUSELAGE AND LOCATED ALMOST MIDWAY FROM NOSE TO TAIL; TAILPLANE LOCATED LOW BENEATH BOTTOM LEVEL OF VERTICAL FIN; VERTICAL FIN SWEPT WITH SQUARE TOP; AND SILVER BULBOUS BULGE AT TAILCONE EXTENDING REARWARD OF RUDDER LINE. DNIEPERPETROVSK AIRFIELD WAS GRASS SOD. AT BAKU LONG TRAIN LOADED WITH MANY PLATOON SIZE LANDING CRAFT. 42 KILOMETERS FROM MOSCOW ON MOSCOW TO MINSK HIGHWAY,250) YARDS TO RIGHT OF ROAD, PARTY SIGHTED RADAR SITE TENTATIVELY IDENTIFIED HERE AS ONE WOODGAGE OR GAGE AND ONE SQUARE POLE FREYA.

RECOMMEND COMPLETE DEBRIEFING OF RUSSELL GROUP UPON RETURN AND SUGGEST COMMENDATION FROM D/I FOR EFFORTS. RUSSELL GROUP DEPARTED PRAGUE ABOARD SWAISSAIR FOR ROME 13 OCT. (Signed) T.S.RYAN."

On 12 Oct. 1955 at about 2145 hours, Sen. Russell, Lt. Col. E.U. Hathaway, U.S. Army staff officer assigned to Senate Armed Forces Committee, and Mr. Ruben Efron, Committee Consultant, arrived at Wilson (Hlavni) Station in Prague, having come direct from Kiev. Their rail route from Kiev brought them to COP, at the eastern border of Czechoslovakia, where they observed the RR gauge switching operation from the Russian broad gauge to the Czech standard guage. Upon arrival at the RR Wilson Station, the Russell group was met by the acting Chief of Mission, Mr. Harold Vedler, and the USAIR. We escorted the group to the US Residency where they were to spend the night. It was evident that they had seen much and had been to places in Russia and possibly in Czechoslovakia where US observers had not been, at least for a good many years. Sen. Russell stated that he had been in Prague once before in 1927, and was anxious to see some familiar places. After arrival at the Residency and dinner, Lt. Col. Hathaway expressed a desire to report something of the utmost importance to the USAIR, "something you may not believe, but something that we've been told by your people (USAF) doesn't exist." I suggested that we not discuss anything at the Residency.