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The ''Kee Bird'' was a United States Army Air Forces Boeing B-29 Superfortress, serial ''45-21768'', of the 46th Reconnaissance Squadron, that became marooned after making an emergency landing in northwest Greenland during a secret Cold War spying mission on 21 February 1947. While the entire crew was safely evacuated after spending three days in the isolated Arctic tundra, the aircraft itself was left at the landing site. It lay there undisturbed until 1994, when a privately funded mission was launched to repair and return it. The attempted recovery resulted in the destruction and loss of the airframe by fire on the ground. ==Mission background== In the early years of the Cold War, some of the most important strategic reconnaissance was carried out by Strategic Air Command units deployed to Ladd Army Airfield, near Fairbanks, Alaska Territory. One of the SAC's initial missions was to plan strategic aerial reconnaissance on a global scale. The first efforts were in photo-reconnaissance and mapping. Along with the photo-reconnaissance mission, a small electronic intelligence (ELINT) cadre was operating. Weather reconnaissance was part of the effort, as was Long Range Detection, the search for Soviet atomic explosions.〔Wack, Fred J. The Secret Explorers: Saga of the 46th/72nd Reconnaissance Squadrons. N.p., 1990〕 In the late 1940s, strategic intelligence on Soviet capabilities and intentions was scarce. Before the development of the Lockheed U-2 high-altitude spy plane and orbital reconnaissance satellites, technology and politics limited American reconnaissance efforts to the borders, and not the heartland, of the Soviet Union. Ladd Field was one of the important staging areas for gathering what strategic intelligence could be obtained along Soviet borders.〔 Assigned to the 46th Reconnaissance Squadron, the ''Kee Bird'' was originally a standard Block 95 B-29 Superfortress bomber manufactured at Boeing's Wichita, Kansas plant in late August or September 1945, c/n 13662, one of the last B-29s manufactured. It was initially delivered to Grand Island Army Airfield, Nebraska as USAAF Serial ''45-21768''. However, once delivered it was not assigned to any unit until early 1946 when the 46th RS was formed. Nineteen B-29s were assigned to the 46th RS, and at that time, 768 was one of six squadron aircraft that was fitted with special camera installations for photographic reconnaissance work. It carried three K-17B, two K-22 and one K-18 cameras with provisions for others. With the reconnaissance equipment, it was redesignated an F-13 (in the F- for photo reconnaissance series). However, the standard B-29 bombing equipment and defensive armament were retained.〔(American Military Aircraft - Boeing B-29 Superfortres )〕〔(AERIAL CAMERA TYPES K-17, K-18, K-19B, AND K-22 )〕 With growing tensions in US-Soviet relations, SAC explored the possibility of attacking Soviet targets via great circle routes over the North Pole as part of "Project Nanook". The 46th was engaged in mapping the northern section of Greenland and also to search for any Soviet military activity in this uninhabited area. The squadron was assigned to Ladd Field, near Fairbanks, Alaska in June 1946 and began operational missions later that month. Its flights were used to develop accurate polar navigation, survey and map the Arctic; perform comprehensive weather studies; test its men and equipment in Arctic conditions; train in polar navigation and operations and fly long range photographic intelligence flights with B-29/F-13A Superfortresses.〔( The story of The Impact of U.S. Aerial Reconnaissance during the Early Cold War (1947–1962):Service & Sacrifice of the Cold Warriors )〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Kee Bird」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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