Danger Zone

Divided in two for decades between the late 1940s and early 1990s, Germany was the hottest ‘battlefield’ of the Cold War. Its western part was dotted by dozens of major military facilities of the reconstituted national armed forces and those of the NATO allies, foremost the USA, Great Britain and France. Even more so, one third of East Germany was under the control of the Armed Forces of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) and housed several dozens of major air and ground units.

On the ground, the city of West Berlin – situated in the centre of the German Democratic Republic (GDR) – and the three occupation zones controlled by the USA, Great Britain, and France, was connected to the outside world only via tightly controlled railways, waterways or autobahns. However, in the air, three Aerial Corridors connected it with West Germany.

Far away from high-profile intelligence-gathering operations - like those by Lockheed U-2s - several intelligence agencies of the USA, Great Britain and France exploited this fact to run covert operations along these Corridors.

Principally conducted by adapted transport or liaison aircraft - which received a host of clandestine modifications – such operations often took their crews into the very centre of what was perceived as the ‘danger zone’ by NATO: the airspace over some of the most sensitive Soviet military installations.

Danger Zone is the first comprehensive and in-depth study of intelligence-gathering efforts by aircraft operated by, or on behalf of, the US intelligence agencies. It provides a carefully researched review of the involved equipment, modifications, maintenance, flight operations, post-flight activities and the resulting intelligence analysis, set within the context of the unique situation surrounding West Berlin during the Cold War and its Air Corridors.

 

"Wright has assembled photographs and performance details of the various aircraft used throughout the Cold War beginning with modified B-26, B-17, and B-29 bombers." Studies in Intelligence Vol. 67, No. 3

"...you'll find just about everything you would want to know about operations above one of the hottest spots of the Cold War. It is an interesting look at a major information collection operation that was mostly hidden in plain sight."  Aviation History Magazine

"Helion has another winner in this volume. The quality of writing that they must demand of their authors is first rate. The maps, tables, and photo captions only add to the excellent text. For anyone interested in the cat-and-mouse game of aerial reconnaissance during the Cold War or for a different look at how the strange setup around Berlin and East Germany functioned for four and half decades, this is a good book to add to your collection." The Journal of the Air Force Historical Foundation

"...To a student of Cold War Germany as well as those who served there, this book would be a valuable addition to your library that gives a better understanding of a little known aspect of that War." Medmenham Association

“Historians and aviation modelers will gain a lot from this book. The black and white photos and color profiles of the aircraft are beautiful and provide a great base for modeling…” IPMS USA

"...As someone who lived through the Cold War I found this a thoroughly interesting read. I am sure that many younger readers, too young to remember those days, this could be difficult to understand, but the whole story of Berlin in the Cold War makes for a really interesting study." Robin Buckland, Military Model Scene

".....detailed coverage and excellent illustrations." Military Heritage Magazine

"This is an excellent book on an aspect of post-war history that is not very well known, and will be of great interest to modellers and historians alike" IPMS Magazine, No 4, 2024