DEBRIEFING OF FRANCIS GARY POWERS

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Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 
CIA-RDP80B01676R002200040001-5
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RIPPUB
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T
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66
Document Creation Date: 
December 14, 2016
Document Release Date: 
December 30, 2002
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1
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Publication Date: 
January 1, 1962
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MIN
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25X1 25X1 25X1 25X1 25X1 25X1 Le: resent: Approved For Release 2003/02/27 : CIA-RDP80601676R002200040001-5 TOP SECRET EBRIEFING OF FRANCIS GARY POWERS #7 15 February 1962 1031 hours Mr. Powers Alright, one question. At any time did they raise with you flights in the Far East by the IJ-2? Powers: They wanted to know once or twice - I don't know - I know it came up at least once if I knew anything about U-2 airplanes in Japan. And I told them I had never heard of it. laterr-: Did they refer to the incident of the forced landing? Yes, they did, and I told them I had never heard :)f t. Interr-: Did they make reference to interr-: No, they made reference of flights out of Germany and they mentioned B-57 D's and this was in '56 and 1 felt sure it was the U-2. I'm not sure. TOP SECRET Approved For Release 20C3/02/27 : CIA-RDP801301676R002200040001-5 25X1 Approved For Release 20 RDP80601676R002200040001-5 P SECRET Powers: No Interr-: Didthey make reference ever to the loss of the U-2 in Germany? Powers: As well as I can remember, they didn't. Interr-: I believe we broke off in the middle of a question there on that last day, Frank. Just to sum up thenjcan we arrive at this conclusion that - that you did follow the practice of evading and lying to them - lying to them not by telling them something but by denying knowledge when you wanted to withhold and felt that you could withhold valuable information that would be embarrassing to the Government if it was disclosed by you? Powers: Yes. There was a - Interr-: And these examples that we have used here are examples of that technique that you applied? Powers: Yes. I felt that the most important thing - or that seemed to me the most important thing - was to keep 25X1 out of it and to keep the Middle Eastern 25X1 flights out of it. I thought that would be very - very important because I knew that each one would be used TOP SECRET 25X1 Approved For Release 201576272777-RDP80601676R002200040001-5 25X1 - Approved For Release 20402/27 : CIA-RDP80B01676R002200040001-5 TOP SECRET 25X1 25X1 to the fullest extent for propaganda and the situat o in the Middle East might do a lot of harm to the American policy there. interr-: And at the same time playing down your personal role in this matter - Powers: Yes - interr-: to avoid bringing additional pressure on the unit or to ease your own situation. Powers: Yes. I - I was always conscious of my own situation. ,nterr-: When - when, if ever, did you become aware that the United States Government and President Eishenhovs, er, specifically, had admitted that this was a spy flight. Powers: Well, I knew that we were waiting on the President's decision before my flight. [nterr-: President's decision for - Powers: That he would approve - he would say yes or no - that the flight could come. I knew this before I took off but I said nothing about it. And sometime in May - I- can't remember the exact date - they told me that the President of the United States had admitted - that he knew about these flights and so forth - and they asked TOP SECRET Approved For Release 2003/02/27 : CIA-RDP80B01676R002200040001-5 2003/02/27 : CIA 25X1 Approved For Release 20 25X1 25X1 3/02/27 : CIA RDP80601676R002200040001-5 me if I knew anything about his - his having knowledge of these things and I told them - no - that all I knew was that Communications came in, that someone would fly,a-a?1-sa-eire--Nv. This was speaking of our flights as a whole out of Interr-: When-when they told you that the President had admitted a knowledge of these flights, did this change your - your technique of handling your interrogators in any way? Powers: Well, it actually - I don't know whether it should or not - but it made me feel good that a - that a man in his position would take such - such a responsibility. He could have probably kept it out - I don't know. As far as I was concerned it would never have been mentioned that I had any knowledge of the fact that the decision was his on this particular flight anyway - and he admitted this and it just made me feel very - very good toward the American Government that someone in such a position would take the responsibility of something like this. As changing my decision - I stuck pretty much to the first plan I had made of with- holding all I could by trying to - to convince them that Approved For Release TOP SECRET -RDP80601676R002200040001-5 Approved For Release 2003/02/27 : CIA-RDP80601676R002200040001-5 25X1 TOP SECRET I was telling the truth all the time. interr-: Did they seem when you would evade them and z-hislea. them on these things, would they buy this story or the outset - or would they - Powers: At the outset - no - but later on they seemed to - to - they would be skeptical a lot of times, but it se,hmea that they would buy the story. They would be skeptical and ask like - like a - they asked me how many flights I had made. I'm sure they never believed that I had only made one, but I don't know how many times they asked that question; but I kept telling them that and I think they believed it - and a lot of these things like - like the Middle East, they never did even ask there had been any other flights over other courtri es -r the Middle East. I had stressed the point that the job was to fly - the main job was to fly along the norci of the Soviet Union and we did a lot of weather resea/ altitude weather research - and we flew over the Mediterranean some and to - tried to convince them that I felt sure that they knew that there was quite a bit of flying going on. I don't know whether thesr nave TOP SECRET Approved For Release 2003/2/27 . CIA-R P80601676R002200040001-5 25X1 25X1 25X1 25X1 Approved For Release 2003/1 2127 ? rIA- DP80B01676R002200040001-5 TOP SECRET spies r not but I am sure they do - and anyone who was close at base would know that yo414wo were flying quite a bit so I tried to tell them a - that there was a lot - I told them that there was more border flights than there actually was because I had to - to - or at least I thought I had to account for the flying time that was flown there y the U-2. Like this Black Sea business, I was there maybe once or twice and I told them several times; but I told them not over the Black Sea but over the northern coast of Turkey because I didn't know, I couldn't remember where the border was on the Black Sea. It seemed to me that I could remember somewhere that the Soviet and Turkish border was very close to Turkey somewhere - I mean the Soviet Union considered this not international water but belonging to two countries and so I told them it was along the northerNcoast and we did have many weather flights, training flights that did go along the north coast there for awhile. TOP SECRET 25X1 Approved For Release 2003f 02/27 6 25X1 25X1 Approved For Release 2003/C2/27 : CIA-RDP80601676R002200040001-5 25X1 TOP SECRET When did they first bring up that you were going tp be tried - when did they first present this to you? ')owers: Oh, I knew - they kept telling me when I first g(.t there that I would be tried, but I didn't believe them for quite awhile. They told me when the trial would be - somerwhere around the first of August I tk, rik it was. They notified you around the first of August that it would be on the seventeenth? ewers: On the seventeenth. And that surprised me - it seemed to me intention that it would start on my birthday - the seventeenth of August and I asked them about that -- Why did you pick the seventeenth? They said, it just happened that way. niterr-: Did they threaten you with the death penalty or did they tell you that you could receive the death penalty? 'owers: They told me many times - many times that this - this a - my crime was punishable by the death penalty or prison; but they mentioned the death penalty many times. TOP SECRET Approved For Release 2003/2/27 : CIA-R P801301676R002200040001-5 25X1 25X1 Approved For Release 2003/ P80601676R002200040001-5 25X1 P SECRET Interr-: Now what did they require you to sign in connection with preparation for this trial process. Powers: Each interrogation - now this was odd and I would think - after each interrogation, it might be several days after the interrogation when the stenographer had transcribed her shorthand to typing, it would all be in Russian at first and I refused to sign them because I couldn't read them and then they started giving me English translations and the man, the interpreter would read over the - the - would translate the Russian to me, but I had no way of knowing if he was translating right. They required me to sign both the English and the Russian. At first I refused to sign the Russian until they gave me some English copies of it but that did no good anyway because the English could be one thing and the Russian could be another so I don't know when it was that I decided to go ahead and play along with them and sign it. It was only the - as well as I can remember - the transcripts of the interrogation that they wanted signed. Interr-: They didn't come up with any so called legal documents TOP SECRET Approved For Release 200p27277ZTA7l,801301676R002200040001-5 8 25X1 25X1 25X1 25X1 Approved For Release 2003/02/27 : CIA-RDP80601676R002200040001-5 TOP SECRET L. e. such as hi-1-1-644ke.el-wiidifr charges - I forget what they call them, but the trial papers acknowledging that you were being charged. Powers: Yes, but that was later in May - not right at first. Interr-: Do you recall what they call that document? Powers: No, I can't recall what they called it but it was some- thing saying that I was charged with violating Soviet air space, that a - for espionage purposes and that I was - would be helped for investigation. It wasn't a very long document. They had several like that and I don't remember exactly what they were. I think my rights as a prisoner that I would be entitled to legal counsel which I never saw until just before - well, a - week or two before the trial, maybe - the time when . - I found out the trials I think this lawyer came,- Grinev. Interr-: This appears to be the same procedure that was used on the RB-47 and we've got the names that the Russians apply to these things so don't worry about them. Powers: Well, if I hear the names maybe I can recall. Interr-: try to dig that out a little later here. Approved For Release 20 DP80601676R002200040001-5 9 25X1 25X1 25X1 Approved For Release 2001,02/27 : CIA-RDP80601676R002200040001-5 TOP SECRET Interr-: Now what kind of writing did they have you doing yourself? Powers: They wanted a personal history from about the time I was born until - until May the first. They wanted to know where I'd lived, when I'd lived at different places. Of course, I was very vague on some of this stuff, not only because I didn't - well, there was no classified information in most of it except the latter part -- my memory wasn't good enough to recall the dates and so forth. Interr-: Did they want you to deal with other personalities, your friends - tell all about your friends in this paper? Powers: I don't think they mentioned anything about during my early life, to tell about my friends or anything. But they wanted me later to mention names and probably hoped that I would make a mistake and mention a bunch of names of the people that I worked with. They wanted me to describe the airplane and so forth - I did very briefly and they brought it back and told me that that wasn't enough and to do it again and I did it 25X1 TOP SECRET Approved For Release 200 RDP80601676R002200040001-5 10 25X1 25X1 Approved For Release 2003/C12/27 : CIA-RDP80601676R002200040001-5 TOP SECRET again withholding as much as I could from it, but they - I think - know quite a bit about that airplane. Like I mentioned nothing of gust controls - they came back and asked me what the flaps went up for, what was the purpose of that and so forth. I don't remember - they seemed to be - they didn't press that too much on this - they wanted the personal history and the particulars about the airplane is the only thing they brought back for me to write again. Interr-: So theywanted biographic statements and statements about the plane? Powers: But it was all to be done together. They told me what they wanted in this biographic statement. Interr-: Training? Powers: Pardon. Interr-: XYYeliXThey wanted things about training? Powers: Yes, they wanted about Air Force career and the training I had received and for - for the U-2 - let's see - Ask me some more questions about that andm.aybe I can recall it, but right now -- T P SE Approved For Release 200 DP80601676R002200040001-5 11 25X1 25X1 25X1 25X1 Approved For Release 2003/C?2/27 : CIA-RDP80601676R002200040001-5 TOP SECRET Interr-: In connection with the weather flights did they question you at length about the purpose of the weathei flights? Powers: No, they didn't seem too interested in that. Interr-: Did they ever indicate that you might have been collect- ing atomic debris on those flights? Powers: Well, they asked me what I knew about the equipment and I denied knowledge about weather equipment as well as all other equipment. All I had to do at a certain time was flip a switch. I don't know whether I ever mentioned to them that collecting atomic debris was part of it. I don't know. Interr-: Were they concerned with specifics about the altitude 1111550NA' of which you flew your weather Powers: Let's see - I don't remember the question. They didn't seem to be too interested in the weather - I don't remember whether they asked too many questions about the altitudes or how it was done or anything else. But as well as I can recall they weren't too interested in that at all. Interr-: Now with regard to the interrogatixrnss, how many TOP SECRET Approved For Release 2003/02/27 : CIA RDP80601676R002200040001-5 12 25X1 25X1 25X1 Approved For Release 2003/0 P80601676R002200040001-5 people were involved and name those that you can recall. Powers: I've been trying to think of the main interrogator there,, for several days and I can't recall his name, but I know I will one of these days. The one who did most of it. The one who did - who was present during practically all of them and took over many of the interrogations was a Major Vassalyia. V-a-s-s-l-y-i-a. Vasslyia. It was - well, I never did like him - they were both fairly young in appearance. Interr-: Let's try to describe this Vasslyia. Did he have a first name to your knowledge? Powers: Well, the only way I know his name, is I saw it on the - he also signed the interrogations. I got to where I recognized the Russian characters and I could get the sounds from it to a certain extent. I heard him referred to as Vaaylia but I don't remember any first name. Interr-: Did he speak English at all? Powers: No. Interr-: How old was he? We'll try to describe him - Approved For Release 200 DP80601676R002200040001-5 13 25X1 Approved For Release 2003/2/27 : CIA-RDP80B01676R002200040001-5 TOP SECRET Powers: He was in the - I'd say - early thirties. Interr-: How tall was he? Powers: I think he was a little shorter than I, approximately 5' 9", he was 5' 8" - now this is just a guess. Interr-: That's right. What would you say he weighs? Powers: Well, I would say he'd weight a hundred - roughly - a hundred and fifty pounds. He wasn't heavy. Interr-: Build - slender, medium stocky? How about his -- Powers: Maybe a little.on the slender side - slender to medium. Interr-: How about his hair? Powers: It was dark, but I don't remember the color. Interr-: Did he have a lot of it? Powers: It wasn't black. Yes, he had a lot of hair. Interr-: Bushy? Powers: Not - not bushy, but it was long and he combed it up I think in front and back, but I've seen it when it was hanging down and it was fairly long hair. Interr-: Glasses? Powers: No - no - no glasses. Interr-: Color of his eyes? Powers: I don't remember. TOP SECRET Approved For Release 2003/)2127 : CIA-RbP80B01676R002200040001-5 14 25X1 25X1 25X1 Approved For Release 2003/ DP80601676R002200040001-5 Interr-: Did he have any particular tricks or twitches or did he smoke incessently, cigarettes or pine? Powers: No, he didn't seem to smoke very much, in fact, none of them did except the interrogator who smoked more than both the investigators. Interr-: Did he have a mustache? Powers: No. Interr-: Anything about his teeth? Did they seem normal? Powers: They seemed normal. Interr-: How about his complexion? Tan - weather beaten - Powers: Fairly smooth complexion as well as I can remember. Maybe a little on the - the red- wait a minute - well he was darker than the other one so it was a little on the reddish, darkish side - not a tan though - I think it was the normal coloring for his skin. Interr-: Was he in uniform? Powers: Yes. He was always in uniform. The other - not always. Interr-: This man you think is below the rank of the otheilman's name you can't recall. Powers: They were both majors -- Approved For Release 2003 P80601676R002200040001-5 15 25X1 25X1 25X1 Approved For Release 2003/ P80601676R002200040001-5 25X1 T P SE RET Interr-: Both majors. PoWers: --but the man was senior in this particular investigation. The other man he - he conducted most of the investiga- tion but he was practically at every session. I think ? he missed one or two. I?know I can remember that other name. I told myself I'd never forget it, but Interr-: Any outstanding characters of this man's face? Was he sharp and pointed, round or -- Powers: This - this Vissylia? Interr-: This Vissylia. Powers: Sort of sharp as well as I can remember. Interr-: But never English. Powers: No, not a word of English. Interr-: Do you think he understood English. Powers: I'm sure he didn't, but I can't be positive. Interr-: Were your interrogators - were these two majors? Powers: Two majors - they did 99% of it. And then when I had to see the higher officials, Zrudinko did most of the talking and question asking. There was another time that there was - I'mxkoix sure he was a colonel - who said he was a pilot and he couldn't understand why TOP SECRET Approved For Release 2003/02/27 : CIA-KOP80601676R002200040001-5 16 25X1 25X1 Approved For Release 2003/ P80601676R002200040001-5 25X1 I didn't take practice flights just inside the Soviet Union before taking the big flight. Interr-: Now this one - whose name you can't recall momentarily, can we describe him? Powers: Seems to me he had a reddish hair - not dark red or bright red - but a reddish tinge to it. Interr-: How old would you say he was? Powers: Early thirties. Interr-: The same as Vissylia. Powers: Thirty-four, thirty-five - I think Vissylia was a little younger. Interr-: And - and how tall? Powers: I think he was approximately my height. Interr-: A little taller than Vissylia? Would you say he is lighter or heavier than Vissylia? Powers: Well, they were both about the same - he might have been a little lighter - he was light built. Inter-: Slender - slender. Interr-: Any indication that one ranked the other? Powers: Well, the only indication was that - that he was in TOP SECRET Approved For Release 2003/017/27MTA7RIDP801301676R002200040001-5 17 25X1 25X1 Approved For Release 20031112/27 : CIA-R2P80B01676R002200040001-5 25X1 TOP SECRET charge. This a - one that I can't remember his name. of He - he was the man that did most/the question answering and he would interrupt/the other occassionally so. I'm sure he was the boss, but most of the time, practically all the time, there was a Colonel present who was - I was told - was from the prosecutor's office, that he had to be there to see that everything was conducted right. He never asked questions, he just set there and listened. Interr-: Did you ever hear his name? Powers: I'm sure I heard it, in fact, his name was down on some of these papers but I can't remember it and I don't think -- Interr-: Does the name Pankrotov ring any bells with you? Colonel Pankrotov? Powers: It - it doesn't ring any bells, but he was a fairly big man. I think maybe a little taller than I was and heavier. He would weigh - something - about like your build. Always the informed. Interr-: Put down there that the Colonel needs some PT. TOP SECRET Approved For Release 2003/02/27 : CIA-780B01676R002200040001-5 18 25X1 25X1 Approved For Release 2003/32/27 : CIA-RbP80601676R002200040001-5 TOP SECRET Powers: You - you could say that. He was protruding a little bit in front, but not much. Looked like he'd been eating too good. Interr-: Go - go back and give the description on your reddish haired man. Thirty-five, roughly 5' 9" in height, light build, slender type. Now his hair was reddish - how was it again? Full, lots of hair. Powers: It was fairly short. Shorter than the other man's definitely. Interr-: And did he wear glasses? Powers: No. Interr-: Smooth shaven? Powers: He apparently had been to Germany sometime. Interr-: Why do you say that? Powers: Well, he would occassionally try to say an English word which wasn't very good, but I heard him say a German word or two. And it seemed like to me, I think he told me he had been in Germany. Interr-: Did he speak English at all? Did you get that? Powers: No, I'd say he didn't speak or understand, but well, it TOP SECRET Approved For Release 2003/1 zizi : U1A-KL P80601 676R002200040001 -5 25X1 19 25X1 25X1 Approved For Release 2003/ DP80601676R002200040001-5 might have just been a cover up the way he would pro- nounce an English word, but it's a good buy or try to - something like that and it didn't come out very good. Interr-: And, can you describe his face, Gary? Round, long -- Powers: No, it was - the face was a little on the long side, complexion was fairly white, he wore civilian clothes quite often, in the summer time a short-sleeved shirt quite often. As far as I know they were both married. Both of these people. Did he have any unusual characterisitcs? Excessive smoker, shake, have a tick in his face -- anything? Powers: Nothing like that, but he quite often used the Russian word for so - tak; when he would ask a question, think awhile, then say tak - tak. Quite often he used that when he was thinking or thinking about what I'd said or thinking of another question. Maybe if you have a photograph of the trial, I can pick these people out. If they're there, I can pick them out and I know they're there. Interr-: Then about the interpreters? How many of those did you have? TOP SECRET Approved For Release 2003/02/27 : CIA-RDP801301676R002200040001-5 20 25X1 25X1 25X1 Approved For Release 2003/02/27 : CIA-RDP80601676R002200040001-5 25X1 TOP SECRET Powers: One or two days, there was an interpreter - I cannot recall his name - from, he said he was from the foreign office. You see, I came in on Sunday, late Sunday afternoon and - it was during the first interrogation. The next day they said - well, that night they said how would you like to see Moscow and I said certainly I would like to see Moscow. And they took me on a small trip in a car around Moscow the next day and pointed out a few things. His English was not quite as good as Rodichev's, although he had good knowledge of English. So that was two days. From then on it was Rodichev all the way through with the exception of just a few days that this Finnigan - Finnigan - was there. Interr-: Rodichev and Finnigan appeared in the RB-47 case. We know who he is. .Finnigan - we've been unable to identify. Maybe you can describe him. Powers: Well, I didn't see him too often, but his English was relatively poor. He kept - it seemed like trying to be friendly - everything is all right, boy in English. TOP SECRET Approved For Release 2003/02/27 : CIA-RDP80601676R002200040001-5 21 25X1 25X1 Approved For Release 200311I2/27 : CIA-R P801301676R002200040001-5 25X1 TOP SECRET That's all right boy or - I noticed that in particular. His appearance -- seemed like his hair was dark, I - I didn't see him but just a few times. Interr-: Was he a Russian or was he an Irishman? Powers: Well, I asked him that. The first time I heard or saw his name - I said - Finnigan, that's - that's an Irish name, isn't it? With that, he said, no that's Russian, we call it Finnigan - so apparently he was Russian or at least that's the impression he wanted to give me. Interr-: Can you tell us if he was a big man, little man-- Powers: He was slender. I'd say shorter than I am which would be 5' 9". I think I'm 5' 9" with shoes on anyway. Interr-: Hair? Powers: I think - I don't know. Interr-: A lot of it? Powers: I - I don't remember. Interr-: Any unusual features about this man? Mustache, beard -- Powers: No mustache, no beard. Interr-: Glasses? Approved For Release 2003/ 80601676R002200040001-5 22 25X1 25X1 Approved For Release 2003/02/27 : CIA-R6P80B01676R002200040001-5 TOP SECRET Powers: No glasses - at least I don't remember any glasses. Interr-: Uniform, did he wear? Powers: No, never in uniform. Neither of the interpreters were in uniform. Interr-: Let me ask you something else just to switch it a little. Did any of these interpreters speak with what you would interpret to be an American accent as oppossed to British? Rodichev. Powers: /This other man - in fact I asked Rodichev, have you ever been to the States? Then, he said, no. Because this interpreter I had during the trial that was my lawyers interpreter was an English teacher at the University there, I think, and he - he spoke British, definitely British, but Rodichev could have passed anywhere in the United States as an American. In fact he spoke better English than I do, better pronoun- ciation, etc. Interr-: Were you exposed to any of these equipment technicians? Powers: Yes, they would come in and ask questions about this two - three times. The camera equipment they asked TOP SECRET Approved For Release 2003/02/27 : CIA-11DP80B01676R002200040001-5 23 25X1 25X1 25X1 Approved For Release 2003/01127 : CIA-R P801301676R002200040001-5 25X1 TOP SECRET about, the aircraft they asked about -- Interr-: Ballistics (?) 22 or toxicology examination of the - and a - Powers: Yes, but Idon't remember if I ever talked to those people or not or they just sent in the report on it, but I know that there were a group of experts - one that was interested was a very fat man, very fat man and old. Over sixty. Interr-: Were you ever exposed to a guy, Major Sasha Lander(?)? Powers: The name isn't familiar. They didnit - many times didn't say anything about the names and probably couldn't necessarily believe them when they did - I don't know. Interr-: What - what was their proceedure? Would they come in and interrogate you about your equipment, then leave and come back some days later or - ? Powers: Well, the reports, I didn't see any of the reports on the equipment until they said that I was allowed to review the evidence of the trial or the evidence of the investigation before the trial, but they would interrogate Approved For Release 2003/IT 80601676R002200040001-5 24 25X1 25X1 Approved For Release 2003/4/27 : CIA-RdP801301676R002200040001-5 25X1 TOP SECRET me about the equipment and the reports came in - as I said, they were part of the evidence that I had the opportunity to review shortly before the trial to three weeks, I don't remember. Interr-: In that connection, was there any coaching in prepara- tion for the trial, any limitations on specific answers that you might give at the trial? Powers: No - no they didn't say anything about - don't say anything about this or say something about this. They said just answer the questicns. Of course, they already knew the answers that I had already given to the questions, so they knew what the answers would be. There was one incident, it might have been a mistake on their part - it might not. They mentioned something about Formosa. And they wanted to know if I thought the Americans were illegally occupying and I told them no. But in the transcript of the record that came back my answer was yes and I made them change it, so I don't know whetheilthey tried to sneak that through thinking I wouldn't catch it by misreading the answer I gave. They could have done it by reading the answer wrong and Approved For Release 2003/X 80601676R002200040001-5 25 25X1 25X1 Approved For Release 2003/04/27 : CIA-R P801301676R002200040001-5 25X1 TOP SECRET and I would have never known the difference and would probably have signed this thing. Interr-: Frank, did they withhold from the information produced during the trial - information that you had given them? In other words, during the course of the trial they were withholding things that you had told them. Powers: No - no everything that ttold them wasn't there at the trial, but it seemed that they had a purpose at this trial. In fact, it was - I'm sure - rehearsed because I don't remember if it was my lawyer or ism one of the other people around that told me how long approxi- mately the trial would last and they told me almost exactly to the minute. I don't know how they did this and I think it was a mistake because later I asked someone else during the trial and they didn't know. Interr-: So, everything you talked aboullat these interrogations, did not come out at the trial? Powers: No, a bunch of things that didn't come out. You see there were about six to eight Volumes of stuff - I think maybe two of them are photographs. There are some things that didn't come out but I don't think they 26 Approved For Release 2003/CT 80601676R002200040001-5 25X1 25X1 Approved For Release 2003/02/27 : CIA-RpP801301676R002200040001-5 TOP SECRET were - well, I don't know whether they considered them important or not - but it seemed to me that they had a definite plan for this trial and arranged the questions to bring out this particular - Interr-: Well, then their indictment that they published referred to these volumes, page 709, volume VI, they would give a citation to something that they had in the indictment. Powers: A lot of these things in these volumes were repelition. Interr-: Going on here, again in the interest of time - Powers: Yes, sir. Interr-: ?.describe yourself and tell us about your living conditions in that cell while this was going on. Powers: If I'm not mistaken, the number of the cell was 79. It was about - I'll stand up here to try to just measure What is that - about -- Interr-: Seven, eight or nine feet. Powers: Eight - nine feet wide and I would say, about this long which is about fourteen, fifteen feet, sixteen feet, something like that. I should have paced that off - I paced it many times. TOP SECRET 27 Approved For Release 2003/02/27 : um-RiP80B01676R002200040001-5 25X1 25X1 25X1 Approved For Release 2003/02/27 : CIA-RDP80601676R002200040001-5 25X1 TOP SECRET Interr-: Brick walls? Powers: No, it was - I would say - sort of plaster walls, painted two colors, water paint or white wash paint at the top an oil type paint at the bottom. The colors I don't remember now, but when they brought me back I was at another cell in the same place when I was coming back to Berlin to be released. It had blue walls with white top. I don't know what it was but there were cracks in it, smooth and it seemed like there was wood underneath but something like a plaster, but maybe cement because it would give some when you walked across it and squeak. Squeaked like a wood floor occassionally and it was red or rusty color. Interr-: When you say a white top -- Powers: White was was what it was. Interr-; --well, how far did the white color come down the side walls ? Powers: I would say about shoulder height, which is maybe four or five feet and the ceiling was this white wash which would come off if you ran your fingers over it. TOP SECRET Approved For Release 2003/0 /27 . CIA-R P80601676R002200040001-5 28 25X1 25X1 Approved For Release 2003/02/27 : CIA-R P80601676R002200040001-5 25X1 TOP SECRET Interr-: And it was dark colored down below that? Powers: It was definitely dark color in both of the cells but I don't remember the color of the first. Interr-: Now what was the lighting arrangement? Powers: During this particular time, the cell I stayed i during the investigation, there was a place for a light over the door but there was never a bulb in that and then there was a light in the center of the ceiling which - a very bright light - was never turned off at night and usually /-7/ on most of the time during the daytime because not much light came through. Interr-: At night with this light burning were you permitted to put your head under the covers or under the pillow? Powers: They didn't like that but I could put a handkerchief over my eyes. I arranged to tie a handkerchief behind my head and keep it over my eyes. Very uncomfortable to sleep that way, but that was all right, they let that go. They wanted to be able to see - it seemed that they wanted to be able to see my head whenever they looked in the door at night. Approved For Release 2003/ P80601676R002200040001-5 25X1 29 25X1 Approved For Release 2003/02/27 : CIA-R P80601676R002200040001-5 25X1 TOP SECRET Interr-: Would they make you have your hands outside the covers? Powers: No, they - after the first day or two, I was going to change my bed around so that I could have the light shining so that it wouldn't be shining this way into my eyes, only the ...wouldn't let me do it. Interr-: Where was the window? Powers: The window was to the right of the small end of the wall opposite the door. It wasn't in the center, it was sitting over to the right almost against the wall. In fact, the door - the window facing touched the wall on the right. Interr-: Guard? Powers: Outside the glass. They were double windows and glass that you couldn't see through. It had wires reinforced with wire. Interr-: You mean it was opaque? Powers: Yes, opaque. Interr-: Light came through, but you couldn't see out. Interr-: What type of observation was in the cloor2 TOP SECRET Approved For Release 2003/C12/27 . CIA-RDr801301676R002200040001-5 30 25X1 25X1 Approved For Release 2003/02/27 : CIA-R P801301676R002200040001-5 25X1 TOP SECRET Powers: Here there was only a small hole from the outside with a piece of glass in it with a sliding cover that they could move out of the way and on the inside it was cut so that they could see. Interr-: In the night. Interr-: How often did they check on you that way, do you recall? Powers: It seemed almost constantly, especially at first there before the trial. They were watching all the time. You could hear occassionally someone walk up, a belt buckle hit against the door or sometimes hear this thing flap but they were - if - if you heard something and looked around they immediately closed it. Seemed like they didn't want you to think that you were being observed constantly, but they were there practically all the time. Interr-: Could you get out of the line of vision at all? Powers: There was one place that I could have gotten out of line of vision - let's see - the door wasn't in the center - I - I don't know how thick it was there - the Approved For Release 2003/i 80601676R002200040001-5 31 25X1 25X1 Approved For Release 2003/02/27 : CIA-R P80601676R002200040001-5 25X1 TOP SECRET walls were fairly thick in these places. There was a radiator over in here - I mean inside the small ... with a screen wire over it. The door was in here and in this place here, standing there, I could have gotten out of the line of vision. They would have come in immediately. Interr-: I see. Was there a toilet in the cell? Powers: No and - well, see - at the other prison they had a can that if you had to go to the toilet except for specified times you used this can, but here you had nothing. There was usually a rag to clean the cell that was laying there in the corner. The window was over here. My bed was here and they had one little gadget on the wall with a couple of shelves about a foot - foot-and--a-half long that I kept a towel hanging on, soap and toothpaste. Interr-: Did you have a locker in there of any type? Powers: No, there was a table, a chair - a chair with a back which was I think unusual sitting under the window here. No - no - no - I made a mistake here. This window - wait a minute now - wait a minute - the TOP SECRET Approved For Release 2003/f2/27 . CIA-R P80601676R002200040001-5 32 25X1 25X1 Approved For Release 2003/C2/27 : CIA-RDP80601676R002200040001-5 25X1 TOP SECRET table was here the window was here on the left hand side - on the left hand side. Because at the head of the bed - I remember sitting at the table and I was able to tell time a little bit, especially at six o'clock at night by looking through this little opening at the top of the window in the summer time, when the offices closed - they closed at six o'clock and I could see some and when the windows were closed it was six o'clock in the evening. The window was on the left hand side of the cell. The table set in the corner on the right. It was a very heavy table with a top and I think two Ehelves underneath. Interr-: Was it fastened to the floor? Powers: No, it wasn't. Interr-: How often did they feed you Frank? Powers: It was pretty regular there because my interrogations took place at irregular hours and - it usually seemed something like this - somewhere between say seven and eight o'clock, I think around one o'clock and somewhere between six and seven o'clock as well as I can remember. TOP SECRET Approved For Release 2003'02/27 . CIA-R P80601676R002200040001-5 33 25X1 Approved For Release 2003/32/27 : CIA-RDP80601676R002200040001-5 25X1 TOP SECRET But these varied quite a bit, sometimes the interroga- tion in the morning would run until two o'clock and when I got back they would bring something in to eat. Interr-: How about your bunk? Powers: Oh - that's a - I hate to even think about that. It looked like - just looking at it with mattress blankets on it about the same size as an Army cot, but had no springs, had steel, strips of steel or iron welded to the frame - it was all welded straight across this way - I don't knowhow many and then seven l long ones running length ways. Intern -: Powers: Yes, but - and I would say those strips were about three or four inches wide and they left places four to six inches square in between strips that made this thing very uncomfortable. The mattress was very thin, in fact, either the first night or the second night I got there laying in one position there, I had such a pain in my leg that it caused an odd dream. I TOP SECRET Approved For Release 2003a02121 : CIA-ROP80B01676R002200040001-5 34 25X1 Approved For Release 2003/02/27 : CIA-RDP80601676R002200040001-5 TOP SECRET dreamed that I was home, my leg was hurting and I had to sit down by the road and my Mother and wife and Father were walking on and they were leaving me there. I woke because of the pain in my leg there and you had to constantly shift. You couldn;t lay in one position very long because in some places it seemed like it was nothing but cloth. Later on, after I had complained two or three times they brought another mattress and put it on top of that. That helped some but not much. At the head of the bed there was a built up steel - pre,bably was metal - welded onto the bed a little wedged shaped thing that was on to the bed that raised the head some. I had a pillow also and two blankets. They gave me two sheets also, which I heard later from my cellmate was unusual because they usually gave just one sheet and a blanket, and you had to sleep against the wool blankelibut I had two sheets. Interr-: It is interesting to note that McCone also complained Approved For Release 2003/ SE P80601676R002200040001-5 35 25X1 25X1 25X1 Approved For Release 20031112/27 : CIA-R P80601676R002200040001-5 25X1 TOP SECRET and they gave him another thin mattress. He might have been in the adjoining cell. Powers: I'm sure he wasn't in an adjoining cell because that way I - I heard someone on the left walking occassionally - when I say on the left it is on the right - on the right I heard someone walking occassionally on the left - Never. Several of the cells were occupied I know be- cause sometimes when I would go to the toilet or go out I'd see a door open and I could see that there was a bed made up and maybe something hanging on the wall or that way - but they had quite a few cells there - this - this a - cell block was something like this - door and steps coming down here, cells, these were cells in here, cells back this way - I don't know how many, there was a room here that wasn't a cell, a toilet in here, other cells here, the stairway up to an upper floor in the center here and it was arranged practically the same upstairs as downstairs and anyone standing downstairs could seethe upstairs part - it was all one big open place TOP SECRET Approved For Release 2003/12/27 . CIA-R P80601676R002200040001-5 36 25X1 25X1 Approved For Release 2003/0 /27 : CIA-RDP80601676R002200040001-5 25X1 TOP SECRET there. They had wire across the - a - so that someone couldn't jump down from the top. I noticed all around the stairways all through the buildings there were wires between the stairs where a person couldn't jump off the stairway down between the steps. Elevators here - I'll draw you a better drawing of this. Interr-: ...go on to the matter of letters. When did they first let you start writing letters? Powers: I don't remember the date, but they came in one time and told me - or either came into the cell - or came - or told me during the investigation that I could write letters to my family. In fact, I received - the first letter I received or heard anything about was from a high school friend of mine by the same name, Powers, and that might be why I received it. They just brought it in, let me read it and kept it. That was during one of the interrogations. It was about this time that they told me I could write letters. Interr-: This was in May? 37 25X1 TOP SECRET 25X1 Approved For Release 2001/uzizi : um-41DP801301676R002200040001-5 Approved For Release 2003/1)2/27 : CIA-RIDP80601676R002200040001-5 TOP SECRET Powers: I've been trying to think of that. I don't know if it was in May or June. I think it might have been later in May. Interr-: Now then, in connection with writing these letters with this permission to write letters to the outside did they levy any requirements on you? Powers: Well, they didn't - a - Interr-: As to what you should put in those letters. Powers: They didn't particularly levy any requirements - but I had to change several times because I had written something they didn't like. One thing that was interesting - I mentioned my dog's name when I was writing to my wife and they wouldn't let me put that in there in the first letters as well as I can remember but I think after she had answered and put it in there it was all right for me to do it. I wrote a little passage of a poem that I remembered to one of my sisters - this was later when I wrote my sister - and they let that go but they said no more - no more poetry. TOP SECRET Approved For Release 2003/ : - DP80601676R002200040001-5 38 25X1 25X1 25X1 Approved For Release 2003/02/27 : CIA-RDP80601676R002200040001-5 25X1 TOP SECRET Interr-: But they levied no requirements that in each letter you had to mention something about world peace., the easing of tension? Powers: No, but that seemed like a good idea and I did that several times. Interr-: Why did that seem like a good idea? Powers: Because they're always stressing things like that. That's part of their propaganda. They gave me this book of Khruschev's tour to the States - Live Together in Peace and Friendship - they gave me that to read. They're always talking about how peace loving they are and stuff and I figured that if I did this the letters would be more apt to go - I didn't know whether they said - okay, write a letter, take them and tear them up or if they just wanted me to write to see what I would put in it and never send them. I thought that maybe with this it would be more apt to go. Interr-: Did you at any time, in any of your letters, attempt to make use of the Air Fore communications sytem? Powers: At first it was impossible - before the trial when I Approved For Release 2003/0 P80601676R002200040001-5 39 25X1 25X1 Approved For Release 2003/02/27 ? rIA-RDP80B01676R002200040001-5 TOP SECRET really wanted to do this it was impassible because it takes a little preparation work to do this and at first I had no paper and pencil. They gave me some a little later, but they kept track of the number of sheets of paper they gave me and counted them and there was -- I could tell that someone was in my cell occassionally when I was out -- apparently nosing around through things - and some of the letters I even had to write in the presence of someone. They weren't particularly watching what I was writing but they were sitting around somewhere in the room so it was impossible at that time. Later on I attempted to write twice. That was after the trial. After I'd been transferred to another prison and - well - my cell-mate I think was all right, but I thought I couldn't trust him. One day he was mix asleep and I started doing this and he woke up and I immediately stuck the stuff in my pocket. Another time he had gone to a dentist or something - I don't remember what - and I started to do this, but he camb back too soon and other than TOP SECRET Approved For Release 2003/1r21277-CtAMIDP80B01676R002200040001-5 40 25X1 25X1 25X1 25X1 Approved For Release 2003/ P80601676R002200040001-5 RET that we were constantly together all the time and it was impossible to do it without someone knowing you were doing something. Interr-: In other words, this required certain deliberate arrangement of your writing in such a matter that you just couldn't sit down --- Powers: Well, I don't know whether it would require all people to do this, but for me, I had to sit down and figure out this particular code and so forth on paper where I could watch it and continuously refer to it while I was writing /VAR and count up letters and words, etc. If there was some little simple arrangement, but if it is simple, then it might be caught to easily. Interr-: In other words you found that it was just a little too complicated andthe system itself was a little too complicated to apply under the condition that you were living in? Powers: Yes. Now I thought that from what I had heard about work camps - I though that if I was transferred to one of those I would have ample opportunity to do TOP SECRET 25X1 Approved For Release 200i/uzizt : LAA-rDP80B01676R002200040001-5 41 25X1 Approved For Release 2003/02/27 : CIA-RDP80601676R002200040001-5 25X1 TOP SECRET this whenever I needed to say anything. Interr-: Were you asked -- Powers: Pardon. Interr-: Were you asked something like this. Are you trying to communicate in any code? Or were you told -- Don't try any codes. Powers: No, they didn't ask, was I trying to communicate, but they had asked me earlier if I knew any - any codes and I knew no codes. I told them, yes, I knew Morse code that we used a little bit, but I probably couldn't use it. International Morse Code. Well, they didn't ask me code. They asked me cryptographic. Did I know any crypto?something and I said, What is that, code? and he said, Yes; and I said, I know only the Morse code and I never did know that too well so even though I'm sure they checked those letters very closely they seemed to believe that I didn't have any way to communicate. Interr-; Now, then during this period of interrogation, in your cell or while you were being interrogated or TOP SECRET Approved For Release 2003/ . ClAFrDP80B01676R0022000400015 42 25X1 Approved For Release 2003,/10/27 : CIA-RDP80601676R002200040001-5 25X1 OP SECRET during that period of your life and time there, were you aware of - were any mechanical devices used on you? Powers: There was one mechanical device used, but not - not in the way of interrogation. They gave me a toktascopic (? ph) examination while I was there and - it depends on how you look at it. It could be considered torture. Interr-: Yeh. Powers: But - but it wasn't that way because I had been passing blood in the stool for awhile and they apparently were trying to find the cause. Interr-: Did they do this in the same prison or did they take you out -- Powers: There - there was a doctor's office right - right aut- side the place here. Very embarrassing because there were many people watching me. Very primitive the way they did it also. But no devices to--- Interr-: But no devices to -- in interest to the interrogation? Powers: No squeezing the fingers or mechanical devices TOP SECRET 25X1 Approved For Release 2003102/27 : CIA-FIZDP80601676R002200040001-5 43 25X1 Approved For Release 2003/0)P80601676R002200040001-5 TOP SECRET like that. As far as I know there was never a recording device either. Interr-: Were there ever any drugs used on you in connection with the interrogation process? Powers: That I can never be sure of because the first night I got there they gave me some sort of a shot in the buttocks. I don't know whether it was immunization or maybe even sleeping, for shock. I have no idea what it was. But, I had no interrogation after that. Not even the next day because that's the time they took me on this little trip around Moscow in the afternoon. Interr-: Any other shots? Powers: There was one other shot. I don't know exactly when but I had a rash in my crotch on my right leg and it did get to bothering me very much because ax I had no medicine for it and they tried many different medicines and couldn't do it. I kept telling them cordizone (? ph) ... cordizone. Finally, they got some of that and said it had to be administered with a shot. I'd never had it administered with a shot 44 TOP SECRET Approved For Release 2003/02/27 : CIA-R P80601676R002200040001-5 25X1 25X1 25X1 Approved For Release 2003/06/77 ? CIA- DP80B01676R002200040001-5 TOP SECRET before, but they gave me this -- the medicine and the shot and it did help this rash. Now I had a lot of stomachs Inc trouble and it is very odd - it quit after I left that place. When I got to Vladimir it - it wasn't like this. Interr-: Describe this stomache trouble. Powers: Most - I had a tremendous amount of gas in my stomache, loose to, very loose - sometimes it would hit me, Ihad to go and I had to get to the toilet very fast. That was the predominant way - a - sympton. Interr-: Was it accompanied by constapation? Powers: Yes. After - after a - a - they would give me some medicine for this and then I would go for several days that I couldn't have a bowel movement - then the same thing. It was continuously the four months that I was there. Interr-: Let me get this sequence. You would be afflicted with diarhea and they would give you the medicine and then you would be afflicted by constipation. TOP SECRET Approved For Release 2003/12/27 . CIA-FIDP80B01676R002200040001-5 25X1 45 25X1 25X1 Approved For Release 2003/062.7_13dP80601676R002200040001-5 TOP SECRET Powers: Yes. Interr-: That's an interesting twist becaus got the constipation to the point of agonizing pain and they would give him the medicine and then he would have the diarrhea. Powers: Well, mine was just exactly opposite. The diarrhea was a predominant... Interr-: Did you have writhening pains in your abdomen? Powers: Which? Interr-: Writhening pains. Powers: Several times, yes. Interr-: Cramps? Powers: Uh-huh. When this diarrhea - it - it's pretty painful sometimes. Interr-: How about your stomache.... Burning sensation in your stomache? Powers: I don't remember any particular - Interr-: Indigestion? Heartburn? Powers: Well, I ate very - very little for several weeks there. In fact, they seemed to be getting worred TOP SECRET Approved For Release 2003/ : - P80601676R002200040001-5 46 25X1 25X1 25X1 25X1 Approved For Release 2003/02/27 : CIA-RDP801301676R002200040001-5 25X1 TOP SECRET about it. I don't know how many pounds I lost, but I lost a lot of weight and they asked me if they could bring me any special kind of food. They even said they'd bring me steak but I wouldn't order anything, I said this - this is all right, I'm just not hungry. I had no appetite whatsoever for several weeks and later on I guess - by necessity I started eating enough to maintain what weight I had left. Interr-: Did they explain to you or give you any information as to what medicine they were giving you for this diarrhea? Powers: They just said that this - this would help. That's all. Interr-: They didn't tell you what it was? Powers: No. What it was or anything like that. Interr-: Did they tell you what was wrong you you - what caused this? Powers: It was change of food for body essentials. That was the explanation, but it lasted too long to be just that in my opinion. And what made me feel so much that there was something wrong was that it didn't last more than a week after I had transferred 47 TOP SECRET Approved For Release 2003/ . ClAFrDP80B01676R0022000400015 25X1 25X1 Approved For Release 20031(\2127 ? CIA-RkP8OB01676R002200040001-5 TOP SECRET to another prison. Interr-: Well, now can you relate these cycles of diarrhea and constipation in any way to your interrogation process - would you be called for interrogation while youwere in these uncomfortable periods? Powers: Oh, yes. I remember a couple of times the interroga- tion had to be stopped so that I could go to the toilet. But the predominate one was the diarrhea. Interr-: How about any other symptoms, let me just recount a few. Halucinations, loss of contact with reality, blurred vision, hysteria, hysteria in the sense that in your cell during this solitary confinement would you suddenly break out laughing or maybe go into hysterical crying for spells -- Powers: No, a - none of this. Interr-: Sleeping, or unable to sleep. Powers: Well, tha's something that - a - has bothered me there. I slept pretty good and it seemed to me unusual that I could, because later on I didn't sleep too good. I had very much trouble going to sleep at night. Maybe it was the strain of the TOP SECRET 25X1 Approved For Release 20771277C9RDP80B01676R002200040001-5 48 25X1 25X1 251 Approved For Release 2003/02/27 : CIA- DP80601676R002200040001-5 TOP SECRET interrogation itself that when I came back to the cell I was exhausted and fell into a sleep. I slept fairly good there. Interr-: Did you have any tremors? Trembling anywhere? Powers: I don't remember any - any a - noticeable tremors. I know that when I saw my parents the last day of the trial I was just as steady as I could be - more so than I am normally. Because I normally am fairly nervous but I could hold my hand out and was just as steady as could be. Interr-: Any nausea? Powers: I don't remember ever vomiting. Interr-: Did you ever stagger when you walked that you couldn't explain? When you were moving along the corridor was your gate very unsteady? Powers: Not noticeably so - I didn't remember anything that - like I was drunk or anything like that. I could usually walk pretty steady and knew everything I was-- Interr-: Blurring of vision - How about that? Did anything get fuzzed? TOP SECRET Approved For Release 2003 DP80601676R002200040001-5 49 25X1 Approved For Release 200311)2/27 : CIA-R P80601676R002200040001-5 TOP SECRET Powers: Not there, but at the other prison. I think because of a vitamin defien.cy I had a little of that - but that was much later - in fact, just this past November or something -- Interr-: Ringing in your ears? Powers: I've had a constant ringing in my ears since May the first. Interr-: Which might be attributable to the sudden -- Powers: I don't know. I cannot remember ever having this.- a - in fact, it seemed at times that - well, this you might even call halucinations - but a - there are two or three different tones that I can hear. One of them is a steady and sometimes there's a broken tone - something like a code - you know how a code comes in - and - a - they're very high frequency - in fact, I can hear one right now since you mentioned it. And at night these things were - were -- Interr-: Did they vary when you got rest? In other words, did ringing in your ears ease off when you were quiet and relaxed? Powers: No, that's when I noticed it most. During the day- time I didn't pay much attention to it because I guess 50 TOP SECRET Approved For Release 2003/C12/27 . CIA-RDr801301676R002200040001-5 25X1 25X1 25X1 Approved For Release 2003 P80601676R002200040001-5 25X1 ECRET talking and listening, or walking around and looking around took my mind off this. Interr-: Did you have any metallic taste in your mouth? Powers: Well, see I have two partial plates. Interr-: Un-huh. But I mean a definite specific at any one given time - sharpening metallic taste. Like after you'd eaten, did you get any funny taste in your mouth? Powers: Well, some of their foods was fairly funny - but I can remember no specific instance of a - a metallic taste or any - a - unusual taste. I didn't notice it if I had. Interr-: Did they go through any process or make any approaches to you or attempt to handle you in any way that looking back on it that you might interpret as an effort of hypnotic process or to induce you into a hypnotic state? Powers: Well, I've heard quite a bit on hypnotism and I'd never noticed anything like that. Interr-: Then, just about the only unusual thing would be this TOP SECRET Approved For Release 2003/ : - DP80601676R002200040001-5 51 25X1 Approved For Release 2003/02/27 ? rIA-RDP80B01676R002200040001-5 TOP SECRET diarrhea - constipation cycle? Powers: Yes, that was - a the - I had a lot of trouble with that. Interr-: That - that has some significance in - in relation 25X1 to similar experience but reversing the process. Powers: Well, now this continued also after the trial - after the investigation - it continued right on until I left that place. Interr-: Then, did the interrogation process continue after the trial? Powers: No. They called me in once or so to talk about 25X1 25X1 And They called me in once to read this article in the New York Times where it said I had told my father that I had not.been shot down and they - they suggested my writing this letter. Maybe I shouldn't have, but I wanted you people to know if you could believe it to the best of my knowledge I knew that I was shot down - to the best of my knowledge - because I was afraid that - that - well, see 3ECrICK we were all very optimistic about this airplane and had no 52 TOP SECRET 25X1 Approved For Release 2003/02/it : ClAtDP80B01676R002200040001-5 25X1 25X1 25X1 Approved For Release 200102/27 : CIA- DP80601676R002200040001-5 TOP SECRET idea that it could be shot down or anything. I thought maybe there might be another flight and someone else would be on trial and it seems to me that I was shot down. Interr-: Going back to the plane for a moment here - and I - I'm hurrying because noon hour is coming up here andwe'll want to break off - Powers: What - Interr-: Oh, go ahead. Powers: Well, a - while I was at Vladimir - I think - two times they came and they questioned me about the airplane. Interr-: Oh - they did? Powers: That was a - the last time, I believe wasDecember of sixty. Interr-: These were technical questions? Powers: These were - a - a - apparently engineers or - a - technical people and - a - I had them worried there for awhile. I told them that there was - a - I told them that yist it's been a long time since - a - I'd seen the airplane and I was also checked out of another TOP SECRET Approved For Release 2003102/27 : CIAIDP80601676R002200040001-5 53 25X1 25X1 25X1 Approved For Release 2003/67/77 ? CIA- DP80601676R002200040001-5 TOP SECRET type airplane and that - a - that confused things - get them mixed up and that to the best of my knowledge it had(trim tab ?) on the roof and - a - well, of course, it didn't have. Or not one - that you. could work from the cock( pit. And I saw them all look at each other and smile - you know - and a - they didn't say anything about it, but they knew I was lying - but I covered this up by - well, I can't remember - it might have been another airplane or it might have been that; but, so that they didn't pay too much attention or place too much confidence in anything I said they were given the doubt of anything I said. This was after the trial so I didn't care too much. Interr-: Let - let me ask you a question. Going back to yesterday that weren't touched on and this first one may be a dumb layman question here, but -- speaking of that orange flame - I don't think that it was -- Powers: It wasn't a flame. Interr-: That orange glow - yeh - a - a - would that sort-of phenomenon occur possibly in connection with a flame out? Could it? TOP SECRET Approved For Release 2003102/27 : CIA-RpP80601676R002200040001-5 54 25X1 25X1 Approved For Release 2003/02/27 : CIA-RDP801301676R002200040001-5 TOP SECRET Powers: Well, let's see - I've had several just ordinary flame outs in this airplane and there's nothing like that - a - in fact, flame outs earlier in the program were - a - very - a - a frequent and - a - it couldn't have been associated with a flame out in any way. Now, I thought maybe - that - if - say the - I - I remember hearing one time that after an engine change, inspection and so forth, working on a airplane that they were runni7g it up on a - a - test stand and the whole tail pipe - jet exhaust pipe - there blew out. Now something like that might kasa have caused it, but I'm sure I would feel that definitely in the airplane if this thing was going through - and not only that, the paint on the tail section would be, I'm sure, would be burnt completely off. Interr-: Now - now one other question. Have you given any consideration to the possibility that there are - a - that this - a - that there could have been sabotage to the plane? Powers: I've done a lot of thinking about this and I don't see how there could be. I don't really see how there 55 TOP SECRET Approved For Release 2003/ : - 80601676R002200040001-5 25X1 25X1 Approved For Release 2003/C12/27_SAL-R6P801301676R002200040001-5 TOP SECRET could be because we had tight security and the plane was flown frorri loved into a hangar and all of our people who I would trust any- where worked on it. The plane was taken out - no one else got around it - and then I flew it, so it - it had several hours on it before this time and no one knew whethef the plane would go the next day or not, so they couldn't - say - set a bomb of some kind in it because they wouldn't know. Interr-: Could a bomb be set in it that would go by altitude? Or by time? Powers: Well, no because - well, timing would be it but - see- there was a thirty minute delay on my flight and we didn't even know that the flight would go the next day. It might be cancelled and go - go back to Turley. Interr-: Then - professionally - with your reasoning, you can't think of any way that this thing could be sabotaged? Powers: I don't see how it could possibly be sabotaged. Interr-: Well, we can pick that up later. Interr-: There is one report that came out in connection with a TOP SECRET Approved For Release 2003/ : LIATP80B01676R0022000400015 56 25X1 3g*1 25X1 25X1 Approved For Release 200342/27 : CIA-RbP80B01676R002200040001-5 TOP SECRET million others, of course, that - a - that after your - in connection with this flight at the time - that after that out. It was not so, but I just wanted to hear from you that it was not so. Powers: You see - we were there several days - or - I was. Some of them - well, most of us were - some of the pilots went back and forth and I had to go out of the hangar to god c?? to the toilet, around to the side of the hangar, but - a - other than that - it was - a - very seldom that I was out of that area. Interr-: Unless you gentlemen have anything, I think we can break off here. It's getting toward lunch time. Interr-: I would like to make reference to the background bugle music. That was the post-mess call at 1130 hours. Powers: I didn't hear it. Interr-: I didn't hear it either. TOP SECRET Approved For Release 2003/01r27 : crA-7,80B01676R002200040001-5 57 25X1 25X1 25X1 25X1 25X1 25X1 25X1 Approved For Release 20031)2127 CIA-RDP80601676R002200040001-5 TOP SECRET Interr-: We'll talk about these things of course in greater detail, but I just am curious - a - did your cell mate by any chance mention any British names to you? Powers: No, he didnit. In fact, he would mention no names of any of the people he was with either in his own country or in - Interr-: In your long association with this man, did he ever give you what would patent an obvious contradictory statements? Powers: No, - a - not that I can recall - any statements. Interr-: Any - any indication that this was a false story? Powers: No - I had discussed this with him several times and it was the same each time as well as I could tell. Now tuck he did - a - a show an interest but he would ask no questions about a - a - what had happened to me. I could maybe say - mention May the first and he would - a - immediately show an interest, but I guess that would be only natural - I don't know whether the interest he showed was more than natural or not but he - he didn't press it. TOP SECRET Approved For Release 200102127 : CIA-4DP80601676R002200040001-5 58 25X1 Approved For Release 2003/02/27 : CIA-RDP801301676R002200040001-5 TOP SECRET Interr-: When you were being interrogated over this long period of time, you were allowed to sit down? Powers: Yes, all the time. Interr-: What chair did you sit on? Powers: Well, - a - most of them - there was a leather couch. We got to sit on that. Well, it's typical Russian leather couch - very uncomfortable - very wide - I think it can be made into a bed and to sit in it and lean back you're in an - an uncomfortable position, but they let me set there. Usually the interpreter beside me or someone between myself and the window all the time. These windows wx in these offices have no bars and a - Interr - : Stenographer? Powers: Stenographer, always there. Interr-: Tape recorders? Powers: Some were tape recorder and microphones. Interr-; Only one stenographer? Powers: Only one. Well, at different interrogations there would occassionally be another, but predominantly one stenographer. TOP SECRET Approved For Release 2003 : ClAFjDP80B01676R0022000400015 59 25X1 25X1 25X1 Approved For Release 2003/012/27 : CIA-RD 80601676R002200040001-5 TOP SECRET interr-: Man or a woman? Powers: Woman. Interr-: Were you ever made to speak more slowly to help the stenographer? Powers: Well, not particularly to help the stenographer, but to sometimes - the interpreter would ask me to repeat. Interr-: Why your interpreter? Powers: You see - she - she recorded in Russian as he translated the answers to interrogator. Interr-: I don't know if we pinpointed yesterday how many of the project personnel or their names. Was there? Powers: Yes, yes he was. I named some of them. I don't know why I did and this has bothered me very much. This was early when I got there and I - I contribute it to the fact that I was very nervous - didn't know what to do - I had already had this planned - I didn't know what would be released to the papers or the heads of the sections and later on, I realized that I could have gotten by perfectly well by refusing to - and later on I TOP SECRET Approved For Release 2003/12/27 : CIA-ROP80B01676R002200040001-5 60 25X1 25X1 25X1 25X1 Approved For Release 2003/(12/27 : CIA-R P80601676R002200040001-5 TOP SECRET refused to answer any question concerning anything before May the first, but then it was a little late. Interr-: Well, now, who just for reference purposes so we'll know - who has their names - can you recall who were actually named? Okay, there was Powers: Interr-: Powers: Interr-: Powers: He was pretty well known. --a - How about commo people? This is something that had baxstc bothered me very - very much because of this. I don't know why I did it. I don't know. And, I could have gotten by without it. Interr-: Do you think you could? Powers: I'm almost positive I could, but I didn't know that until later. Interr-: Well, this is just a - Powers: Well, then this - this has bothered me. I know this will help you people by getting these names and I want to do it even though it makes me look very bad. TOP SECRET Approved For Release 2003/1r21277-CtAM9P80601676R002200040001-5 61 25X1 25X1 25X1 Approved For Release 2003/0 7P80601676R002200040001-5 25X1 TOP SECRET 2/27 : CIA-R Interr-: Well, now this was just one of those instances where in calculating the limits of your exposure - why - you - you calculated a little too far on the liberal side. Powers: Well, I could have gotten by I'm su.re if that - it didn't strike me at first - maybe it was the tension, nervousness and shock and so forth, but - a - I think I could have gotten by completely without saying a word about anything except what happened from the time I penetrated. In fact, a - a few weeks after - after - the investigation started this struck - a - they told me what I was charged with and I got to thinking and I said - a - to myself that I'm charged with violating Soviet territory for espionage - anything before that has nothing to do with it - I'm not charged with anything and I told them I would not answer any more questions concerning any of that stuff - but I'd already said this stuff before - and this - this - has really bothered me. Interr-: Doesn't that actually appear to you, Gary, to be an absurdity? TOP SECRET Approved For Release 2003/ 12127 : CIA-KO P80601676R002200040001-5 62 25X1 25X1 25X1 Approved For Release 2003/C11/27 : CIA-R P80601676R002200040001-5 OP SECRET Powers: What's that? Interr-: That an intelligenteservice would merely pick up --- Powers: Yes, I know, but I seriously think I could have done it because there had been no threats of tortures - in fact, they had constantly told me there would not be, they would not do this, but they kept harping on the fact that the sentence was such and such - a death sentence - and it always was taken into consideration when you cooperate and - I could only contribute doing this - even in answering questions earlier - the names should not have been metitioned. Interr-: One more question - you said yesterday, I believe, that you were shown four pictures. Powers: Yes. Interr-: Is that all the pictures you were shown? Powers: Oh, you mean -- Interr-: Over the whole period of time? Powers: Oh, no - no - no - I saw volumes of pictures of the wreckage and - a - Interr-: Personal - personal - personalities? TOP SECRET 25X1 Approved For Release 20113/02/27 : CIAIRDP80601676R002200040001-5 63 25X1 Approved For Release 2003/02/27 : CIA-RD* 80B01676R002200040001-5 TOP SECRET Powers: Interr-: Powers: Interr-: Powers: Interr-: Personalities? Four pictures - this was during the when they brought me in to ask me a few questions - to ask me about the B-47. Four pictures only? Well, I can't be exactly positive. I know there wasn't many - there was - I think - four. Thank-you very much. And that's all. We're concluding Tape No. 7 at 1151. Present now are Mr. Powers, End Tape. TOP SECRET Approved For Release 200,/uzizi : LAAANDP80B01676R002200040001-5 64 25X1 25X1 25X1 Approved For Release 2Ta)P27 5EGRE11676R0022000400671-5 * ii I Approved For Release ler SIHRE11676R002200040001-5 /// 2/ 25X1 Approved For Release 2003/02/27 : CIA-RDP80601676R002200040001-5 Approved For Release 2003/02/27 : CIA-RDP80601676R002200040001-5