1953 Avro Lincoln shootdown incident

Cold War incident over East Germany 1953 Avro Lincoln shootdown incident the Cold War File:15 Avro Lincoln, 44 RR Merlin 85 (15812108166).jpg Avro Lincoln aircraft similar to the one shot down over East Germany west of Boizenburg, East Germany 53 22 40 N 10 39 40 E dms inline,title 12 March 1953 Intercept RAF Avro Lincoln aircraft Aircraft shootdown, attacks on parachutists 7 Soviet Air Forces On 12 March 1953, an Avro Lincoln, which had intruded into East German airspace while flying on the Hamburg-Berlin air corridor over East Germany during a training mission, was shot down by a Soviet Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15 fighter aircraft. The incident drew intense criticism because the surviving crew members were fired at and killed by the Soviet aircraft, in direct violation of the Geneva Conventions.http://www.icrc.org/ihl/INTRO/470 Protocol Additional to the Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949, and relating to the Protection of Victims of International Armed Conflicts (Protocol I), 8 June 1977 International Committee of the Red Cross Shoot-down The Avro Lincoln was operated by the Central Gunnery School at RAF Leconfield and was on a routine long-distance training flight.British Bomber Shot Down by Russian Fighters 13 March 1953 8 52569 The aircraft was intercepted by two Soviet MiG 15 fighters and after it failed to respond to challenges it was shot down by the fighters' 23 mm cannon.http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/analysis/historian-clears-clouds-over-spying-and-shot-down-bomber-1-5542290 Historian clears clouds over spying and shot-down bomber www.yorkshirepost.co.uk en 2017-06-20 2017-08-21 https://web.archive.org/web/20170821003806/http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/analysis/historian-clears-clouds-over-spying-and-shot-down-bomber-1-5542290 dead The Avro Lincoln crashed east of Boizenburg, on the border of the British and Soviet zones, impacting in a wood between Vierkrug and Horst in the Soviet Zone. It was initially reported that six of the seven crew had been killed and one wounded; the wounded airman was one of three who had bailed out, but later died in hospital.Airmen's Bodies Recovered 16 March 1953 8 52571 German civilians on the ground reported that two British airmen bailed out from the doomed aircraft, only to be strafed and killed by one of the MiG 15s. Aftermath The British government represented by the United Kingdom High Commissioner in Germany protested to the Soviet High Commissioner in Germany against the attack on a British aircraft and death of British servicemen. The Soviet news agency stated that the Lincoln had been flying over the German Democratic Republic and had failed to respond to lawful commands to land at the nearest airfield and had shot at the fighters. The British Foreign Secretary Anthony Eden described it as a "barbaric" act. The British Prime Minister Winston Churchill condemned the attack in a statement to parliament and emphasised the Avro Lincoln was not armed and within the agreed air corridor.Wanton Attack on RAF Lincoln 18 March 1953 8 52573 British historian Richard Aldrich claims that while the bomber was not directly involved in airborne intelligence-gathering, "its progress was being carefully tracked by a British 'sigint' unit on the ground at RAF Scharfoldendorf in the British Zone of Germany". References Category:Aviation accidents and incidents in 1953 Category:20th-century aircraft shootdown incidents Category:Aviation accidents and incidents in Germany Category:Aviation accidents and incidents in East Germany Category:Cold War military history of the United Kingdom Category:1953 in East Germany Category:March 1953 in Europe Category:Inner German border Category:Cold War military history of the Soviet Union Category:Soviet Union–United Kingdom military relations Category:Anthony Eden Category:Air-to-air combat operations and battles