The Evening Star (April 22, 1946)
Russian lease-lend fighters fire on U.S. plane near Vienna
P-39s obtained from America follow C-47 transport down to Tulln Airport
VIENNA (AP) – Four Russian fighter planes made runs on a United States Army C-47 transport and fired from two to four 37-millimeter shots off the plane’s wing today as it came into the United States Army airport at Tulln, just outside Vienna.
Airmen at the field identified the fighters as P-39s furnished to Russia by American lease-lend. The four followed the transport right to the field, leaving only after it had touched ground. The C-47 was on a test run and carried no passengers.
Capt. James C. Baxter, the pilot, was asked for a report as soon as he landed. Expressing indignation, Capt. Baxter said he saw two of the shots fired and added he believed there were others.
“That’s all right in a cross-country flight when you can just sit there and fly,” he said, “but I do not like it when you are in transition between flying and landing. I saw two white puffs from the 37-millimeter cannon in the nose of a fighter and we could feel the concussion inside the plane.”
Four other members of the transport’s crew corroborated Capt. Baxter’s report. The pilot said he was within the 10-mile area around the airfield prescribed for American planes by the Russians when the fighters appeared. Capt. Baxter was flying at 6,000 feet, and the Russians followed him all the way down, diving over and under his plane as he prepared to land, he said.
Because the airport is inside the Russian occupation zone, the Russians have prescribed strict regulations for the operation of American aircraft. They must remain within certain lanes when flying to and from the city and are not permitted to fly over Vienna. The flight from Vienna to Berlin must be made via Frankfurt, although that takes planes far off the most economical route.
Today’s incident occurred in full view of a large crowd of soldiers at the airport and correspondents who had gathered there to greet a party of 14 American publishers flying to Vienna from Frankfurt. It took place about a half hour before the arrival of the publishers’ plane, which was not molested.
The newspapermen are touring occupied areas of Europe to study the functioning of the military government.
Gen. Mark W. Clark, American commanding general in Austria, greeted the party and planned to give its members a briefing on the situation here.
After discussions with members of the Austrian government tomorrow the party will go to Salzburg to investigate displaced persons camps in the American zone. Upon leaving Austria they will fly to Trieste and Rome and later to Paris.
Bridges demands action to prevent recurrence
Sen. Bridges (R-New Hampshire) demanded in the Senate this afternoon that the administration take steps to prevent a recurrence of incidents like the one reported today from Vienna.
“These incidents occurring one after another have got to stop,” Sen. Bridges shouted. “It is up to the responsible officials of this government to take some action.”
The senator recalled that some weeks ago he called the War Department’s attention to an earlier occasion on which he said an American plane was forced down by Russian aircraft, and told his colleagues the department was in the midst of investigating that occurrence when today’s report was received.