NOTES
pp. [60–63]^
ron of Soviet-manned Tu-16 bombers permanently stationed in Eg ypt” but was clearly
referring to these TU-16Rs. Ma’ariv, 31 October 1968, p. 1.- Gorbunov, “Napishi mne.” Kudaev, Perevodchiki, describes the US carrier as just having
undergone capital refitting, which dates his account during the ship’s later tour in the
Mediterranean from April 1968 to January 1969. On the other hand, Kudaev (now a pro-
fessor of English at Nalchik in the North Caucasus) confirmed in response to the present
authors’ query that a Tu-16 crash with loss of all hands, which he describes as having
occurred while buzzing the Independence in the Mediterranean, actually involved a plane
of the “same regiment, same squadron” and the USS Essex in the Norwegian Sea the same
year. “I adapted ... this episode into my book for the sake of making my narrative more
interesting” (personal communication, 30 December 2011)—an illustration of the cau-
tion with which this “fiction” genre must be treated. Kudaev did not respond to follow-
up questions. - Harold H. Saunders, “Memorandum of Conversation,” 26 February 1968, NARA National
Security File, Country File Israel, vol. 8, box 141. - Dashkov and Golotyuk, “Arabo-izrail’sky konflikt.”
- Zakharov, “Komandirovka v Egipet,” pp. 24–5; A.N. Zabolotsky and A.I. Sal’nikov,
“Samolet Amfibiya Be-12,” http://aviation-gb7.ru/Be-12.htm - Ray Moseley, UPI, translated in Ma’ariv, 4 November 1968, p. 2.
- Arnold Sherman, Ma’ariv, 18 November 1968, p. 9.
- Israeli minister, Paris, to Middle East Department, Foreign Ministry, 11 December 1968,
ISA HZ-4221/17. - Sherman, Ma’ariv, 18 November 1968, p. 9. A report by CSIS shortly afterward suggested
that “the Soviets could augment their Mediterranean fleet by bringing in ... for air cover
... squadrons of their more modern fighters and fighter bombers, for example the Foxbat,
in local Arab states.” A contemporary map of ranges for Soviet aircraft models based in
Eg ypt includes the “MiG- 23 Foxbat.” Daly, Soviet Sea Power, pp. 58, 61; emphasis added.
There was confusion at the time about the permanent Soviet appellation of the Foxbat—
as it was dubbed by NATO—which was still known by several Soviet and Eg yptian code
names. In the West, it was expected to become the MiG-23, but this appellation was ulti-
mately given by the Soviets to a swing-wing fighter (NATO reporting name Flogger). The
latter model was never posted in, or supplied to, Eg ypt before 1974. In the following
account, the Foxbat is anachronistically referred to by its ultimate appellation, MiG-25,
except in quotations from contemporary sources, whose erroneous mentions of “MiG-
23” are therefore put in quotation marks. - Mir M. Hosseini, “Phantoms Arrive in Iran,” http://www.fouman.com/Y/GetIranian
History_Today.php?artid=1099 - Elena Lange, “Voinov, Alexander Ivanovich,” Borisoglebskoye Flight School website,
http://www.bvvaul.ru/profiles/1111.php - Maj. Valery El’chaninov, “Dan prikaz yemy ... v Egipet,” Soldat Udachi, 2 (Moscow) (2001).
The accident is dated only July–August 1971. - According to Serkov, sidearms were issued only to the Soviet advisers posted on the canal
and only in late 1969, after “the Israelis had made a sortie onto the west bank.”