NOTES
pp. [177–180]^
Mirage” refers to an engagement that occurred several months after his arrival in Eg ypt,
when his Shilka was attached to Kutyntsev’s SAM-3 divizyon in the canal zone. He cor-
rectly identified the plane as French-built, but described the pilot as American even though
the latter bailed out over Israeli-held territory and was not captured; the claim presum-
ably reflects the Soviet troops’ indoctrination. Ironically, Shishlakov notes that the “highly
literate” Kutyntsev “had fought in Vietnam.”- Arieh O’Sullivan, “The Odd Bird,” Jerusalem Post, 24 May 2000.
- Zhirokhov and Nicolle, “Unknown Heroes,” Part 2
- Facsimile at http://www.hubara-rus.ru/foto/large/malauka000296.jpg.
- Schueftan, Attrition, p. 354.
- Shmu’el Segev, Ma’ariv, 24 December 1970, p. 9; Col. Shim’on Yiftah, “Al tilim
be-Mitzrayim.” - An Israeli intelligence report on 8 October 1973 listed “seven impacts in the Refidim area,
possibly surface-to-surface missiles.” The southern front commander, Shmu’el Gonen,
stated that seven missiles struck his command post at Umm-Hashiba, west of Refidim.
AC, Gonen testimony, Part 3, p. 47; Final Report, vol. 4, p. 1265. - Schueftan, Attrition, p. 354.
- Interviewed in Komlev, “Voyna u piramid.” Lashenko names the base as “Sahara,” which
is otherwise unknown; his description fits Luxor, where the IAF destroyed ten Tu-16s in
1967. Aleksandr Rodinov, a ground crewman who served at Beni Suef airbase from May
1971 to June 1972, described “Eg yptian Tu-16s operated by Soviet pilots” as based there
along with a Soviet MiG-21 squadron. Yur’ev, “Ogon’.’” - Schueftan, Attrition, pp. 349–51. He also cites Sadat’s claim after Nasser’s death that only
the Soviet promises to Nasser in Moscow persuaded Sadat to accept the Rogers plan.
Schueftan notes correctly that this was published in Sadat’s 1977 autobiography, when he
had no interest in highlighting his initial opposition to the US proposal. - In 1990, Elliott Richardson related to Korn (Stalemate, pp. 371–2) that at Nasser’s funeral
Sadat expressed his desire to improve relations with Washington. - SAR, no. 63, p. 165.
- SAR, no. 66, pp. 168–9. Dobrynin’s report of this meeting (no. 67) omits the matter
entirely. - SAR, no. 66, p. 169n4.
- IAF website, http://www.iaf.org.il/841-7199-he/IAF.aspx, attributes the loss to a missile.
Shalom (Phantoms, vol. 2, pp. 924–5), quotes Levitov that this was the crew’s impression
because multiple missiles were fired at them, but concludes that the plane was actually
struck by cannon shells. - Levitov is mentioned in Shalom, Phantoms, vol. 2, pp. 924–5, and Lieblich, Seasons, p. 38;
Zamir is only mentioned in Lieblich, Seasons, p. 35. - Philip Benn (Washington), Ma’ariv, 7 July 1970, p. 1.
- The accident was first disclosed in Shalom, Phantoms, vol. 1, p. 399, based on the squad-
ron logbook. It occurred over water, as the two crewmen drowned after bailing out too
low. IAF memorial pages on the two crewmen only give the date of their death “in the
