Guests of the Kremlin

Author: Robert G Emmens 
Publisher: Macmillan Co NY
Edition: First
Cover: Hardcover
Published: 1949
Bomb
On April 18, 1942, 16 B-25 Bombers took off from the Aircraft Carrier USS Hornet. They bombed Tokyo and four other cities in Japan. This was the famous Doolittle Raid, a turning point in World War II. One crew landed in the Soviet Union and were held pris

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Synopsis: Robert G. Emmens's extraordinary memoir recounts one of World War II's most unusual and little-known episodes: the internment of American airmen in the Soviet Union following the Doolittle Raid on Japan in April 1942. As the co-pilot of Crew No. 8 under Captain Edward "Ski" York, Emmens provides a firsthand account of their forced landing in Soviet territory and the subsequent fifteen months of captivity in a supposedly neutral nation. The book begins with Emmens's participation in the secret preparation for the Doolittle Raid, including the intensive training at Eglin Field, Florida, where crews learned the unprecedented technique of launching B-25 bombers from an aircraft carrier. Emmens describes the tension aboard the USS Hornet as it approached Japan, the early discovery by Japanese patrol boats that forced a premature launch, and the crucial decision that would forever alter their lives: when their B-25 ran critically low on fuel, Captain York chose to fly north to the Soviet Union rather than attempt a dangerous landing in Japanese-occupied China. The narrative captures the crew's initial relief at reaching apparent safety, only to discover that the Soviets considered them "internees" rather than rescued allies. Emmens details their confinement in various locations across the Soviet Union, from initial imprisonment in Khabarovsk to eventual transfer to a remote town in Central Asia. The author provides fascinating insights into Soviet society during wartime, describing the harsh living conditions, the paranoid atmosphere of Stalin's regime, and the suspicion with which local officials treated the Americans. Despite official Soviet neutrality toward Japan, Emmens reveals the complex diplomatic negotiations occurring behind the scenes as the United States sought their release. The book chronicles the crew's various escape attempts, including their ultimately successful plan to cross into Iran with the help of sympathetic Soviet citizens who risked their lives to assist the Americans. Emmens doesn't shy away from criticism of Soviet treatment, describing inadequate food, medical care, and the psychological pressure of indefinite detention. However, he also acknowledges moments of kindness from individual Soviets who privately expressed support for the American cause. The memoir provides unique perspectives on wartime Soviet-American relations, illustrating the tensions that would later evolve into the Cold War. Emmens's account also serves as a meditation on survival, adaptability, and the resilience of the human spirit under adversity. The book concludes with their dramatic escape through Iran and eventual return to the United States, where they faced criticism for not fighting their way out of the Soviet Union sooner.

Guests of the Kremlin, is one of the many primary source materials in the Army Air Corps Museum collection.