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Essential Assistants in the Intelligence of the Most Effective Intelligence Service in the World (Part 2)

Part 1
Even with access to confidential and secret documents, the benefit will be almost zero if the spy does not have the opportunity to make copies of them. You can rely on memory and remember the material, then write down with a notebook and pen, sketch. Quite an ineffective method if we are talking about large amounts of information or the transfer of the maximum amount of information in the shortest possible time. The ability to secretly copy documents would solve a lot in intelligence.



Depending on certain tasks and goals, KGB intelligence used various types of cameras, and the division into spy and "non-spy" ones was very arbitrary: there were specially made purely spy copies, but basically standard industrial devices were slightly altered. Conventional cameras “didn’t know even the slightest change,” for example, a photo sniper, “took part” in intelligence.

The camera is the oldest technical tool for capturing images, and since its invention, scouts all over the world have been using it to photograph everything that is of military, economic or political interest to their countries.

Manual apparatus for photo reconnaissance


Photosniper is a surveillance camera manufactured since 1965 at the Krasnogorsk Mechanical Plant (KMZ). The device, like its predecessors FS-1 and FS-2, was produced in the form of a gun, such a stable design was ideally suited for surveillance and surveillance tasks, as it allowed to make good quality images of distant or moving objects, such as people passing or passing cars.

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The camera was actively used in the 2 KGB Main Directorate (counterintelligence), 7 KGB Directorate (surveillance), border guards and intelligence services of Eastern Europe (Ministry of State Security of the GDR Stasi).

By the way, the cartoon Ball in the famous Prostokvashino received just such a photo gun as a gift, though equipped with a wooden butt.


Change your gun for a photo gun!

A little history of creation.The idea of ​​a photogun was embodied in 1882 by the Frenchman Etienne-Jules Maraille, he is considered the creator of the first bulky structure with a butt from a rifle and an ordinary lens located in the pseudo-barrel - Fusil Photographique. Used by British aviators during World War I, the Mark III Hythe camera was released - a copy of the Lewis American machine gun. In the early 1940s, the USSR also began designing photographic weapons, the first such device was a FED camera with a powerful telephoto lens, which was mounted on a regular rifle butt.

The first batch of Photosniper photo-weapons in the amount of only 15 pieces was released in 1965 at the Krasnogorsk Mechanical Plant. The chief designer, military Sergey Malinsky, created a civilian camera of a threatening “combat” look. Out of focus was such a concept as ergonomics and aesthetics: the photo-gun turned out to be very inconvenient to use, and even khaki. The camera was placed in a steel box, apparently in order to gather dust in a military warehouse, because wearing such a device would harm your back and health).


Krasnogorsk Mechanical Plant (KMZ)

As a result, the designers had to conjure a bit and ... minor improvements were made, the lens color was changed. Weight and clumsiness did not prevent Photosniper from gaining popularity with nature lovers and hunters, as a presentation he was given both to the Minister of Defense of the USSR Ustinov and Brezhnev. Butt for VIP made from expensive wood. And when using the photo sniper, the emotions of the object that got into the frame “radiated” the whole gamut.

If you, dear amateur photographers, want to get a picture of a politician not with a white-toothed smile, but in the manifestation of sincere feelings, buy the Soviet "Photo Sniper". As soon as you point him at this politician or businessman, the whole gamut of human feelings will be displayed on his face. Because he might think that this is another attempt on his life

The photo sniper was a Zenit-EC camera and a special Tair-Z-FS 300mm telephoto lens mounted on a gun or pistol-type butt. When assembled, it looked like an automatic rifle equipped with a trigger. There was a shoulder rest, with its help the structure could be pressed firmly to the shoulder and shot “stable photo shots” without using a heavy tripod.

It should be noted the advantages of the Zenit-EU camera:

  • mirror of constant sight, which allows continuously (except for the moment of exposure) to observe the subject
  • built-in exposure meter (especially valuable when working with color film)
  • shutter lever cock
  • hinged back cover

In the Zenit-EU chamber there was an additional shutter button in the bottom wall of the chamber (for communication with the trigger mechanism of the box).



The camera was delivered in a stamped aluminum storage case, complete with a lens, five color filters, an original 35 mm camera lens, spare films, a leather carrying strap, various tools and other accessories. The case was locked with latches.



The Tair-3-FS lens and the Zenit-EU camera were mounted on the bracket with a clamping screw. The stock was clamped on the bracket with a tripod screw, and the shoulder rest was attached to the bottom of the case with spring brackets. As shown in the figure above, the Helios-44-2 lens, a set of five filters, two cartridges, two screwdrivers, two covers were located on the case cover
The set included five filters: -2 yellow, UV-1ˣ colorless, -1,4ˣ light yellow, -2,8ˣ orange, ZhZ-2ˣ yellow-green. Color filters improved contrast when using black and white film. The camera could be used separately. For this, a leather case and a standard 58 mm lens were supplied with the kit, it was stored in the lid of a metal container. Such a container case could be carried on the back with leather straps. True, the dimensions of the photoworks in the working position were 140 × 235 × 560 mm, in the case 170 × 210 × 390 mm, and such a device weighed 2.9 kg in the working position, and as much as 5.5 kg complete with the case.



When shooting, one hand remained on the handle of the box, it was necessary to firmly press the camera to the shoulder, bringing the device into “combat readiness”, the diaphragm handle and the shutter cocking handle cocked.



Specifications :

  • frame format - 24 × 36 mm
  • perforated film width - 35 mm
  • number of frames - 36
  • shutter speeds - from 1/30 to 1/500 s (automatic), “B” (by hand) and long
  • viewfinder image field size - 20 × 28 mm
  • eyepiece magnification - 4.5ˣ

Although the Photosniper was developed for military use and was officially called the “manual apparatus for photo reconnaissance,” it began to be produced for mass consumption by photo hunters, plus it was successfully sold abroad.



The Photosniper was originally intended for the Soviet market, and therefore the text on the camera body, on the handle and on the container is Russian. The kit was later produced for other Warsaw Pact countries and labeled as PHOTO SNIPER, in a dark gray case.

A complex optical-mechanical device required careful handling, it was necessary to keep it clean, protected from shock, dampness and sudden changes in temperature. The device should be stored in a closed case, and the camera lens should be protected from dust and dirt on the surface of optical parts, wipe the optical surfaces from the outside with a clean soft cloth or cotton wool, a little moistened with rectified alcohol, ether, and, in extreme cases, triple cologne. The photographic gun was intended for close-up shooting; it was successfully used by intelligence for photographing distant objects and details. The lens was equipped with a quick focus mechanism, which allowed to continuously keep the
target in focus.

KMZ or the Krasnogorsk Mechanical Plant was a manufacturer of 35-mm Zenith cameras and the famous F-21 camera (Ajax), which was used by the KGB and other intelligence services. After the collapse of the Soviet Union (USSR), the plant continued to manufacture analog cameras, but in 2005 most of the production lines were finally closed. The only camera currently manufactured by the company is the Horizon panoramic camera.

Soviet miniature camera Ajax


In the post-war period, KGB officers used expensive German Robot cameras and a miniature Minox camera. Due to their high cost ($ 400 - $ 500 per set), the complexity of repairs and the lack of spare parts, a shortage of cameras in the domestic intelligence business soon appeared. The best Soviet designers were involved in solving the number one problem - the development of domestic "spy" cameras. At that time, highly sensitive films were not yet produced, because domestic portable cameras could capture objects at a distance of no more than 5-6 meters. Already in 1948, the world saw the first prototype miniature Ajax-8. Using the camera in conditions of sufficient lighting and a properly selected exposure, good quality pictures were obtained.


Ajax-8

In 1949, Ajax-9 (F-1) was released, with which in 1965 the astronaut A.A. Leonov went into space. Having fixed the camera under a button, the Soviet cosmonaut attempted to photograph the spacecraft from the side. Alas, due to a spacesuit defect, this could not be done. The camera was equipped with a more advanced mechanism for charging the internal spring; when the shutter button and film were pressed, the shutter worked and a picture was taken, and when the button was released, the film was automatically rewound one frame and the shutter cocked. For one full platoon of the internal spring, up to 15 shots were taken.


Ajax-9

In 1951, a more stable and reliable Ajax-11 compact camera was developed, the shutter and film rewinding mechanism worked much quieter than their predecessors. Such a camera weighed 180 grams without a lens, the shooting distance was 2 - 8 meters and to infinity, the transportation mechanism was spring-loaded with a preliminary platoon of 12 frames.


Ajax-11

In 1952, employees of state security and internal affairs bodies received a new modernized model for work - Ajax-12.







The camera was originally intended for special services. Ajax -12 - also known by the factory designation F-21 - was a miniature mechanical surveillance camera with a film feeding mechanism, was produced at the Krasnogorsk Mechanical Plant (KMZ) from 1951 to 1995. During the Cold War, the camera was very popular with the Soviet KGB intelligence agency and its sister organizations in other Warsaw Pact countries, such as the Stasi.

The dimensions of the camera were about 7 x 5.5 x 2.5 cm, excluding the lens.





Only digital number was engraved on the cameras: the first digits indicated the year of manufacture, then the serial number of the copy. F-21 was used by intelligence agents for covert photography. With the help of a spring-loaded rewind engine and a shutter cock, it was possible to take several consecutive shots.

The factory delivery kit for the Ajax-12 camera included:

  • remote control photo cable
  • four cassettes for photographic film, two in a special metal styling
  • improved cutter model for film

Due to its small size and ease of operation, the F-21 was ideally suited for covert operations. A variety of mechanical structures and devices were developed, and it became possible to use the camera in almost any reconnaissance operation. The cameras were camouflaged, ranging from a pack of cigarettes to a woman’s handbag.


The option of placing under the clothes of the Kama radio station with a microphone-speaker and the Ajax-12 camera with remote control, 1950 (from Keith Melton Spy Museum archive) A





button / button was mounted on the camera lens. The design worked like sliding doors that diverged during shooting. As soon as the image was taken, the sashes returned to their original position.





In practice, this happened so quickly that the human eye could hardly see it. The button looked realistic: 4 holes, threads stretched in them. On the remote control was a small lever that allowed you to change the aperture value of the lens.


The Ajax-12 camera, hidden in a male umbrella, can be purchased for 2,700 pounds.

The frame size was 18 x 24 mm, while the images were shot on 21 mm film. Such a feint made it possible to take high-quality photographs in comparison with images taken on miniature cameras of those times with a frame size of 8 x 11 mm. F-21 can be considered as a half-frame camera. The F-21 was replaced in 1985 by the F-27 Neocyte, and in 1989 - Sunset.

Some special portable cameras for covert photography, which were in demand in the USSR during the Cold War, came with an unusual film format - 21 mm. In most cases, the 21 mm film was not perforated. The supply of 21 mm thick film to Western countries was becoming a real problem, so many machines were equipped with a small manual cutting device, which made it possible to make non-perforated 21 mm wide from ordinary 35 mm perforated film. In addition to hand tools, there were professional cutters, such as in the photo below.


Special cutter for making film for Ajax

Ajax-12 or F-21 became the most massive Soviet special phototechnical device. A large number of covers were created for the device, this made it possible to use it in a variety of situations. After the Cold War, a commercial version of the F-21 camera was developed under the name Zenit MF-1.

KGB officers underwent a thorough training and training course to acquire sustainable shooting skills. There were some rules:

  • evaluate, measure, set the required distance from the subject to the lens
  • Evaluate lighting (the subject should not be too contrasty or darkened)
  • the place of photographing should be accurately identified in the future
  • identify and refine the required exposure
  • lock at the time of shooting (lean against a stationary object)

Miniature cameras in the operational activities of the KGB were given special importance. They served to “extract” classified materials from highly inaccessible places. The mission to develop such photographic equipment fell on the shoulders of the special department of NIL-11, experienced employees with officer ranks worked here.

ASH S-387


The ZOLA camera became the first special full-format (35 mm) camera with electronic shutter control. The S-387, codenamed Zola, was a camera for covert surveillance, which was developed in 1970 at the KMZ in Krasnogorsk for the Soviet KGB secret service. The camera was made on the basis of the Zorkiy-6 serial camera; an angular lens was added to it. The device was designed for use in two options for placing the lens - direct and angular. Two identical IR-75LM lenses with elements of direct and angular mounting were included. S-387 was in production at least until 1989. As with others of this type of Soviet camera, the first two digits of the serial number indicate the year of manufacture.



In the S-387, the spring mechanism for transporting the film and the cocking of the shutter was modernized, a fully cocked spring provided automatic shooting up to 17 frames. The shooting distance ranged from 5 meters to infinity, the size of the negative was 24 x 36 mm, with its dimensions of 120 x 95 x 45 mm, the camera weighed 650 grams (excluding cassettes). The ZOLA apparatus allowed working in a wide range of illumination from 100 to 40,000 lux without preliminary setting the shutter speed. ASH made it possible not to worry about exposure; it was automatically changed by an electronic circuit with a photoresistor as a light sensor. All that the agent had to do was turn on the camera, rotate the focus ring, select the correct film speed and press the shutter-release button.During masking, all actions were performed using a mechanical or electronic remote control. C-387 made better negatives than Ajax-12, which was important when recognizing the person in the pictures.



It is difficult to imagine how many documents “classified under the heading” were photographic equipment from the Cold War. The matter was not limited to this, in addition, counterintelligence agents were actively engaged in compromising foreign diplomatic staff: "... for example, in the seventies and eighties, 12 employees of the American embassy were sent home because they admitted that they had been photographed during sexual intercourse with Russian beauties, and then subjected to blackmail. "

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