I understand why the Soviets would want to keep the bomber, but what was the reasons for interning the crew? How was this covered in the news both in the U.S and the Soviet Union? Were the crew considered POW's by the Soviets, and how was there treatment? How much diplomacy was involved behind the scenes? Any other information on this particular crew would be appreciated.
The Soviet Union was neutral in the conflict between the Allies and Japan, and thus had to intern service members of the belligerent parties.