Air Pictorial August 1997
I have just been in touch with David Baker who is the Editor of "Aviation News" & asked if he would allow me to share John Crampton's article with members of "PPRuNe". He has very kindly agreed, so long as it is not used in any commercial way. Aren't Aviation people super !
This is a long, but really interesting article, so be warned.
Russian photo-shoot
In this feature, Sqn Ldr John Crampton reveals for the first time his part in the top secret RAF operation in the 1950's to photograph Russia's ICBMs.
In July 1951, I was the happy Boss of No 97 (Lincoln) Sqn, when the C-in-C Bomber Command sent for me and said that I was to assume command of a Special Duty Flight in conditions of utmost secrecy. The Flight would be equipped with North American RB-45C four-jet strategic reconnaissance aircraft and the crews concerned would proceed almost immediatly to the United States to begin training on the aircraft.
The Flight was to comprise of three aircraft, each with a crew of two pilots and a navigator. The other eight aircrew, as much in the dark as I was about our immediate future, joined me at RAF Sculthorpe to be flown to the USA for a 60-day detachment. Accordingly, we left Sculthorpe aboard a C-97 Stratofreighter on August 3, 1951,bound for Barksdale AFB Louisiana. There we spent ten days with a B-45 squadron, getting to grips with the aircraft before moving on to Langley AFB, Virginia, for introduction to the more advanced RB-45C version. On September 2, we flew up to Lockbourne AFB, near Columbus, Ohio, home of the 91st Strategic Reconnaissance Wing, operating the only three squadrons flying the RB-45C. No 323 Sqn was in residence, the other two being in England (Sculthorpe) and Japan. We received a short, but excellent, conversion course.
In our second month of flying at Lockbourne, one of my pilots made a very heavy landing one night. The aircraft was written off, but the crew were unhurt. The dramatic result of this was that Lockbourne's Base Commander, myself and the pilot were flown to Omaha, headquarters of Strategic Air Command there to be interviewed by General Curtis LeMay, who did not like people who broke his aircraft and left us in no doubt of the fact. His anger was directed mainly at the wretched pilot, who departed from the USA shortly afterwards. I learned subsequently that he had not so much been posted to me as posted away from his unit, where he had a reputation as a "pranger". He was replaced by an RAF pilot already seconded to a USAF B-45 unit. We completed our Conversion and returned to Sculthorpe where we became an additional flight with the resident RB-45C squadron. We still had no idea what was planned for us There was much speculation, mostly centred on comparative trials of the Boeing flying-boom in flight refuelling method against the probe and drogue favoured by the RAF. It was a tense time for us and our hosts because nine RAF aircrew flying with an elite USAF squadron raised eyebrows, which we were unable to lower. The situation eased when Colonel "Hak" Mixson, USAF arrived as our Liason Officer and fielded many of the questions.
Before my PC or the Network "bomb-out" I will submit this & continue another reply.