RAFG Strike Operations
Folks,
I’m seeking some information, I’m a keen wargamer and am putting a scenario together featuring RAFG in the 1960s primarily, my area of interest centres round the role of the Canberra squadrons and where they were destined for should the balloon have went up.
Now I know some of you gents have signed the official secrets act so I understand you may be unlikely to be able or willing to tell me where you were slated to strike.
However I’ll throw some questions up and I will be grateful for any response you might have.
Firstly I understand a number of crews were kept on QRA at the clutch airfields, if the hooter went was there a recall method, before you penetrated the IGB like the V-force had with 8 Deg East?
What types of targets were QRA set to strike? Would it be things like radar and fixed SAM sites in order to cut holes in the air defences for follow on strikes, or were the Nuclear capable Soviet airfields the prime targets of the Canberra units? Or am I looking too deep into East Germany, and in fact the strikes would have been more NORTHAG orientated, certain bridges, rail junctions, targets that would affect the Red Army divisions on the move west?
I have read a couple of RAF journals available online in relation to this subject, it mentions that the recce Canberra sqns war missions were to penetrate the IGB and conduct “line searches” looking for troop movements. The Canberra had phenomenal range, so how far and wide would you have ranged over Eastern Europe? Are we talking just the DDR or as far as Eastern Poland?
Thanks in advance for any answers, if anyone has any recommendations for further reading on this subject, I would be most grateful.
Regards
Butch