"Bombs gone"

[x213a]

Anybody got any more adventurous recollections of what was said when they released ordnance? In exercise or for real? I'm thinking along the lines of "Green leader" in the Rhodesian airforce. Would that be allowed now?

[recce_FAC]

Over Afghan. Commanche 44 I need a 20mm strafe on Grid .............. Friendlies are at ........... Call ready copy Cas brief.

Send it.
In from the east heading 275
Commanche 44 this is ........... Your cleared Hot.


Commanche 44 that was DH good work target destroyed

Well words to that effect.

[Ace Brave]

With 104 views and one reply, does that mean that everyone else is as confused as I am about what the first post means? :bored:

Or I'm probably just being a bit thick.

("confused of out west")

[Manuel de Vol]

Well, on those (admittedly rare) occasions when I realised (just after release) I'd screwed up my offsets, or done something else wrong I said a number of things ... but they're unprintable.:mad:

'Bomb gone' worked pretty well most of the time.

[x213a]

Acebrave- Just to clarify - it was not a post to enable "bigupmanship" or even "waltyism".
I have recently listened to the "green leader" recordings and just wondered whether that would be allowed nowadays.
I have been a civvy for 4 years now, I was privvy to AWWC nets etc but never to whatever comms bombers use when "doing stuff".

Green leader:
YouTube - 'Green Leader' Raid on Rebel Camps in Zambia (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-p1NRLFso6Q&feature=PlayList&p=E092CA82057D8086&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=19)

[Ace Brave]

Ah thank you x213a hadn't heard of that before. Those were the days!

[Pontius Navigator]

There were a couple of good calls from the Buccs in GW1. One here they bombed a Cub as it was taxying. The other when they bombed a bridge with a truck driving straight in to the explosion.

There was also the one when a Valiant dropped a Blue Danube - all 10000lbs of it. The initial call was that it had not got. Some seconds later the bomb appeared followed by "J***** C****** its coming back."

[taxydual]

Wasn't there an incident on one of the Wash Weapons Ranges, a, many, few years ago, where "Bombs Gone" was called. Only the end result wasn't exactly as planned or predicted. I seem to recall the demolition of the outside toilets of a certain Public House as opposed to the demolition of multiple particles of Wash mud.

Age, memory and Red Wine may play a part in my recollection. I think a Vulcan was involved.

Any takers?

[Pontius Navigator]

Wasn't there an incident on one of the Wash Weapons Ranges, a, many, few years ago, where "Bombs Gone" was called. Only the end result wasn't exactly as planned or predicted. I seem to recall the demolition of the outside toilets of a certain Public House as opposed to the demolition of multiple particles of Wash mud.

Age, memory and Red Wine may play a part in my recollection. I think a Vulcan was involved.

Any takers?

Canberra, 12(B) Sqn, RAF Binbrook, Theddlethorpe and the Prussian Queen.

It is all documented, with photographs entitled 'flash in the pan', in 'The Saga of the Shinnies.'

"Three old ladies locked in a lavatory
nobody knew they were there.

"Three old ladies locked in a lavatory
12 sqn knew they were there."

[Wholigan]

Wasn't there an incident on one of the Wash Weapons Ranges, a, many, few years ago, where "Bombs Gone" was called. Only the end result wasn't exactly as planned or predicted. I seem to recall the demolition of the outside toilets of a certain Public House as opposed to the demolition of multiple particles of Wash mud.

Also happened near Nordhorn Range in the 80s with a Jaguar on night bombing. The perpetrator lives in the same village as me now!

[Manuel de Vol]

Quite a few years ago - late 60's/very early 70s, I think.

As I heard it, the aircraft was a Canberra doing a 'toss' attack. I was told that he mis-identified the lead-in lights (saw two sets of street lights which made a 'T') pulled up early and released a 100lb pb.

The bomb apparently went through the roof of the pub's crapper and straight down the horn.

I was told that the landlord wasn't too upset ... he got his toilet re-built and trade improved dramatically (visiting aircrew.)

There were a couple of other 'notable incidents', AFAIR. In one, a 1000lb bomb ended up in a farmer's field on the Isle of Man. (It didn't go off and apparently the fusing wasn't selected.) The farmer called Jurby range and asked them to collect their property.

In the other, a Vulcan was dropping a stick of 1000 pounders. One (or more) 'hung up', but came off the bomb beam and fell onto the doors after they were closed. Nobody knew what state the bombs were in and if the crew had opened the doors in an attempt to jettison them, then the airflow might well have armed them fully. The aircraft returned and landed and the Nav Rad had to go into the bomb bay (through the inspection hatch at the front) and make them safe.

[sisemen]

...and then there was the Harrier attack on a caravan crossing the River Wye at Hay on Wye. A 28lb PB can significantly alter the appearance of a standard caravan.

The incident was thereafter referred to as the attack on the "Bridge over the River Wye" :}

I think the pilot's words on release were something along the lines of "Ohhhh F**k"

[L J R]

3 2 1 Rifle

[TheInquisitor]

"Stores, xx Seconds" is normally all my limited capacity will allow me!

[Neptunus Rex]

CXX Shacklebomber, Moray Firth radar buoy, mid 60's. Running in at 500 feet with our Canadian Exchange nav in the bomb aimers slot.
"Left left, steady, right, steady, back a bit, bombs gone F*** it - missed!"
We had to climb to 1,000 feet (yes, I know, it took a while) engage the autopilot and recover from all the laughter.

http://www.augk18.dsl.pipex.com/Smileys/shipcaptain.gif

[rodthesod]

In the other, a Vulcan was dropping a stick of 1000 pounders. One (or more) 'hung up', but came off the bomb beam and fell onto the doors after they were closed. Nobody knew what state the bombs were in and if the crew had opened the doors in an attempt to jettison them, then the airflow might well have armed them fully. The aircraft returned and landed and the Nav Rad had to go into the bomb bay (through the inspection hatch at the front) and make them safe.


I was the co-pilot in a similar incident, bombing on an island range operating from Darwin. Should have dropped 7 HE 1000 pounders separately. The first released normally but the second hung up. Round again and tried PESJ (pilot's emergency safe jettison where all bombs should release unarmed) - just one bomb released armed and exploded on/close to target. 4 similar attempts achieved exactly same result but the last bomb wouldn't release. We tried another 11 times and outbound on the 18th pattern there was a 'thump' as the remaining bomb fell onto the bomb doors. There were a few choice words about sex and religion throughout this procedure.
We were worried about opening the doors in case the bomb got trapped either side as they folded up and in, but it had to be done. A bit of gentle wing rocking centered the bomb on the curved doors (we hoped) and we pilots guessed the release point visually - we'd had a bit of practice by then so we got a very creditable score I remember. 'Thank f*** for that, let's go to the bar', we said and did.

[Dan Gerous]

Up for a jolly on an 8 Sqn Shack in 78/79. First part of the flight was a SAR exercise dropping flares to do a simulated stores drop. Using a buoy off Montrose as the target, the first flare is released, and it's a DH. The pilot comes up on the comms "If that was a submarine that would have made his eyes water."

[Data-Lynx]

Does an "Oh Golly" count. It was voiced by a scientist at a frequency that could have cracked glass, as he watched his plan go awry.

Spurred on by a wealth of 1944 aged war-shot Mk11 depth charges in the late 80s, the task was apparently simple. Drop a series of 'cans' throughout the release envelope while timing the drop, water entry and detonation. The aircrew really did not know why but we had observations about casings breaking up and limited confidence about fusing. This was resolved by selecting a senior crew and fusing for 'shallow'. Armed with two scientists, each with a very smart stopwatch, a goon suit and the loyal support of a ship's flight who became expert at reloading, this event proceeded until the boffins became agitated at not being able to sight definite water entry. It was only a small can slipping into an expanse of Lyme Bay. The reluctant agreement from this was: at 'bomb gone', the Lynx was to enter a rapid, right descending turn back towards the weapon and thus allowing the boffin to see water entry more clearly. The theory was that 125' (min height for release I think) should still have been above any snags with the weapon.

Yes, I know it is obvious now, but we pressed on. The manouevre worked rather well and gave the idiot pilot (me) something more interesting to do. The premature termination of the task came when the Lynx going down got far too close to the water plume (and whatever else) coming up from the Mk11 that had rather impressively exploded on the surface. :eek: Other things were said but the "Oh Golly" was foremost.

My memory says 'Bloody Scientists' but my pen signed the F700.

[foldingwings]

Buccaneer In-Service Firings of TV MARTEL

TV Martel was delivered from a LL launch at a range of circa 10nm from the target. After launch the mx climbed to 2000ft and flew autonomously towards the designated position until the target hoved into view on the nav's TV screen. At that point and on selection of 'Terminal Phase' the mx entered a pre-programmed 8 degree dive that the navigator controlled by use of a joystick into the target.

On the very last launch of Mistico 74, F4s from Leuchars had been cleared as part of the trial to try and intercept the mx in flight by using their CW radar; their was 8/8ths cover at about 2500ft and the F4s were above it. All went well with the mx launch until the 12 Sqn nav (actually an Obs on RAF Exchange) selected Terminal Phase and the mx, rather than entering its 8 degree dive decided to climb vertically, through the cloud and towards oblivion. The mild expletive from the Bucc Obs was nothing compared to the reaction of the 2 F4 crews who saw their target pass between them at a range of about 200ft past the port wing of one of them:} - a quick return to LUK and a change of trousers was required. Unfortunately, their words are not available for print!

Foldie:D

[Shack37]

One of 37Sqn Shacks last jobs before departing Aden in 1967 was to get rid of a lot of 1000 pounders that had been gathering dust in the Khormaksar bomb dump for years. As G'crew we were not actually involved in the dumping process but there were reports of some bombs exploding on the way down, long before hitting the water. Anyone out there who took part care to report any comments made by 37 crewmembers who did this?

[Pontius Navigator]

Quite a few years ago - late 60's/very early 70s, I think.

As I heard it, the aircraft was a Canberra doing a 'toss' attack. I was told that he mis-identified the lead-in lights (saw two sets of street lights which made a 'T') pulled up early and released a 100lb pb.

The bomb apparently went through the roof of the pub's crapper and straight down the horn.

No about 1962 as the Sqn formed with Vulcans in 1963 It was a 25lb PB. The misident was of the car park lights and the target lights. The target lights were arranged in a circle and flashed.

The car park lights were arranged in a circle and low scudding cloud made them appear to flash with predictable results.

[Pontius Navigator]

USAF F15 achieved a direct hit on the target he was aiming at albeit the bomb was 10 feet below target centre. The Quadrant operator just above was distinctly unimpressed.

A few years later, same Quadrant Hut, same Quad Op. This time it was a GR4 but his bomb landed 30 feet from the Quad. Joe Public only 200 yards away thought nothing of this.

[Gainesy]

X213aI'm thinking along the lines of "Green leader" in the Rhodesian airforce. Would that be allowed now?

Would what be allowed now?:confused:

[L J R]

There were more than ONE DH on a quadrant hut over the years in Shoalwater bay, Cordelia Rock and Evans Head by the almighty 'PIG'. Bummer of a time in the following days for the unlucky crews however (not me touch wood!). The long flight back in those instances lacked the normal banter following some 'Live' Action.


Samurez Reef however - No Range Hut and No Cameras......

[Pontius Navigator]

1964, Victor Mk 1, 40000 feet at night, dropped 1 x 1000lb HE(S) on China Rock.

"Heard but not seen"

Then flew to Song Song. Same attack, same result.

They had set their offsets the wrong way round TWICE. They were very lucky as a slightly different error could have seen the bomb on the Sultan's Palace!

[Al R]

I have posted about John, my ex father in law. We were chatting about what went on during bombing missions in his Lancaster and I asked him at what point the crew started relaxing. He said '.. as soon as the bloody bombs went - we knew then, that the pressure was off and that all we had to do was wind the engines up and go like mad for home'. I asked him if the words 'bombs away' were ever used and he said they weren't - there was no standard comms. Sometimes, the crew would hear 'Right, thats it - they're gone' or words to that effect, but everyone knew by the huge leap upwards what had happened anyway and usually by the aeroplane banking.

I asked him if there was any banter on the net and he said 'nope, absolutely none.. nothing at all' and I asked him how the captain kept the crew alert or made sure they weren't dozing. He said that if he was ever flying as mid upper would get told to check the flare chute and report back on it! His worse memory of the missions was gazing down on the grey/black/ choppy North Sea, usually as day broke over it. They would fly over it at about 500 feet and to this day, he hates it with a passion.

[Pontius Navigator]

In the V-force it was a simple call, in training, "Bomb Gone" SINGULAR. When we used West Freugh we were not allowed to say that. Instead it was "Store Away."

[x213a]

I suspect the original poster may have been looking for audio from live firings, like the excellent "Green Leader" tape and "Hobby & Vice" kind of stuff.

Just non-conforming to accepted voice procedures really. As fore Green leader and would that be acceptable now...I am referring to his comments although I think they were mostly on internal comms.

I sense that a few are just aching to revv up the outrage bus over my OP....Why
?

Thanks to all who have replied.:ok:

[HighTow]

I assume the OP was referring to this sort of thing?
YouTube - RAF Tornado GR1 Low Level Gulf war (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TTPlk70eSLY)
YouTube - RAF Tornado/TIALD Strike (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j-zRjrMqym0)
YouTube - Canadian Lancaster Crew Voice Recording (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8nV8gn-gaLw)
YouTube - WW2 Bomber Command: Lancaster bombing raid (unknown target) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z1f_JPGUgFc)

[x213a]

Thank you:ok:

[ECMO1]

Best I heard of was from one of the F-111 during the Lybian raid. Apparently as the crosshairs centered up and you could see the plane shake as the two bombs seperated, the next thing you heard on the tape was Knock, Knock, M***** Fuc***.

[BombsGone]

I always tried to stick to the script myself!

"Bombs gone" followed by "F@%k" from the navigator always got your attention.

Bombs.

[Wader2]

Or a certain Jaguar dropping 1000lb HE on an island in Scotland.

While the island bore a striking :) similarity to Garvey Island off the north coast the bird watchers on the west coast island did not deserve to be treated thus.

Now that R/T would have been interesting and no Nav to blame either.:}

[olddog]

Shackleton Mk 3 circa 1970 - Preflight Checks

"Pilot from Nav - Check Bomb Bay Jettison Switch"

Pilot (Sqn Cdr) "Roger - Jettison Switch ON"

12 8.5 pound practice bombs
12 Banded Flame Floats
1 ASR

Delivered to Dispersal at a Coastal Command Base!!!

[Shack37]

"Pilot from Nav - Check Bomb Bay Jettison Switch"

Pilot (Sqn Cdr) "Roger - Jettison Switch ON"

12 8.5 pound practice bombs
12 Banded Flame Floats
1 ASR

Delivered to Dispersal at a Coastal Command Base!!!



That would be the day the plumbers were seen running without their mugs?

[Data-Lynx]

Sqn Folklore suggests that a BOI in the early 70s recorded a Wessex pilot's statement at weapon release as: I saw the firing button was uncovered so I pressed it anyway.

This Wessex Mk5 from 84? Sqn was in the pattern for a Cyprus range with a pair of 14x 2inch rocket projectile (RP) pods. The BOI had been formed to investigate the 2x RPs (solid heads) which had been negligently discharged from the Wessex into/near to someone's garden, while the aircraft was downwind. No one was hurt. It transpired that the Master Armament Safety Switch and the RP pod switches has not been de-selected and that the red cover had not been slid back over the firing button on the top of the cyclic, on climbout from the previous 'in hot'.

Thankfully, the BOI did not get to record the HWI's little secret that, only 45 minutes before the incident, all aircraft has been re-armed with inert heads. The first sorties had fired HE RP but that range was not cleared for HE.

[Wader2]

Data-Lynx, I was the Station Duty Officer at Akrotiri when I believe this happened. I had been in the weapons office earlier in the day when the news first 'hit'. that night I received a phonpatch call about the incident. apart from the Weapons Officer that had taken the original call, I was the onlyother officer on the base, out of 450, that would have known what it was all about :)

[L J R]

Sqn Cdrs Golf Clubs once in the Bomb Bay of an F-111 on the arrival 'fam sortie' of Red Flag....you know where this is going..... Crew aware of 'incident' right after 'Pickle Time'. I don't actually think anything was recorded on the cockpit video - there was nothing to say...! . Clubs arrived a few days later having done the scenic tour of the Nellis Range....I recall a very dusty pile of bits.

[Grabbers]

Not the same as bombs but I had occasion to be at one end of a two-way range in Iraqistan 2006. My words were something along the lines of "S**t, s**t, f***ing s**t (repeat....)".

[Data-Lynx]

PN. The state of my loft precludes an instant find of flipcards but I believe the calls at sea for NDB release were "Beware Beware" at 1 mile to run and "Dustbin Dustbin" at release.

After release, I always wondered what the Wasp pilots might be thinking as their mother was steaming away from the drop point faster than they could probably catch up, with only minutes of endurance remaining.

[Pontius Navigator]

PN. The state of my loft precludes an instant find of flipcards but I believe the calls at sea for NDB release were "Beware Beware" at 1 mile to run and "Dustbin Dustbin" at release.

After release, I always wondered what the Wasp pilots might be thinking as their mother was steaming away from the drop point faster than they could probably catch up, with only minutes of endurance remaining.

I will forbear to correct you except that you rone mile call was of course relative to your speed.

The other call was also amplified with a position, perhaps to differentiate between friendly sunbursts and unfriendly ones. :)

[Fareastdriver]

Not iron bombs, but a similar vein.

A Japanese fishing crew were found clinging to wreckage and life rafts in the sea off Hokkaido. When they were picked up the explanation of what had happened was so outrageous that they were not believed and the shipwreck was regarded as an insurance job. Snippets of information came through the grapevine and eventually the story was explained.

An Aeroflot freighter was transferring some cattle, originally from the USA, from Japan to Eastern Russia. They were sedated and in crates which was the normal way of transporting them. Halfway up the climb one of the bulls woke up and took a dislike to its surroundings. It started to break up its crate and despite a brave vet giving it two more shots of tranquilliser it kept going until it was free.

It was now loose in the hold and a frantic loadmaster depressurised and opened the rear ramp. The bull, seeing the daylight at the end of the hold made a dash for freedom.

Seventeen thousand feet below was this Japanese fishing boat……………

[ArthurR]

This happened in Oman, reason, bought cheaper 500kg bombs for practice.remember the incident quite well, our jockeys couldn't belive he managed to get out alive, If I remember rightly his wife was on a visit at the same time. Burns due to Oxy mask detatching on ejection and the explosion.....

Omani Jaguar ejection on 26 Feb 1979, the pilot's surname was Lee, first name was Rick. I know this as he was flying Mirages at RAAF Williamtown in 1982, having transferred from the RAF to the RAAF. I was an RAAF officer at the time. He discussed his ejection with me at the time, & there was an illustrated popular magazine in the 2 OCU crewroom, featuring an illustrated article on his miraculous survival. A bomb exploded under his aircraft just after release, totally destroying the aircraft & detaching the forward fuselage from the rest of the airborne wreckage. He ejected from that.

coppied from ejection reports

[henry crun]

Fareastdriver: Perhaps you have not read what Snopes has to say about the incident you describe. ;)
snopes.com: Cow Sinks Trawler (http://www.snopes.com/critters/farce/cowtao.asp)

[John Eacott]

Pontius,

One mile call was at one mile for us angry palm trees: speed was fairly irrelevant. Ours was 200 feet, 100 knots :eek:

There was an 'at least' 2 minute call required from the Controlling Unit, "Stand-by Dustbin, 2 minutes, Surface Zero Position", then the calls as posted earlier by Data-Lynx. We were further taught to go max chat after drop, with doors and windows open to reduce overpressure. At 200 feet overwater with a bucket of sunshine sinking slowly through the depths behind us, and a bit of a surface effect to be expected soon :hmm:

Strangely, the Pilot was responsible for the one mile "Beware, Beware" call, but the observer made the "Dustbin, Dustbin" radio broadcast when Pressing to Release.

[foldingwings]

It was now loose in the hold and a frantic loadmaster depressurised and opened the rear ramp. The bull, seeing the daylight at the end of the hold made a dash for freedom.

Sounds like an extension of the Luftwaffe story in the 60s when, after receiving a donkey as a mascot after a squadron exchange in Turkey, the beast was released from the back doors of a Noratlas over the Med after it broke loose in flight!:rolleyes:

Foldie

[Fareastdriver]

what Snopes has to say about the incident you describe.

The time fits. IIRC I was told this story in China by a tanker captain who said he got it from a regional marine report.