51 Sqn Comet over the Baltic

[redsetter]

I’ve recently been able to inspect some plots of 51 Sqn Comet and Canberra operations in the Baltic during the first half of the 1960s (from an open and declassified source, in case anyone is wondering). The plots show Comet and Canberra tracks, and the Soviet fighter response. Some operations seem to have been flown unopposed, others show interceptions by Soviet fighters, most maintaining contact for a relatively short time. One exception to this pattern is the sortie by a Comet on 27 Feb 64 (believed to be Comet XK655, Cupfull 1). The Comet went up the Baltic east of Gotland and flew a racetrack off Estonia. The sortie was dogged for almost its entire length by Soviet fighters in close contact, the plot showing fighters joining and leaving the Comet as the operation progressed, apparently following it as far south as the southern tip of Oland on the way out. It looks like someone was trying to make a point. It must have been a memorable sortie. I know this is something of a long shot, but I wondered whether anyone on this forum flew on that sortie (or has recollections of similar persistent attention by Soviet fighters in the same period) and might like to recount their experiences.

[Tiger_mate]

A few years ago, I asked the 'system' if I could create an oil painting depicting Cold War Pembroke operations on the Berlin Corridor. Despite this activity being open (public) knowledge, the request was denied.

People still keep schtum about these things despite the relatively recent release of a hardback book about Cold War Elint. I enjoyed reading about a certain Canberra equiped with unusual radome that positively courted fighters collecting an awfull lot of data in the process.

[Pontius Navigator]

There was a long and interesting article in www.spyflights (easy to Google, I don't have the link here) with tracks in Caspian and Black seas. A Black sea flight was similarly described.

[Union Jack]

A few years ago, I asked the 'system' if I could create an oil paining depicting Cold War Pembroke operations on the Berlin Corridor


That must have hurt.....:sad:

Jack

[Distant Voice]

Many of the Comet and Camberra flights were intercepted by Soviet fighters in the 1960's, that was one of the mission objectives. The idea was to "intimidate" the Soviet defences into coming up to their "angry" war mode. Fighter AI could be heard to go from track to aquisition and finally lock on. Ground defences were tested by flying low under radar coverage and then "popping up" at the last minute in order to trigger the fire control radar.

I believe that the Korean flight 007 was involved in a similar game. On this occasion the aircraft was acting as the "ferret", whist the American elint aircraft collected vital information in safe airspace.

DV

[beardy]

I believe that the Korean flight 007 was involved in a similar game. On this occasion the aircraft was acting as the "ferret", whist the American elint aircraft collected vital information in safe airspace.

Apart from the conspiracy theories that abounded at the time and the misinformation from the Soviet Union, what makes you believe that?

[LowObservable]

I believe that even Seymour Hersh could not validate that story about KAL 007. Classic disinformation operation in the old style. (Today we have Russia Today and Al-Jazeera.)

[thunderbird7]

I thought KAL 007 just departed before aligning their IRS's and therefore didn't have a clue where they were. (A common problem...)