V-Force dispersal query
V Force dispersal
In the early years of the V-Force, it relied on the concept of dispersing aircraft to outlying aerodromes to escape the effects of an enemy attack on their main bases, and to allow the most rapid reaction to a scramble by ensuring that there would not be huge ‘queues’ of aircraft waiting for take off.
These dispersal airfields were upgraded to allow V-bomber operations (Tarrant Rushton, for example, had a taxy loop added to allow V-bombers to backtrack, rather than use the ancient and narrow taxyways), with an ORP (Operational Readiness Platform) built adjacent to the main runway to allow aircraft to taxy straight onto the runway from ‘scramble’ and then perform a minimum interval stream take off.
It has usually been said that there were 36 such V-bomber bases in the late 1950s (including the ten Class 1 airfields), reducing to 26 by 1962.
36 airfields, each with four V-bombers, would make some sense – equating to the 144 warheads (and 144 carriers) planned for Bomber Command pre-Skybolt.
But, the numbers don’t add up.
In his tome ‘RAF Nuclear Deterrent Forces’ Humphrey Wynn lists nine Class 1 V-Bomber airfields and 27 Dispersal airfields in 1962 – so far so good – but lists 22 of the dispersal fields as having provision for just two V-Bombers, and omits Marham (a Class 1 station), Kemble, Shawbury, Tarrant Rushton, and Aldergrove from the list altogether.
That would accommodate 100 V-bombers (56 + 44), so where would the other 44 go?
We have fragmentary details of who went where before 1966 (10 Squadron to Boscombe, 83 to Leeming, 148 to Tarrant Rushton), when the situation seems to have been that:
Cottesmore's freefall Vulcan B.Mk 2s used Honington and Leconfied as 'near dispersals', and Ballykelly*, Leconfield, Leeming, Leuchars, and Pershore as 'distant' dispersals (eg: 20 aircraft plus those at Cottesmore), while Scampton's Blue Steel Vulcan B.Mk 2s used Bedford* and Coningsby as 'near dispersals', and Boscombe, Kinloss*, and Lossie as 'distant' dispersals (16 aircraft plus those at Scampton). Waddintgton, meanwhile used Finningley and Marham as 'near dispersals' and Brawdy, Filton, Manston, Macrahanish, Valley and Wattisham as 'distant' dispersals (20 aircraft plus those at Waddington), while Wittering’s Blue Steel Victors used Coltishall, Gaydon and Wyton as ‘near’ dispersals and just St Mawgan* as a ‘distant’ (14 aircraft plus those at Wittering).
Can anyone add/correct anything?
Class 1
(all capable of accommodating four QRA Vulcans)
Coningsby
Cottesmore
Finningley
Gaydon
Honington
Marham (not according to Wynn!)
Scampton
Waddington
Wittering
Wyton
Dispersal
(two QRA V-Bombers each, except where asterisked, where there could be four QRA aircraft)
RAF Aldergrove (not according to Wynn!)
RAF Ballykelly*
RAE Bedford *
RAF Boscombe Down
RAF Brawdy
Bruntingthorpe (use as dispersal ended 1966)
RAF Burtonwood * (use as dispersal ended 1966)
RAF Coltishall
RAF Cranwell (use as dispersal ended 1966)
RAF Elvington (use as dispersal ended 1966)
Filton
RAF Kemble (not according to Wynn!)
RAF Kinloss*
RAF Leconfield
RAF Leeming
RAF Leuchars
RAE Llanbedr (use as dispersal ended 1966)
RAF Lossiemouth
RAF Lyneham
RAF Machrihanish
RAF Manston
RAF Middleton St. George (use as dispersal ended 1966)
Pershore
RAF St. Mawgan *
Prestwick (use as dispersal ended 1966)
RAF Shawbury (not according to Wynn!)
Stansted
Tarrant Rushton (not according to Wynn!)
RAF Valley
RAF Wattisham
RNAS Yeovilton