Beag's
Incorrect AAR Assumptions's
Not likely you would be using callsigns set out in the ATO and they would be squadron specific if trigraph and flight if mission. Now at the time UK AD would as you know lunch as W1E 62, 37, 45, 51 if scrambled and assume CAP colour if briefed. but would revert to W1E 61 for the tanker if sent.
ATO mission such as Buick 1-4 would be preplanned launch to CAP position. Also voices are give away, only 3-4 North American voices in UK F4's, F2/3's at that time.
Only time I've ever experienced incorrect tanker was being put behind a KC135 BDA in an E3D. If you know what your aircraft are either from having the ATO or being aware of the decode of the trigraph you know the correct tanker to send them too.
PN
As for speculation I was in the AOCRB office in AAFCE and I knew the reinforcements to the Central region there were F4C/D/E/G squadrons allocated to reinforce Europe either AIRNORTH BALTAP AAFCE AFSOUTH now where they were positioned in Germany, Norway, Italy, Spain or where ever doesn't matter, it matters as to which command they were placed under.
Reinforcements positioning during that time was more a case of where could a US based squadron be located. It took years to sort out basing with the various governments, for example some A7's were going to RAF Sculthorpe but were a 4ATAF asset. Other A7's and a RF4C sqn were going to RAF Coltishall after the Jags deployed and they were 2ATAF. At one point there was even a TASS of OA37's that were due to deploy from the US to the UK and they were also 4ATAF assets.
By the way all these deployments took place during the regular summer exercises of the Cold War hence my comment earlier about checking the old exercises.
By the time of the E3D we had access to the specific codes of the USAF, USN, GAF, RNoAF etc that were used to give weapon/fuel states.
Last edited by trap one; 6th Oct 2013 at 11:09.