Tartare, PN will be able to comment much better on this, but I think dispersal of the V Force was seen politically as pretty much as a clear indicator that we were 'on our way'?
In the Cuban crisis, MacMillan deliberately did not order dispersal as he felt that it would be seen as such by the Soviets, and actually encourage them to strike first.
There is a reasonable amount of evidence to suggest that AVM Cross and other military commanders wanted to disperse the force (for obvious reasons) but MacMillan would not sanction this order.
I believe that The C in C Bomber Command could generate his aircraft and load them with live weapons on his own authority, but had to have political authority to disperse (unless the chain of command had been knocked out)?
Remember, in those days, there were two 'Nuclear deputies' authorised to order retaliation in times of national crisis if the PM was taken out by a Soviet attack (one with the PM, the other at a 'safe location' (probably Turnstile or its equivalent).
It was only if all lines of communication to the political leadership (PM and deputies) had been lost, then the C in C Bomber command would have been authorised to order retaliation on his own authority.
A bit like 'Wing Attack plan R' from Strangelove-without the dodgy 'human factors'.
PS Ian 16th, there were drawing board plans for a Vulcan B3, with extra crew (all with ejection seats) and longer fuselage/upgraded engines with reheat. It was to be an airborne alert skybolt carrier (up to 6 per aircraft)...one can only presume with Skybolt biting the dust, and the extreme cost of mounting airborne alert were reasons it never got off the drawing board?
Last edited by Treble one; 31st Oct 2016 at 14:49.