A National Retaliatory War Plan
PN: KS' dismissal of Lamb's "no serious {solo-UK} plans" will derive from Baylis/Stoddart, Experience, Appendix 3, P.221: 5/10/62 RAFBC targeting memo: National Retaliatory War Plan as 15 cities, (which could have been addressed (wef 12/62) by 80xYellow Sun 2). UK role in integrated SIOP (inc. SMF Thor) is in P.221 as 98 targets, comprising 16 cities, 44 “offensive” sites (airfields), 10 ADCCs, 28 IRBM sites; all for next review 7/63. Hennessy,PM,P114 has that as “down to 16 cities (due to) improvements (in) air defences”. Skybolt would address all, from 1966. But, on 21/12/62: no.
Lamb, P.319 has ex-CAS MRAF Slessor, on Nassau: “It is a really appalling thought that a couple of Ministers and a zoologist {S.Zuckerman} can skip off to the Bahamas {and} commit us to a military monstrosity {SSBN/FBM} on the purely political issue of nuclear independence - which anyway is a myth.” What might the MRAF have meant?
A UK-solo target-set applied between 7/57 (Blue Danube CA Release Moore/Illusion,P.112) and 1/7/58 (target integration, RAFBC: USAF/SAC). None of Wynn's 653 pages of Official History, RAF Nuclear Deterrent Forces, addresses a NRWP: nearest is P.273, CoS Committee paper 28/5/57 Strategic Target Policy, 2 eventualities: co-ordinated w.USAF, and "Action on an emergency basis in a situation in which UK was forced into unilateral retaliation". That paper led by 5/58 to: “a fully integrated (target) plan wef 1/7/58 taking into account BC's ability to be on target several hours before (main SAC force ex-US; RAF/SAC) examination of separate BC and SAC plans had shown that every BC target was also on SAC's list and (both) had doubled-up strikes (to) ensure success”. (SAC then had 217 targets, ea. for 3 bombs; we had 24 BD by 3/58, so 12 targets). VCAS 20/1/56: SoS/Def “agreed 17/12/53 that one of (MBF's) primary tasks (would) be retardation operations (to assist Saceur)”.
1/10/58- 17/3/62 MBF carried more US Project E weapons than Made-in-Britain models (so launch was subject to USAF custodials-on-Base, so to US CinC). From 23/5/63 MBF was Tasked by Saceur...bar “where (supreme) national interests are at stake”. (Today: SEADS) was our job. Wynn,Pp.103/4/261/271.
As PN did train for a "National" Plan...are we at weasel words on "serious ...operational?" 16...ever decreasing.."cities"...Might the MRAF have meant: navigation exercises, fine (SAC B-47Es used The Gramophone Co., Hayes as a target); not to be confused with the real thing?
Last edited by tornadoken; 7th Nov 2016 at 17:08.