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"Bombs gone"

Old 10th Oct 2009, 17:23
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"Bombs gone"

Anybody got any more adventurous recollections of what was said when they released ordnance? In exercise or for real? I'm thinking along the lines of "Green leader" in the Rhodesian airforce. Would that be allowed now?
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Old 10th Oct 2009, 18:12
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Bombs gone

Over Afghan. Commanche 44 I need a 20mm strafe on Grid .............. Friendlies are at ........... Call ready copy Cas brief.

Send it.
In from the east heading 275
Commanche 44 this is ........... Your cleared Hot.


Commanche 44 that was DH good work target destroyed

Well words to that effect.
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Old 10th Oct 2009, 18:14
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With 104 views and one reply, does that mean that everyone else is as confused as I am about what the first post means?

Or I'm probably just being a bit thick.

("confused of out west")
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Old 10th Oct 2009, 18:16
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Well, on those (admittedly rare) occasions when I realised (just after release) I'd screwed up my offsets, or done something else wrong I said a number of things ... but they're unprintable.

'Bomb gone' worked pretty well most of the time.
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Old 10th Oct 2009, 18:55
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Acebrave- Just to clarify - it was not a post to enable "bigupmanship" or even "waltyism".
I have recently listened to the "green leader" recordings and just wondered whether that would be allowed nowadays.
I have been a civvy for 4 years now, I was privvy to AWWC nets etc but never to whatever comms bombers use when "doing stuff".

Green leader:
YouTube - 'Green Leader' Raid on Rebel Camps in Zambia
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Old 10th Oct 2009, 19:36
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Ah thank you x213a hadn't heard of that before. Those were the days!
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Old 10th Oct 2009, 19:43
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There were a couple of good calls from the Buccs in GW1. One here they bombed a Cub as it was taxying. The other when they bombed a bridge with a truck driving straight in to the explosion.

There was also the one when a Valiant dropped a Blue Danube - all 10000lbs of it. The initial call was that it had not got. Some seconds later the bomb appeared followed by "J***** C****** its coming back."
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Old 10th Oct 2009, 19:44
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Wasn't there an incident on one of the Wash Weapons Ranges, a, many, few years ago, where "Bombs Gone" was called. Only the end result wasn't exactly as planned or predicted. I seem to recall the demolition of the outside toilets of a certain Public House as opposed to the demolition of multiple particles of Wash mud.

Age, memory and Red Wine may play a part in my recollection. I think a Vulcan was involved.

Any takers?
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Old 10th Oct 2009, 20:34
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Originally Posted by taxydual
Wasn't there an incident on one of the Wash Weapons Ranges, a, many, few years ago, where "Bombs Gone" was called. Only the end result wasn't exactly as planned or predicted. I seem to recall the demolition of the outside toilets of a certain Public House as opposed to the demolition of multiple particles of Wash mud.

Age, memory and Red Wine may play a part in my recollection. I think a Vulcan was involved.

Any takers?
Canberra, 12(B) Sqn, RAF Binbrook, Theddlethorpe and the Prussian Queen.

It is all documented, with photographs entitled 'flash in the pan', in 'The Saga of the Shinnies.'

"Three old ladies locked in a lavatory
nobody knew they were there.

"Three old ladies locked in a lavatory
12 sqn knew they were there."
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Old 10th Oct 2009, 20:46
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Wasn't there an incident on one of the Wash Weapons Ranges, a, many, few years ago, where "Bombs Gone" was called. Only the end result wasn't exactly as planned or predicted. I seem to recall the demolition of the outside toilets of a certain Public House as opposed to the demolition of multiple particles of Wash mud.
Also happened near Nordhorn Range in the 80s with a Jaguar on night bombing. The perpetrator lives in the same village as me now!
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Old 10th Oct 2009, 20:51
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Quite a few years ago - late 60's/very early 70s, I think.

As I heard it, the aircraft was a Canberra doing a 'toss' attack. I was told that he mis-identified the lead-in lights (saw two sets of street lights which made a 'T') pulled up early and released a 100lb pb.

The bomb apparently went through the roof of the pub's crapper and straight down the horn.

I was told that the landlord wasn't too upset ... he got his toilet re-built and trade improved dramatically (visiting aircrew.)

There were a couple of other 'notable incidents', AFAIR. In one, a 1000lb bomb ended up in a farmer's field on the Isle of Man. (It didn't go off and apparently the fusing wasn't selected.) The farmer called Jurby range and asked them to collect their property.

In the other, a Vulcan was dropping a stick of 1000 pounders. One (or more) 'hung up', but came off the bomb beam and fell onto the doors after they were closed. Nobody knew what state the bombs were in and if the crew had opened the doors in an attempt to jettison them, then the airflow might well have armed them fully. The aircraft returned and landed and the Nav Rad had to go into the bomb bay (through the inspection hatch at the front) and make them safe.
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Old 11th Oct 2009, 00:50
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...and then there was the Harrier attack on a caravan crossing the River Wye at Hay on Wye. A 28lb PB can significantly alter the appearance of a standard caravan.

The incident was thereafter referred to as the attack on the "Bridge over the River Wye"

I think the pilot's words on release were something along the lines of "Ohhhh F**k"
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Old 11th Oct 2009, 01:42
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3 2 1 Rifle
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Old 11th Oct 2009, 07:06
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"Stores, xx Seconds" is normally all my limited capacity will allow me!
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Old 11th Oct 2009, 07:37
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Bombs Gone.......

CXX Shacklebomber, Moray Firth radar buoy, mid 60's. Running in at 500 feet with our Canadian Exchange nav in the bomb aimers slot.
"Left left, steady, right, steady, back a bit, bombs gone F*** it - missed!"
We had to climb to 1,000 feet (yes, I know, it took a while) engage the autopilot and recover from all the laughter.

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Old 11th Oct 2009, 07:47
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In the other, a Vulcan was dropping a stick of 1000 pounders. One (or more) 'hung up', but came off the bomb beam and fell onto the doors after they were closed. Nobody knew what state the bombs were in and if the crew had opened the doors in an attempt to jettison them, then the airflow might well have armed them fully. The aircraft returned and landed and the Nav Rad had to go into the bomb bay (through the inspection hatch at the front) and make them safe.
I was the co-pilot in a similar incident, bombing on an island range operating from Darwin. Should have dropped 7 HE 1000 pounders separately. The first released normally but the second hung up. Round again and tried PESJ (pilot's emergency safe jettison where all bombs should release unarmed) - just one bomb released armed and exploded on/close to target. 4 similar attempts achieved exactly same result but the last bomb wouldn't release. We tried another 11 times and outbound on the 18th pattern there was a 'thump' as the remaining bomb fell onto the bomb doors. There were a few choice words about sex and religion throughout this procedure.
We were worried about opening the doors in case the bomb got trapped either side as they folded up and in, but it had to be done. A bit of gentle wing rocking centered the bomb on the curved doors (we hoped) and we pilots guessed the release point visually - we'd had a bit of practice by then so we got a very creditable score I remember. 'Thank f*** for that, let's go to the bar', we said and did.
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Old 11th Oct 2009, 10:01
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Up for a jolly on an 8 Sqn Shack in 78/79. First part of the flight was a SAR exercise dropping flares to do a simulated stores drop. Using a buoy off Montrose as the target, the first flare is released, and it's a DH. The pilot comes up on the comms "If that was a submarine that would have made his eyes water."
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Old 11th Oct 2009, 10:06
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Scientists!

Does an "Oh Golly" count. It was voiced by a scientist at a frequency that could have cracked glass, as he watched his plan go awry.

Spurred on by a wealth of 1944 aged war-shot Mk11 depth charges in the late 80s, the task was apparently simple. Drop a series of 'cans' throughout the release envelope while timing the drop, water entry and detonation. The aircrew really did not know why but we had observations about casings breaking up and limited confidence about fusing. This was resolved by selecting a senior crew and fusing for 'shallow'. Armed with two scientists, each with a very smart stopwatch, a goon suit and the loyal support of a ship's flight who became expert at reloading, this event proceeded until the boffins became agitated at not being able to sight definite water entry. It was only a small can slipping into an expanse of Lyme Bay. The reluctant agreement from this was: at 'bomb gone', the Lynx was to enter a rapid, right descending turn back towards the weapon and thus allowing the boffin to see water entry more clearly. The theory was that 125' (min height for release I think) should still have been above any snags with the weapon.

Yes, I know it is obvious now, but we pressed on. The manouevre worked rather well and gave the idiot pilot (me) something more interesting to do. The premature termination of the task came when the Lynx going down got far too close to the water plume (and whatever else) coming up from the Mk11 that had rather impressively exploded on the surface. Other things were said but the "Oh Golly" was foremost.

My memory says 'Bloody Scientists' but my pen signed the F700.

Last edited by Data-Lynx; 11th Oct 2009 at 10:51. Reason: spell-thingy
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Old 11th Oct 2009, 10:42
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Exercise MISTICO - Aberporth Range October 1974

Buccaneer In-Service Firings of TV MARTEL

TV Martel was delivered from a LL launch at a range of circa 10nm from the target. After launch the mx climbed to 2000ft and flew autonomously towards the designated position until the target hoved into view on the nav's TV screen. At that point and on selection of 'Terminal Phase' the mx entered a pre-programmed 8 degree dive that the navigator controlled by use of a joystick into the target.

On the very last launch of Mistico 74, F4s from Leuchars had been cleared as part of the trial to try and intercept the mx in flight by using their CW radar; their was 8/8ths cover at about 2500ft and the F4s were above it. All went well with the mx launch until the 12 Sqn nav (actually an Obs on RAF Exchange) selected Terminal Phase and the mx, rather than entering its 8 degree dive decided to climb vertically, through the cloud and towards oblivion. The mild expletive from the Bucc Obs was nothing compared to the reaction of the 2 F4 crews who saw their target pass between them at a range of about 200ft past the port wing of one of them - a quick return to LUK and a change of trousers was required. Unfortunately, their words are not available for print!

Foldie
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Old 11th Oct 2009, 10:45
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One of 37Sqn Shacks last jobs before departing Aden in 1967 was to get rid of a lot of 1000 pounders that had been gathering dust in the Khormaksar bomb dump for years. As G'crew we were not actually involved in the dumping process but there were reports of some bombs exploding on the way down, long before hitting the water. Anyone out there who took part care to report any comments made by 37 crewmembers who did this?
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