RAF tactical nuclear missions
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I'm with Widger - it also that some countries are seeking to acquire these capabilities, and knowledge of what we used to do could be of assistance - remember that Mr. S Hussein (late of Baghdad) built his first uranium enrichment plant on the (publicly available) blueprints for the Oak Ridge plant which was "too old to be relevant". Oops.
Sorry to be boring!
S41
Sorry to be boring!
S41
Thread Starter
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Morning everyone!
Thanks for the replies posted to my thread yesterday. I know that some of you asked for some more details about my background. I have worked as a military historian and defence analyst for over ten years. I've published four books (details on two of them can be found here: Amazon.com: Thomas Withington: Books, Biography, Blog, Audiobooks, Kindle) I've also been a contributor to the RAF Defence Recognition Journal, I've worked for DSTL in the past as a historian and published articles for several publications including the RAF Air Power Review. My interest in this subject is with a view to getting a journal article or perhaps a longer work written on this subject. Have a good day!
Thanks for the replies posted to my thread yesterday. I know that some of you asked for some more details about my background. I have worked as a military historian and defence analyst for over ten years. I've published four books (details on two of them can be found here: Amazon.com: Thomas Withington: Books, Biography, Blog, Audiobooks, Kindle) I've also been a contributor to the RAF Defence Recognition Journal, I've worked for DSTL in the past as a historian and published articles for several publications including the RAF Air Power Review. My interest in this subject is with a view to getting a journal article or perhaps a longer work written on this subject. Have a good day!
Why would anyone want to read about this? Furthermore, did we not all sign the Official Secrets Documents? Who knows what is still valid information and what should be in the public domain?
Best forgotten about in my opinion! Never did like being interviewed by the SIB!!
Best forgotten about in my opinion! Never did like being interviewed by the SIB!!
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Why would anyone want to read about this?
From the human interest point of view (rather than the 'Terrorism 101 - How to launch a nuclear strike' point of view) it's a period about which the general public still knows or understands very little. The most we were ever told was how you had all trounced SAC again at Red Flag or wherever. We could more or less work out why you were all practicing flying at zero feet, but it would still be interesting to read people's first hand accounts of, for example, what it was like to be on 'Q'.
There's a thread on here somewhere (I think it's on here anyway) where someone describes an excercise in which a convoy of 4 tonners was sent westwards to simulate families etc being evacuated from one of the RAFG airfields, and the panic it caused in the German population. Eventually we'll all be able to go to Kew or the IWM and read the official reports for ourselves but the small details like that get forgotten and need recording while you're all still here and compos mentis enough to write them down. I fully appreciate the difficulties caused by the sensitivity of some of the information you were working with though.
Last edited by StuartP; 9th Dec 2009 at 14:39.
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Furthermore, did we not all sign the Official Secrets Documents? Who knows what is still valid information and what should be in the public domain?
Another myth.
The fact that you may , or may not, have signed up to one or more of the Official Secrets Acts ( of which there are several) is irrelevant.
You are still liable to prosecution as a U.K citizen if you contravene.
Another myth.
The fact that you may , or may not, have signed up to one or more of the Official Secrets Acts ( of which there are several) is irrelevant.
You are still liable to prosecution as a U.K citizen if you contravene.
More bang for your buck
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Surely the whole point of a tactical mission is that it is in response to a specific battle situation and therefore not preplanned in the sense that it is written down in a manual somewhere.
Surely the whole point of a tactical mission is that it is in response to a specific battle situation and therefore not preplanned in the sense that it is written down in a manual somewhere.
YS
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Time to close this thread I think; nobody is stupid enough to want to discuss this in public - I hope!
Maybe in a hundred years time, it might just be appropriate but not now.
Maybe in a hundred years time, it might just be appropriate but not now.
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Time to close this thread I think; nobody is stupid enough to want to discuss this in public - I hope!
Maybe in a hundred years time, it might just be appropriate but not now.
Maybe in a hundred years time, it might just be appropriate but not now.
Was in for a fair bit of the "Cold War" but never heard of beadwindow, then again, I was in Coastal.........what cold war?
I don't own this space under my name. I should have leased it while I still could
Then you should also look up 'parallel history project'.
Also when talking procedures, search out the BBC R4 programme 'Finger on the button.' This is not Cold War history but also right up to date with a practice launch sequence in an SSBN; now that is something that very few people today even consider.
Yes, Him
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has just acquired an F111.
Speaking as someone with vivid memories of sitting in a classroom as a 13 year old, all bricking ourselves watching 'Threads' in an English lesson, I'd be interested.
I still have nightmares, trapped down the Hole at Boulmer with 200-odd WRAF (very odd, some of 'em) and only 20 rounds. The Horror.
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To my eternal shame I used to wargame a lot of WW3 type stuff back in the late 70's to mid 80's. Get yourself a copy of SPI's old Nato Division Commander.
Thing had manuals that would not have looked out of place in a War College, including discussion of weapon yield and target placement to maximise Ivan's tank losses. Thanks to my wargaming days I knew more about NATO deployments and Ivan attack routes than some of the Occifers on my Station Aircrew selection board.
As for the definition of Tactical Nuclear Strikes - didnt someone once ask how far West German towns were apart on average, 'About 5 kilotons' was the reply.
I did like the quote in SPI's Nato wargame. "To simulate the effects of Strategic Nuclear exchange pour lighter fluid over map and apply heat"
Thing had manuals that would not have looked out of place in a War College, including discussion of weapon yield and target placement to maximise Ivan's tank losses. Thanks to my wargaming days I knew more about NATO deployments and Ivan attack routes than some of the Occifers on my Station Aircrew selection board.
As for the definition of Tactical Nuclear Strikes - didnt someone once ask how far West German towns were apart on average, 'About 5 kilotons' was the reply.
I did like the quote in SPI's Nato wargame. "To simulate the effects of Strategic Nuclear exchange pour lighter fluid over map and apply heat"
Cunning Artificer
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Speak to some of the Servicemen who would have been left behind, ask about railway sleepers and their use in triage systems. That'll keep you awake nights.
In theory, NBC Teams, wearing their NBC suits, would assemble at the NBC Centre, next to the Astra cinema, to be issued with their equipment. Team A would then proceed to measure and map radiation levels in the surrounding area to find the "coolest" spots for the casualty clearing stations. Team B would categorise the casualties, directing the walking wounded to the nearest casualty clearing station and marking an 'X' on the foreheads of those too severely injured to stand. Team C would treat those who were too severely injured to proceed to the casualty station by administering a 9mm full metal jacket behind the right ear. Team D were to use wood and other flammable materials, gathered by those collected at the casualty clearing stations, to build funeral pyres for the category X casualties that failed to recover from their treatment. You'd be amazed at how much wood it takes to consume a body but of course corpses are themseves flammable material.
In practice, there would have been no afterwards...
I recall that during my own training for Team C the instructor was talking about the destruction of the City of Lincoln and our role in dealing with those citizens who had survived. One chap pointed out that the destruction of Lincoln would be collateral damage caused by the two or three Megaton Range devices dropped on Scampton and Waddington.
"Yes. So?" asked the Rock Ape.
"So, we'll all have been vapourised and thus unable to participate."
"There's bound to be some of you on the p*ss in Nottingham that'll survive"
"...and you think we'll come back here? Really?"