Nuclear Tests

[tornadoken]

WE177A
Initiated 1963 as plain WE177 10Kt. fission RAF tactical weapon, soon joined by RN for Bucc ASV, and Ikara/helos ASW as NDB. PN #39/53 has a 1963 Clearance Plan identifying 5 of 10 types, to which I add Ikara, Shackleton MR.3/Phase 3, TSR.2, P.1154(RAF), P.1154(RN). His source later adds Vulcan 1, Harrier, SHAR, Jaguar, Tornado, Lynx. Almost none of this happened; RAF did not deploy an over-land variant. PN #58 has 3 on Akrotiri: these can only have been briefly diverted from Honington maritime Buccs.

I choose here to use the terms WE.177A(N) and WE177A(NDB). Stoddart P.218 has them as “all having (NDB) option”, but they were deployed discretely…for maritime targets, and were delayed from 1963’s Plans by the invention of fusion WE177B to sustain MBF credibility from 1966. NATO’s new doctrine, 12/12/67 of “flexible response” cast doubt on the notion of scattering small (honest, Guv'nor) mushrooms hither and yon. I believe only 48 WE.177A were deployed. (N) is reported as 10Kt., (NDB) as 0.5 Kt. and 10Kt.

WE.177A(N): 10: Buccaneer S.2, 809NAS/LM/Honington/Ark, 14/6/70-15/12/78. 5 (vaults) on Ark, 2 each on some frigates and RFAs. 10 to RAF/12 Sqdn,maritime strike.
Honington 809NAS 1972 -13/12/78 (10)
12 Sqdn 1971 - 2/80 (10)
216 Sqdn 1/7/79 - 2/80 (10)
208 Sqdn /8/80 - 19/10/84 } (20)
reinforced by 237OCU 7/80 - 19/10/84 }
Lossiemouth 12 Sqdn 28/7/80 - 1/10/93 }
208 Sqdn 19/10/84 - 31/3/94 }(20)
237OCU 19/10/84 - 1/10/91 }
Tornado GR1B 12 Sqdn (13 U/E) 1/10/93- 31/3/98 (10)
617 Sqdn (12 U/E) 1/4/94 - 31/3/98 (10)


WE.177A(NDB): ASW: 28, 9/2/73-11/7/80, 18 -31/3/92:
* ASW helis on those at sea of: ASW CVS/FFG, LPDs, HSS RFA Engadine:
- Wasp HAS.1: 829NAS/PO: /73-28/4/88: 26xT.12I Leander, 8xT.21 Amazon, 19/7/74-1979;
- Lynx (HAS.2:’78-’88; HAS.3:1982-’92) 815 NAS/PO,1978-31/3/92;
- 829NAS/PO, 9/86 -3/92:17xT.12I, 8xT.21: 1978-31/3/92;
- Sea King (HAS.1, 2/73; HAS.2, 12/76; HAS.5, 12/80; HAS.6, 10/89):
- 810NAS/CU: 18/2/83-22/1/89 HSS Engadine; /Illustrious: 10/89-31/3/92;
- 814NAS/CU:/Hermes,’73-1/82, 3/83;/Bulwark,1/81;/Illustrious,9/83-2/88;/Invincible,5/89-3/92
- 820 NAS/CU/Blake, 3/73-1/79; /Invincible, 7/80-3/84; /Hermes, 3-9/82; /Ark: 1/11/85-31/3/92;
- 824 NAS/CU/Ark, 9/2/73-15/12/78; /Hermes, late-83-2/84; /Illustrious,9/88; HSS,’84-31/3/92
- 826NAS/CU: /Tiger: 3/73-4/78; /Bulwark: 23/2/79-2/81; /Hermes: 5/81-1/82, autumn,’83-2/84;
* Sea Harrier FRS.1: deepwater ASV: 10: CVL Hermes and CVS (5xvaults), 11/7/80-31/3/92:
- 8x800NAS/VL:CVS: Invincible, 11/7/80-31/3/92, Illustrious, 9/83-9/91, Ark, 1/11/85-31/3/92.
- 8x801NAS/VL: 800NAS also on Hermes: 6/81-4/82 and autumn,1983-2/84.

3 WE.177A(N)/(NDB) Depots: - Bull Point/Ernesettle, Plymouth: Devonport HP ships/CU helis;
- Coulport, for Rosyth Home Port ships and LM Buccaneer WE.177A(N) (RN and RAF);
- Frater, Gosport for Portsmouth Home Port ships, PO helis and VL Sea Harrier FRS.1.

In summary: one source has spares as 10% of first 100, 6% thereafter: so PN/Stoddart 53 WE177B matches 48 deployed.

I have here presented 48xA, 48xB, 96xC: 192 deployed (add spares). SIPRI 1993 Yearbook,P239 has 175.M.Mazarr/A.Lennon,Towards a Nuc.Peace,St.Martin’s P.,94: “>180 produced up to 1982”.

[95i]

16 Squadron Laarbruch

As a member of Royal Air Force Museum Laarbruch in Germany I’m doing research on the history of the squadrons.

No 16 Squadron with their Canberras BI8 were the first to get the U.S. nuclear weapons.
My information up to now says: in 1960.

Nuclear weapons 16 Squadron
1960
Delivery of the first nuclear weapons - RAF Laarbruch (16 Squadron) was equipped with tactical nuclear weapons as the first German base. The American weapons were delivered with an American Hercules.The first tactical nuclear bomb was the Mk 7 (‚Little E‘). The bomb came into RAF service in 1960 and lasted just 5 years. To guard the weapons there was a detachment of 60 US soldiers.

Station Commander Wheeler reported the arrival of the nuclear weapons wasn't without problems. The weapons came from a base in France and were transported in a 4-engine Hercules C-130. On taxiing to the nuclear weapons site the plane struck a tree with its wing. A fuel tank ruptured and a lot of fuel leaked out. The US-guards immediately surrounded the airplane. Wheeler had to threaten to use military force in order to allow the RAF fireservice to spray foam on the fuel.



QRA (Americans and nuclear weapons)

The American custodians of the nuclear weapons were “Detachment 7232nd munitions Maintenance Group” from Wiesbaden. “Det 3. 7149 TFW” from Spangdahlem took over the responsibility 1 July 1968.
There were 60 men in the detachment and the tour was 3 years. In QRA there was an American Alert Duty Officer (ADO), who would have released the weapon to the RAF when ordered, and an American guard.

Does anyone have a more exact date?

On the other hand there is this remark on the RAF Museum Cosford site;

Cold War Timeline 1958

It states ‘5 May 58 The English Electric Canberra squadrons of the RAF's 2nd Tactical Air Force in Germany acquired a nuclear capability’.

Does it mean that the squadrons actually had “the bomb”? Or does it only refer to the overall political intention rather than when the squadrons were equipped.

Looking forward to your answer.
Laarbruch Museum

[Pontius Navigator]

Originally Posted by 95i

It states ‘5 May 58 The English Electric Canberra squadrons of the RAF's 2nd Tactical Air Force in Germany acquired a nuclear capability’.

Does it mean that the squadrons actually had “the bomb”? Or does it only refer to the overall political intention rather than when the squadrons were equipped.

I don't know the answer but I suspect that 'acquired a nuclear capability' refers to the installation and proving of the nuclear weapons circuitry.

It might be worth writing to the RAF Armament Support Unit at RAF Wittering. It is a long shot but they were responsible for all training and they may have records in different forms. One, naturally, is the F540, which should be quite specific on when different training started and might also list the names of course members.

The other is more esoteric and depends on whether their squirrel tendency has been maintained. In 1974, pre-computers, they maintained a cardex with details of every person that had attended a course and details of which courses they had attended. These cards were unclassified and when I suggested filtering and removing those for people both retired and deceased they resisted in case they returned or there were later questions about an individual.

Courses were codified with details such as 11A1 referring to 11-aircrew, A-British, 1-weapons. This was for the Vulcan. I also acquired 11DF5 for the F4 and 11F4 for the Nimrod. It is possible that this codification was not introduced until the 60s.

[95i]

F540

We do have the Laarbruch F540s up to 1980, but they don't have any information about the deliveries of nuclear bomb. There is information about "training store" and "shapes" and about the LABS training and sorties.

[Once A Brat]

PN......good idea, apart from the RAFASUPU disbanded in 1999, its 'special' role and documentation transferred to the NW Convoy Group which later disbanded in 2002 when the role transferred to the RN (albeit carried out by MOD Police and AWE). The historic documentation was, I seem to remember, classified and lodged with the Air Historical Branch.

I know, as I was there!!

Really interresting thread that brings back fond memories of RAFASUPU, WST and NW Cvy Gp days

[Pontius Navigator]

OAB,

Thank you, although I worked with 5191 until 2 years ago I had overlooked the name change .

The cardex to which I refer may well have been consigned to the bonfire apart from its utility for security purposes as an audit trail.

[Wander00]

Just been reading through this tread with interest as, in a closed thread, I came across the name of a pilot who had apparently flown a sampling Canberra through a nuclear cloud and subsequently was pretty ill and depressed and later took his own life. His widow has been prominent in the campaign for compensation for victims of nuclear testing. My minor link is that he was a flt cdr on 360 in the late 60s. He was leading a detachment at St Mawgan when I came the nearest I ever came to chucking one of Aunty Betty's aeroplanes away due to blanket fog across whole of the UK, and I was still on a white IR card! Not surprisingly he and the event stick in my mind 45 years later.