In its early years, the British V bomber force relied on the concept of aircraft dispersal to escape the effects of an enemy attack on their main bases. There were 22 such bases in 1962, in addition to the ten main bases a total of 32 bases available for the V bomber force.[1]
In times of heightened international tension the V bomber force, already loaded with their nuclear weapons, could be flown to the dispersal bases where they could be kept at a few minutes readiness to take-off. The bases were situated around the United Kingdom in such a way that a nuclear strike by an attacking state could not be guaranteed to knock out all of Britain's ability to retaliate. However, except during exercises, the dispersal bases, capable of taking two to four aircraft each, were never used. During the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962, Prime Minister Harold Macmillan declined to order the dispersal of the V-Force because he believed the Soviets would view this as provocative. The bombers were instead held at 15-minute readiness at their main bases.
The dispersal bases are mentioned in the opening titles of the 1965 Peter Watkins documentary The War Game.
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Transcription
Types
Dispersal types include:[2]
- Operational Readiness Platform (ORP): Usually a group of 4 aircraft pans attached to the runway where aircraft can taxi in and out without the use of a tug[3]
- Dispersal Airfield: Group of 4 aircraft pans where aircraft can taxi in and out without the use of a tug, usually with additional support buildings
- Home Station "H": Group of 4 aircraft pans in the shape of the letter "H" where aircraft cannot taxi in and out without the use of a tug
- Home Station Looped "H": Group of 4 aircraft pans in the shape of the letter "H" where aircraft can taxi in and out without the use of a tug, usually with additional support buildings
Main bases
| Base | Location | Co-ordinates | Dispersal type | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RAF Coningsby | Lincolnshire, England | 53°05′45″N 000°08′55″W / 53.09583°N 0.14861°W | ORP & Home Station "H" | [4] |
| RAF Cottesmore | Rutland, England | 52°44′36″N 000°38′09″W / 52.74333°N 0.63583°W | ORP & Home Station "H" & Home Station Looped "H" | [4] |
| RAF Finningley | South Yorkshire, England | 53°29′05″N 000°59′59″W / 53.48472°N 0.99972°W | ORP & Home Station "H" & Home Station Looped "H" | [4] |
| RAF Gaydon | Warwickshire, England | 52°11′11″N 001°28′59″W / 52.18639°N 1.48306°W | ORP & Home Station "H" | [4] |
| RAF Honington | Suffolk, England | 52°20′37″N 000°47′27″E / 52.34361°N 0.79083°E | ORP & Home Station Looped "H" | [4] |
| RAF Marham | Norfolk, England | 52°39′13″N 000°33′58″E / 52.65361°N 0.56611°E | ORP & Home Station Looped "H" | [4] |
| RAF Scampton | Lincolnshire, England | 53°18′56″N 000°32′17″W / 53.31556°N 0.53806°W | ORP & Home Station "H" & Home Station Looped "H" | [4] |
| RAF Waddington | Lincolnshire, England | 53°10′33″N 000°30′59″W / 53.17583°N 0.51639°W | ORP & Home Station "H" | [4] |
| RAF Wittering | Cambridgeshire, England | 52°36′55″N 000°27′32″W / 52.61528°N 0.45889°W | ORP & Home Station "H" | [4](HQ RAF Bomber Command) |
| RAF Wyton | Cambridgeshire, England | 52°21′28″N 000°05′31″W / 52.35778°N 0.09194°W | ORP & Home Station "H" & Home Station Looped "H" | [4] |
Dispersal bases
Scotland
| Base | Location | Co-ordinates | Dispersal type | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prestwick Airport | Ayrshire, Scotland | 55°30′41″N 004°35′10″W / 55.51139°N 4.58611°W | 2 bay ORP | [2][5] |
| RAF Machrihanish | Argyll and Bute, Scotland | 55°26′01″N 005°39′54″W / 55.43361°N 5.66500°W | 2 bay ORP | [2] |
| RAF Kinloss | Moray, Scotland | 57°38′39″N 003°34′09″W / 57.64417°N 3.56917°W | 4 bay ORP | [2] |
| RNAS Lossiemouth | Moray, Scotland | 57°42′53″N 003°19′27″W / 57.71472°N 3.32417°W | Dispersed Airfield & 2 bay ORP | [2](later transferred to the RAF) |
| RAF Leuchars | Fife, Scotland | 56°22′25″N 002°52′48″W / 56.37361°N 2.88000°W | 2 x 2 bay ORP | [2] |
Northern Ireland
| Base | Location | Co-ordinates | Dispersal type | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RAF Aldergrove | Country Antrim, Northern Ireland | 54°39′04″N 006°13′05″W / 54.65111°N 6.21806°W | Nil | [2] |
| RAF Ballykelly | County Londonderry, Northern Ireland | 55°03′50″N 007°00′19″W / 55.06389°N 7.00528°W | 4 bay ORP | [2] |
England
Wales
| Base | Location | Co-ordinates | Dispersal type | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RNAS Brawdy | Pembrokeshire, Wales | 51°53′21″N 005°07′05″W / 51.88917°N 5.11806°W | 2 bay ORP | [2](later transferred to RAF) |
| RAE Llanbedr | Gwynedd, Wales | 52°48′51″N 004°07′50″W / 52.81417°N 4.13056°W | 2 bay ORP | [2] |
| RAF Valley | Anglesey, Wales | 53°14′26″N 004°31′19″W / 53.24056°N 4.52194°W | 2 bay ORP | [2] |
See also
References
Citations
- ^ Force V: The history of Britain's airborne deterrent, by Andrew Brookes. Jane's Publishing Co Ltd; First Edition 1 Jan. 1982, ISBN 0710602383, p.104.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag Clarke 2008, p. 185.
- ^ Birtles 2012, p. 24.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Clarke 2008, p. 184.
- ^ "Prestwick International Airport; Monkton and Prestwick; AYRSHIRE; SCOTLAND". National Collection of Aerial Photography. Retrieved 16 December 2023.
Bibliography
- Birtles, P. (2012). UK Airfields of the Cold War. Midland Publishing. ISBN 978-1-85780-346-4.
- Clarke, B. (2008). The Archaeology of Airfields. Stroud, UK: Tempus Publishing. ISBN 978-0-7524-4401-7.
- Wynn, Humphrey - RAF Strategic Nuclear Deterrent Forces, their Origins, Roles and Deployment 1946-69 - HMSO London - 1994 - ISBN 0-11-772833-0 - p. 449
This page was last edited on 16 December 2023, at 22:36