And before the Falklands……….

I thought the Black Buck mission was impressive, but I’ve just finished reading ” Pheonix Squadron “- and what a read!!!!

In 1972, H.M.S.Ark Royal was Diverted to the mid Atlantic & send a couple of Buccaneers over Belize with minimum reserves & no diversions in order to prevent the threat of an invasion. This was not only achieved in under 48 hours, but also without firing a shot!

To top this both aircraft had to recover by using only dead reckoning and a very narrow window to rendezvous with a ship whose position was not certain, such a mission has got to be legendary.

I’ll be honest,- I’ve never been one for Naval aviation or carrier operations, but after finding a copy in an A**A superstore for £3, I can vouch to being a convert.

After all that, do any of the aircraft which took part survive?