exmpa‘s reply gives a good (and nicely personal) account of the V force state of affairs in the 60s and makes interesting reading. And you have to believe that it would have worked – but only once.
Of course, the V force wasn’t the only nuke equipped RAF asset on the SACEUR inventory. By the time the V’s went in, the four, Germany based, Canberra Strike Sqns would have delivered their tactical instant sunshine to key points around the battle zone (most of Eastern Europe in fact). Certain of our QRA Canberras had targets that were intended to create the ‘entry points’ (mentioned by exmpa) for the UK based V’s – the so-called ‘gateways’. The idea was, I found out years later, that known and expected military concentrations, eg, missile batteries, radar sites, etc were to be nullifed – not countered, but nullified and quickly, within the first two hours of activities. This was to be carried out by the Canberras and their tac nukes clearing as wide a corridor as possible to facilitate V penetration.
The whole strategy, at least as we understood it on the Strike Sqns, was termed the Nuclear Tripwire. Looking back on it now it must have been obvious that the enemy at that time had massive superiority in numbers (not quality) so an attrition strategy was not feasible. If the Rifle Regiments had rolled onto the eastern plains of Germany an immediate, positve and hard nuclear response was the answer. Escalation was built-in from the ‘off’ so to speak. Although the Canberras were also tasked with secondary targets these were only expected to be addressed if the primary couldn’t be nullified. You didn’t do the primary and then go on to your secondary. In fact, most of the Canberra crews knew they wouldn’t get far away from their primaries, but all of them expected to, anything else was unthinkable. The ‘gateway’ blokes would try to recover to Norway, Sweeden, Denmark, the other nuke Canberras – directly targeted on enemy installations to the east – would recover to Switzerland, France, Italy, etc because, the German bases were not expected to be there any more.
ECM? Not having. Plan was to go in low, hot and fast. Strike Sqn Canberra crews spent all their flying time in Germany practicing low-level transits, getting to know the country from 250 feet. In the event, hot transit would be 150 to 250 ft AGL and around 350 IAS. All flown to pre-selected way-points.
The above can’t, and must not be considered definitive. As exmpa says, nobody was ever actually told the overall plan, just go there, do this. What I’ve given above is as a result of being there on a Strike Sqn and bits of info gathered in discussion with other blokes over the years since those far off MAD* days.
Then, in 69 the powers gave the UK nuclear deterrant to the navy. The skies of Germany became devoid of Strike Canberras, the Phantoms, Bucaneers and Harriers arrived – and it all changed.
As exmpa alludes in his posts, it wasn’t a pleasant time and not really ‘visible’ to the general public so those days don’t get the plaudits they deserve. But it’s what we were there for.
*Apt word, but stands for Mutually Assured Destruction in this context.
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