Vulcan 607 |
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Zed
Special Member Donating Member Joined: May 01 2012 Location: France Status: Offline Points: 5585 |
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Posted: January 21 2019 at 4:30am |
I recently finished reading this book, "Vulcan 607" It is the story of the longest non stop bombing run in history. Flying 8,000 miles round trip from Ascension Island to the Falkland islands; to bomb the runway at Port Stanley. This was 1982 and the British reply to the Agentinian invasion. The story is really quite remarkable; considering the Vulcan bomber was only 4 months from being withdrawn from service when it had it's only proper conflict. (Built in the 1950's it remains one of the most beautiful delta wing aircraft ever). The flight required 11 refuelling tanker's; it is an incredible story of courage and luck. If any of you would like to read the book; pm me and I'll send it. If more than one person replies, maybe we can pass it on one by one!
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MarkG
Senior Member Joined: November 30 2018 Location: Canada Status: Offline Points: 130 |
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Oddly enough, I was watching a BBC documentary about this on Youtube the other day. Didn't save the URL though.
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Shamu
Admin Group Logo Designer / Donating Member Joined: April 25 2007 Location: MD, USA. Status: Offline Points: 17603 |
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Excellent video here as well. The old Dalton NavComp is a classy bit of kit if you know how to use one.
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Don't shoot till you see the whites of their thighs. (Unofficial motto of the Royal Air Force)
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Honkytonk
Senior Member Joined: December 30 2017 Location: Brandon Mb Status: Offline Points: 4770 |
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I also just watched a show on the last flying Vulcan. Cost, parts, etc. we're astronomical to keep her flying. Showed footage of it at air shows. It apparently had a unique "growl" atafull throttle that wasn't supposed to be there. Something to do with the combustion air and the insides of the cowling. Pilot would come in low, hit full throttle then pass the crowd. Made my man part tingle!
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Shamu
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XH558, last of the many. Crank up the volume, it's worth it!
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Don't shoot till you see the whites of their thighs. (Unofficial motto of the Royal Air Force)
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MarkG
Senior Member Joined: November 30 2018 Location: Canada Status: Offline Points: 130 |
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The Vulcan was basically the UK's B-52. Except the British government decided to scrap it rather than keep upgrading it to keep it flying for a century. There are some amusing stories online about Vulcans tangling with fighters in exercises and the fighters suddenly finding they had a bomber stuck to their six because it was more maneuverable than they were at altitude; I seem to remember that some of them were even fitted with hardpoints for Sidewinders, though they weren't actually used.
BTW, I think the video embedded up above may be the one I was watching.
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hoadie
Moderator Group Joined: March 16 2006 Location: Niagara/Canada Status: Offline Points: 9003 |
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In Maggie's biography, I found some startling issues. The U.S. denied the use of Florida as a re-feuling point for the Vulcan, because they would be seen as a "beligerent nation".
Also, many P.M.s before her..& including her - were trying to find a way to dump the Falklands, because they were / are a huge drain on British finacial resources. But, with her popularity at home dropping like a stone, she was able to use the Falklands as her "life-belt" & whipped up the population into supporting her. That saved her politically. |
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Loose wimmen tightened here
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MarkG
Senior Member Joined: November 30 2018 Location: Canada Status: Offline Points: 130 |
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The US may have denied use of Florida to military aircraft, but they also provided fuel and missiles, so it's not like they were anti-British. If I remember correctly, Reagan even considered lending the Royal Navy an ageing US carrier if one of the British carriers was sunk. I doubt it would have worked, but it was a nice thought.
As far as I remember, the Falklands were one of the places the British Empire picked up pretty much by accident over the years, because they needed a refuelling stop for ships down that way. By the 80s it was of very little use to Britain, but politically impossible to just let the Argentinians invade and take it; had they not invaded, the British government would probably have agreed to a peaceful handover in a few years. More to the point, if the Argentinians had waited a few months, the Vulcans and some of the other forces used to retake the islands would have been mothballed. It was a bit of a balls-up all around. And pretty bizarre considering the previous collaboration between the British and Argentinian forces. I seem to remember that, when the Argentinian submarine was sunk, the commander of the ship that launched the helicopter that sunk it knew the commander of the submarine, because they'd been working together a little while before? Edit: back more on-topic for the forum, wasn't it also the last hurrah for the Lee-Enfield in British service, with the British forces using them as sniper rifles?
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Zed
Special Member Donating Member Joined: May 01 2012 Location: France Status: Offline Points: 5585 |
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The USA did provide help by allowing the RAF to fly from the Ascension island airbase. But publicly they tried to play the peace maker in the early stages.
The Vulcan raid changed the dynamic's of the conflict. Showing the Argentinians that we could reach them. |
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Honkytonk
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I believe the SAS used them early in Afghanistan.
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hoadie
Moderator Group Joined: March 16 2006 Location: Niagara/Canada Status: Offline Points: 9003 |
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Our late Tony Sugden(veteran of the campaign) told me the standard rifle for British forces in Falklands was the FN...but they had to break BREN GUNS out of storage..& they were used extensivley.
I watched this event unfold & followed it intently. (BTW: It was the first time in British Naval history that a task force actually sailed on time...& the contractors that were still on board outfitting the ships were told that they were now in the Royal Navy (although reluctantly). |
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Loose wimmen tightened here
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Shamu
Admin Group Logo Designer / Donating Member Joined: April 25 2007 Location: MD, USA. Status: Offline Points: 17603 |
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The politics were those of propping up a failed regime (on both sides). I had friends with my (borrowed) equipment down there just before this went off. They were wildlife photographers & my "Portable Studio" could be set up anywhere even in penguin rookeries. Just before the actual invasion the Argentine General in charge contacted them & advised them to leave immediately, being non-combatants. Beyond that he could of course say nothing & he probably shouldn't have said that much either. He flew them to B.A. so they could get a connecting flight back to the U.S. But a street mob there broke into their hotel room & destroyed everything they had (including my studio). The made a point of burning any ID papers & the U.S. Passports. It took them almost a year & a half to be smuggled back into the U.S. through their many contacts in South America. I met him a few years later in NYC. He was a dedicated military officer & a fine gentleman.
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Don't shoot till you see the whites of their thighs. (Unofficial motto of the Royal Air Force)
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Stanforth
Senior Member Joined: January 08 2017 Location: Oxford England Status: Offline Points: 773 |
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I remember a joke from that period.
Q 'What's the difference between an Argentinian conscript and a slice od toast?' A 'You can make soldiers out of toast'
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Life.. a sexually transmitted condition that is invariably fatal.
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Honkytonk
Senior Member Joined: December 30 2017 Location: Brandon Mb Status: Offline Points: 4770 |
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One I remember was the Argentinian Admiral had to use a glass bottom boat to review his navy.
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Zed
Special Member Donating Member Joined: May 01 2012 Location: France Status: Offline Points: 5585 |
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The job for the British soldiers was made more difficult by the loss of the merchant ship Atlantic Conveyer. At the time the full impact was not reported. It held 10 Wessex helicopters and 4 Chinook's plus much of the tent equipment. One of the Chinook's was flown off. The rest were all destroyed. Creating huge difficulties for the troop's when they landed.
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It's nice to be important, but it's more important to be nice!
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hoadie
Moderator Group Joined: March 16 2006 Location: Niagara/Canada Status: Offline Points: 9003 |
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Sir Gallahad's landing was another cockup. Capt was told NOT to unload there, but did. Made for a long trek across a barren windswept part of the island with heavy packs.
IIRC, thats where Tony's mate took a round into the mag of his FN |
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Loose wimmen tightened here
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