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#1
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B-58's targets in a nuclear war
A 1968 letter from Defense Secretary Clifford to State Secretary Rusk
at http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ho/frus/jo...b/xii/2262.htm mentioned that the air bases in Spain were originally built for SAC operations and some B-58 bombers and accompanying tankers were earmarked for forward deployment there. How many refuels were needed for a fully-laden B-58 to bomb its target in the USSR and come back to Spain? On a side note, Vice Admiral Gerald E. Miller wrote in his book "Nuclear Weapons and Aircraft Carriers" that the Navy RA-5C Vigilantes - operating from carriers in the Bay of Biscay - were assigned to targets in Eastern Europe. |
#2
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B-58's targets in a nuclear war
Probably 2 refuelings since the B-58's were first kept in Texas and later in
Arkansas and Indiana. -- Darrell R. Schmidt B-58 Hustler Web Site URL (below) http://members.cox.net/dschmidt1/ "KDR" wrote in message ups.com... A 1968 letter from Defense Secretary Clifford to State Secretary Rusk at http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ho/frus/jo...b/xii/2262.htm mentioned that the air bases in Spain were originally built for SAC operations and some B-58 bombers and accompanying tankers were earmarked for forward deployment there. How many refuels were needed for a fully-laden B-58 to bomb its target in the USSR and come back to Spain? On a side note, Vice Admiral Gerald E. Miller wrote in his book "Nuclear Weapons and Aircraft Carriers" that the Navy RA-5C Vigilantes - operating from carriers in the Bay of Biscay - were assigned to targets in Eastern Europe. |
#3
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B-58's targets in a nuclear war
Darrell S wrote: Probably 2 refuelings since the B-58's were first kept in Texas and later in Arkansas and Indiana. -- Darrell R. Schmidt B-58 Hustler Web Site URL (below) http://members.cox.net/dschmidt1/ "KDR" wrote in message ups.com... A 1968 letter from Defense Secretary Clifford to State Secretary Rusk at http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ho/frus/jo...b/xii/2262.htm mentioned that the air bases in Spain were originally built for SAC operations and some B-58 bombers and accompanying tankers were earmarked for forward deployment there. How many refuels were needed for a fully-laden B-58 to bomb its target in the USSR and come back to Spain? On a side note, Vice Admiral Gerald E. Miller wrote in his book "Nuclear Weapons and Aircraft Carriers" that the Navy RA-5C Vigilantes - operating from carriers in the Bay of Biscay - were assigned to targets in Eastern Europe. Thanks for the reply but what I want to know is the number of required refuelings when the B-58s flew from bases in Spain to bomb targets in the USSR and come back to Spain. |
#4
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B-58's targets in a nuclear war
"KDR" wrote in message ups.com... Darrell S wrote: Probably 2 refuelings since the B-58's were first kept in Texas and later in Arkansas and Indiana. -- Darrell R. Schmidt B-58 Hustler Web Site URL (below) http://members.cox.net/dschmidt1/ "KDR" wrote in message ups.com... A 1968 letter from Defense Secretary Clifford to State Secretary Rusk at http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ho/frus/jo...b/xii/2262.htm mentioned that the air bases in Spain were originally built for SAC operations and some B-58 bombers and accompanying tankers were earmarked for forward deployment there. How many refuels were needed for a fully-laden B-58 to bomb its target in the USSR and come back to Spain? On a side note, Vice Admiral Gerald E. Miller wrote in his book "Nuclear Weapons and Aircraft Carriers" that the Navy RA-5C Vigilantes - operating from carriers in the Bay of Biscay - were assigned to targets in Eastern Europe. Thanks for the reply but what I want to know is the number of required refuelings when the B-58s flew from bases in Spain to bomb targets in the USSR and come back to Spain. You're making an assumption that might not be true. The sortie in question might not come back to that base. A Post-Strike Recovery Base might not be home but a place that might have some chance of still being in existence such as a bare bones strip somewhere. Tex Houston |
#5
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B-58's targets in a nuclear war
You're making an assumption that might not be true. The sortie in question might not come back to that base. A Post-Strike Recovery Base might not be home but a place that might have some chance of still being in existence such as a bare bones strip somewhere. Would the speed of the aircraft be a factor? Harder to turn around a mach 2 B-58 isn't it? In the early 70's I heard the assumption was that every runway that could support a B-52 in the US would be hit with a nuke. Tex Houston |
#6
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B-58's targets in a nuclear war
"leadfoot" wrote in message news You're making an assumption that might not be true. The sortie in question might not come back to that base. A Post-Strike Recovery Base might not be home but a place that might have some chance of still being in existence such as a bare bones strip somewhere. Would the speed of the aircraft be a factor? Harder to turn around a mach 2 B-58 isn't it? In the early 70's I heard the assumption was that every runway that could support a B-52 in the US would be hit with a nuke. Tex Houston Actually it was assumed that every runway that could support loaded and dispersed B-52's would be hit by a nuke. Most if not all would probably receive additional nukes at varying distances/altitudes from these runways in attempts to destroy any B-52' that had managed to take off. It is late at night and I can't sleep so here are a few thoughts I recall from discussions at the time. As an example this is how the war would have probably been fought in the 1980's. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Preliminary attacks would be made against military satellites by ground based laser and "Killer" satellites. (This may or may not have been perceived as leading to nuclear war). Most likely the Soviets would have launched a co-ordnated attack by all their forces starting with a preemptive strike of over 1,000 missiles carrying 5,000+ warheads. First strikes (1st wave) from SLBM (+5/15 min) off our coast, were assumed to target Command/Control with multiple upper atmosphere explosions (EMP) and any missile fields (Arkansas) or bomber runways within their range, and patterns around these runways to destroy any bombers already in the air. Sub launched cruise missiles (+15 min) would have been targeted at near coastal military facilities, and infrastructure, such as harbors, bridges, and transportation facilities. First strikes (2d wave) from land based ICBM's (+20min) were assumed to target all missile fields, and all runways to include hitting with ground burst to maximize the destruction and prevent farther use. Follow on strikes (3d wave) from the remaining ICBM's (+20/40min) were assumed to target and destroy any remaining military infrastructure, air/ground burst attacking cities and any other remaining targets. By this time it can be assumed that all of the Soviet and US, ICBM's and bombers have been launched. The US is now launching most of its remaining significant SLBM's, and the Soviets are launching the remaining ICBM's and any reloaded missiles they have. At +60min the strategic portion of the nuclear war is over. The use of tactical weapons at sea and wherever there are land battles will continue until the combatants either run out of tactical nukes or targets. It should be assumed that every country that had a deliverable nuke weapon used them against someone rather than loose them. |
#7
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B-58's targets in a nuclear war
Tex Houston wrote: "KDR" wrote in message ups.com... Darrell S wrote: Probably 2 refuelings since the B-58's were first kept in Texas and later in Arkansas and Indiana. -- Darrell R. Schmidt B-58 Hustler Web Site URL (below) http://members.cox.net/dschmidt1/ "KDR" wrote in message ups.com... A 1968 letter from Defense Secretary Clifford to State Secretary Rusk at http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ho/frus/jo...b/xii/2262.htm mentioned that the air bases in Spain were originally built for SAC operations and some B-58 bombers and accompanying tankers were earmarked for forward deployment there. How many refuels were needed for a fully-laden B-58 to bomb its target in the USSR and come back to Spain? On a side note, Vice Admiral Gerald E. Miller wrote in his book "Nuclear Weapons and Aircraft Carriers" that the Navy RA-5C Vigilantes - operating from carriers in the Bay of Biscay - were assigned to targets in Eastern Europe. Thanks for the reply but what I want to know is the number of required refuelings when the B-58s flew from bases in Spain to bomb targets in the USSR and come back to Spain. You're making an assumption that might not be true. The sortie in question might not come back to that base. A Post-Strike Recovery Base might not be home but a place that might have some chance of still being in existence such as a bare bones strip somewhere. Tex Houston All right, the source I quoted in my first post indicated that some B-52s would have landed somewhere in the Middle East after bombing Soviet targets. "7. The air bases in Spain were originally built for SAC operations, and SAC still has contingency plans for their use. These involve the prestrike forward deployment of some B-58 bombers and accompanying tankers, the post-strike recovery for a few B-52's [1 line of source text not declassified] in the Middle East." |
#8
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B-58's targets in a nuclear war
KDR wrote: Tex Houston wrote: "KDR" wrote in message ups.com... Darrell S wrote: Probably 2 refuelings since the B-58's were first kept in Texas and later in Arkansas and Indiana. -- Darrell R. Schmidt B-58 Hustler Web Site URL (below) http://members.cox.net/dschmidt1/ "KDR" wrote in message ups.com... A 1968 letter from Defense Secretary Clifford to State Secretary Rusk at http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ho/frus/jo...b/xii/2262.htm mentioned that the air bases in Spain were originally built for SAC operations and some B-58 bombers and accompanying tankers were earmarked for forward deployment there. How many refuels were needed for a fully-laden B-58 to bomb its target in the USSR and come back to Spain? On a side note, Vice Admiral Gerald E. Miller wrote in his book "Nuclear Weapons and Aircraft Carriers" that the Navy RA-5C Vigilantes - operating from carriers in the Bay of Biscay - were assigned to targets in Eastern Europe. Thanks for the reply but what I want to know is the number of required refuelings when the B-58s flew from bases in Spain to bomb targets in the USSR and come back to Spain. You're making an assumption that might not be true. The sortie in question might not come back to that base. A Post-Strike Recovery Base might not be home but a place that might have some chance of still being in existence such as a bare bones strip somewhere. Tex Houston All right, the source I quoted in my first post indicated that some B-52s would have landed somewhere in the Middle East after bombing Soviet targets. "7. The air bases in Spain were originally built for SAC operations, and SAC still has contingency plans for their use. These involve the prestrike forward deployment of some B-58 bombers and accompanying tankers, the post-strike recovery for a few B-52's [1 line of source text not declassified] in the Middle East." As I understand, the B-58 was a weapon for deterence, it was a 1 way strike mission....1 way. Ken |
#9
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B-58's targets in a nuclear war
KDR wrote: Darrell S wrote: Probably 2 refuelings since the B-58's were first kept in Texas and later in Arkansas and Indiana. -- Darrell R. Schmidt B-58 Hustler Web Site URL (below) http://members.cox.net/dschmidt1/ "KDR" wrote in message ups.com... A 1968 letter from Defense Secretary Clifford to State Secretary Rusk at http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ho/frus/jo...b/xii/2262.htm mentioned that the air bases in Spain were originally built for SAC operations and some B-58 bombers and accompanying tankers were earmarked for forward deployment there. How many refuels were needed for a fully-laden B-58 to bomb its target in the USSR and come back to Spain? On a side note, Vice Admiral Gerald E. Miller wrote in his book "Nuclear Weapons and Aircraft Carriers" that the Navy RA-5C Vigilantes - operating from carriers in the Bay of Biscay - were assigned to targets in Eastern Europe. Thanks for the reply but what I want to know is the number of required refuelings when the B-58s flew from bases in Spain to bomb targets in the USSR and come back to Spain. Issue was if the balloon was that far up, the Spanish base would be history. |
#10
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B-58's targets in a nuclear war
"KDR" wrote in message
ups.com... A 1968 letter from Defense Secretary Clifford to State Secretary Rusk at http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ho/frus/jo...b/xii/2262.htm mentioned that the air bases in Spain were originally built for SAC operations and some B-58 bombers and accompanying tankers were earmarked for forward deployment there. How many refuels were needed for a fully-laden B-58 to bomb its target in the USSR and come back to Spain? On a side note, Vice Admiral Gerald E. Miller wrote in his book "Nuclear Weapons and Aircraft Carriers" that the Navy RA-5C Vigilantes - operating from carriers in the Bay of Biscay - were assigned to targets in Eastern Europe. Darrell S wrote: Probably 2 refuelings since the B-58's were first kept in Texas and later in Arkansas and Indiana. Thanks for the reply but what I want to know is the number of required refuelings when the B-58s flew from bases in Spain to bomb targets in the USSR and come back to Spain. B-58s were not "based" in Spain. We occasionally flew B-58s there for weapon loading practice and to test the ability to deploy them there if the situation required it. I flew one from Madrid to Little Rock after another crew had flown it from Little Rock to Spain. There may have been some contingency plans but, as aircrews, we never studied them or considered them. When the ballistic missile threat from submarines off our coasts reduced the early warning time we began deploying some B-58s to other bases but they were in the U.S.. This was done to reduce the possiblility of them all being wiped out before any could launch. Potential war sorties out of the U.S. did not include returning to the U.S.. Post strike bases were on the periphery of the Soviet Union and China. But... IF... the B-58 were to launch from Spain, strike USSR, and return, it should not require any air refuelings except for very long sorties deep into Eastern USSR.. |
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