B-36 Deployments
On 4 September 1949 the United States received reports that a B-29 over the north Pacific Ocean had observed a large radiation cloud. Analysis showed that this cloud was from an atomic explosion on the Asian mainland sometime between 26 and 29 August. The Soviet Union had the atom bomb, far earlier than the United States expected it.
The atomic umbrella which the B-29s and B-50s brought to Western Europe consisted of just thirty atom bombs, probably stored in West Germany or England. In 1948, there were only 32 B-29s converted to carry nuclear weapons. With the Soviet Union having the atomic bomb, American strategy had to be changed drastically. These changes radically affected SAC, as its nuclear force in 1950 consisted of obsolescent B-29s and B-50s. These bombers had to be replaced and the massive B-36 Peacemaker was introduced to Western Europe.
The first B-36Ds deployed to England were those of the 7th Bombardment Group which were based at RAF Lakenheath during exercise OPERATION UK held in January 1951. These aircraft were in natural metal with the last three digits of the serial number on the forward fuselage sides and the 8th Air Force badge carried on the base of the fin.
B-36s made regular visits to England for exercises between 1951 and 1959. On one occasion, an RB-36H (51–5744) of the 72d Bombardment Wing was making a fly-by during RAF St Mawgan's Battle of Britain display (September 1952) when it developed engine trouble. The aircraft landed, giving the crowd an opportunity to closely inspect an SAC B-36. The aircraft was natural metal with a large Black triangle and S letter code on the fin. The last three digits of the serial were positioned on the forward fuselage sides, the fin tip was Black and the nose wheel doors were Black with a diagonal White stripe.
The 42nd Bombardment Wing visited RAF Upper Heyford and RAF Burtonwood between 15 and 23 September 1954 and later the entire wing deployed to RAF Upper Heyford (October/November 1955). Sixteen B-36s visited RAF Burtonwood in 1956, while RAF Brize Norton also played host to a number of these giants. The B-36s now carried White under surfaces with the legend U.S. Air Force in Black on the fuselage sides and sometimes the last three digits of the serial number. A Blue Strategic Air Command sash was carried on both sides of the nose with the SAC badge on the port side and the Bomb Wing badge on the starboard side (early aircraft did not always carry the Wing badge).
The Hungarian Revolution of 1956 reached its peak in October when an estimated hundred thousand Hungarians demonstrated in Heroes Square in Budapest. American Defense Secretary Wilson ordered Strategic Air Command to deploy sixteen Convair B-36H Peacemaker long-range bombers to England from the 42nd Bombardment Wing at Loring AFB, Maine. They landed on 21 October after a non-stop flight over the Atlantic to RAF Greenham Common. It was possibly the first time that such a large number of B-36s had been sent to an overseas USAF base. Also, it was perhaps also the first time since the Berlin Crisis of 1948 that the United States so openly threw its nuclear power into the political ring.
The American show of force did not restrain the Soviet Union because on 4 December 1956 the Red Army invaded Hungary to crush the uprising against the communist regime.
The B-36s remained in England until January when the crisis passed from the headlines. It was the only time the Peacemaker was used in a show of force. It is not known whether the B-36s were at nuclear alert during their stay and were ready to use nuclear weapons. With the withdrawal of the B-36s, the 310th Bombardment Wing from Smokey Hill AFB, Kansas deployed to Greenham Common with B-47 Stratojets as part of a routine Reflex deployment.
Read more about this topic: Strategic Air Command In The United Kingdom