B-47 Deployments
Stationing SAC bombers at British air bases, from where the Soviet Union was within range, offered a certain amount of support to America's strategic plans. The Pentagon's strategy was based on massive retaliation against Russia if the Soviet Union started a war. This plan, code-named `Trojan', meant Strategic Air Command going into full scale action.
Trojan's `backbone' was formed by the Boeing B-47A Stratojets that had been in service with SAC since the end of 1951. The Stratojet could reach a speed of more than 1,000 km/h, which at the time was faster than most interceptor fighters, and fly for 7,000 kilometers without refuelling – more than enough to be able to strike at large tracts of the Soviet Union from bases in England.
To support the Trojan strategy the 7th Air Division was established in May 1951 at South Ruislip AS (near London) and later Relocated to High Wycombe Abby (Later Renamed: U.S. Air Base High Wycombe; High Wycombe Air Station; RAF High Wycombe). The 7th used several RAF stations in England. Reconstruction of four former RAF bases was begun. Work to make these airfields – Fairford, Brize Norton, Upper Heyford and Greenham Common – suitable for use by B-47s included lengthening the take-off and landing strips and building concrete bunkers for the nuclear weapons.
In 1953 the 7th Air Division began a system of B-47 deployments to English bases. These temporary duty postings (TDY) generally involved an entire Wing of 45 B-47s, together with around twenty Boeing KC-97 Stratofreighters (flying tankers), being held at readiness at an English base for ninety days. At the end of the TDY period they were relieved by another Wing that was, generally, stationed at a different airfield.
The first B-47s to visit the United Kingdom arrived on 7 April 1953, when the two aircraft of the 306th Bombardment Wing landed at RAF Fairford, Gloucestershire, after flying non-stop from Limestone AFB, Maine. After a short visit, they returned to MacDill AFB, Florida.
The 306th Bomb Wing, based at MacDill AFB, Florida, was the first SAC unit to equip with the B-47B and was the first unit to deploy to the United Kingdom for a ninety day tour of duty. The 306th Bomb Wing arrived at Fairford Air Base on Thursday 4 June 1953 accompanied by fourteen aircraft. A further fifteen B-47s followed over the next two days, bringing the Wing up to its full strength of forty-five aircraft. The 306th BW comprised three squadrons, the 367th, 368th and 369th. Squadron markings consisted of a tail band in the appropriate color and a small squadron badge on the fuselage just below the cockpit. The B-47s remained in USAFE until August/September 1953.
The 305th Bombardment Wing (Medium) was the next Stratojet unit to deploy. The wing arrived at Fairford in September 1953 and returned to the U.S. on 3 December 1953. The wing had been accompanied during its deployment by KC-97 tankers, which were also based in England during the bomber's ninety day tour of duty and carried out air-to-air refueling of the B-47s both on the trip to England and on their return to the States. The refueling squadrons were normally assigned to the particular bomb wing for the entire period of their deployment. The tankers were usually overall natural metal with a band on the fin in the squadron color and Arctic Red outer wing panels and tail sections. The 22nd Bombardment Wing followed and was based at RAF Upper Heyford from December 1953 until March 1954.
The B-47s were usually overall natural metal. Later, they were painted with a White anti-nuclear flash paint scheme. The White area included the undersides of the wings, tails, engine nacelles and fuselage, with the White area running halfway up the fuselage side. Wing/squadron assignment was usually indicated by a colored stripe (sometimes two) applied horizontally or diagonally across the top of the fin. A small U.S. Air Force legend was applied to the upper forward fuselage sides between the cockpit and the White demarcation line. The SAC sash was carried on each side of the nose with the wing insignia on the starboard side and the SAC badge on the port side. The auxiliary fuel tanks were usually natural metal.
The 97th Bombardment Wing deployed with their B-47Es to RAF Upper Heyford from May to July 1956 together with the KC-97s of the 97th Refueling Squadron. The B-47Es had a slightly revised anti-nuclear paint scheme, with the White area being reduced.
Other Bomb Wings that rotated through English bases included the 98th Bombardment Wing at RAF Lakenheath (November 1955 – January 1956) and the 310th Bombardment Wing at RAF Greenham Common (October 1956 – January 1957).
After several years of constant deployments, the B-47s began to suffer noticeably from the intensive use. Also, the deployments became a heavy burden for the Military Air Transport Service (MATS) which had to transport thousands of personnel and tons of material to and from the United States in just a few days to support these rotations.
In 1958 it was decided the TDY postings would be replaced by a new system of overseas deployments called Reflex. The ninety-day deployments were replaced by twenty-one day deployments of aircraft and crews instead of entire bomber wings. In this way a permanent SAC presence would be established at bases with aircraft being deployed for three weeks from several SAC bases, being kept on full alert status ready for instant takeoff. The Stratojets were based at RAF Brize Norton 3920th Strategic Wing, RAF Fairford 3919th Combat Support Group, RAF Greenham Common 3909th Combat Support Group, RAF Mildenhall 3910th Combat Support Group, and RAF Upper Heyford 3918th Strategic Wing. In 1960 SAC withdrew from RAF Lakenheath and released the base to USAFE for the 48th Tactical Fighter Wing relocating from France.
SAC units using these bases included the 98th, 307th and 310th Bomb Wings (Greenham Common) and the 2nd, 308th and 384th Bomb Wings (RAF Fairford). The 100th, 301st and 98th also used RAF Bruntingthorpe, RAF Chelveston and RAF Upper Heyford for short periods.
Other units known to have operated in England were the 301st and 380th Wings with EB-47s at RAF Brize Norton, the 340th Wing at RAF Fairford with B-47Es, and the 96th and 307th Wings at RAF Upper Heyford. This method of bomber deployment lasted until 1965.
Besides B-47E bombers, English bases also played host to the RB-47Es, EB-47s and RB-47Hs of the 55th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing. The RB-47s based at RAF Brize Norton, and relocated to RAF Upper Heyford mid 1965. After the Inactivation of the B-47 and KC-97 units, the SAC mission was performed by Detachment 1, 98th Strategic Wing at RAF Upper Heyford, (The 98th Strategic Wing, operated the Spanish Tanker Task Force, with KC-135's, from Torrejon AB, Spain). These units performed some of the most sensitive reconnaissance missions of the Cold War. During its service, at least two of these planes were lost flying missions over the Soviet Union. One incident occurred during a photographic mission over the Soviet Union. The plane was intercepted and fired upon by Soviet MiGs and sustained wing damage. Fortunately, it was able to outrun them at altitude and return to England. The second aircraft was shot down in the near but outside Soviet airspace in July 1960. The RB-47's were eventually retired from SAC in December 1965m and replaced with the RC-135's operation from RAF Upper Heyford until April 1970 when the Detachment relocated to RAF Mildenhall, these mission later supported by the Lockheed U-2's, TR-1's, and SR-71's.
The progressive phase-out of the B-47 and KC-97 from the USAF inventory in the mid 1960s brought the end of SAC's Reflex operations and to the 7th Air Division in Europe. The advent of reliable multiple warhead Intercontinental ballistic missiles based in the United States and intercontinental B-52 bombers with inflight refueling capability made many of SAC's UK bases redundant. By 1966 SAC had transferred some of its UK bases to USAFE and reduced its operations to a reconnaissance and aerial refueling Detachment at RAF Upper Heyford. Some of these bases, (Upper Heyford) were used to accommodate the 66th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing in 1965, (RAF Mildenall) a the 513th Troop Carrier Wing in 1966, being relocated from France, while others were returned to RAF control or put into standby status (Chevelston, Fairford, Greenham Common).
Read more about this topic: Strategic Air Command In The United Kingdom