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By: - 24th October 2012 at 21:59 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
I would imagine that the planning went along the lines of twenty minutes after launching, the only thing left alive would have been a few cockroaches.
Not much point in worrying about firing a second load.
By: - 24th October 2012 at 22:01 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Quite. MAD was the doctrine then, so the next wave of weapons would have been flint axes and arrowheads.
Moggy
By: - 24th October 2012 at 22:04 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Excluding the regular rocket launch pads at Cape Canaveral, the US dedicated Thor pads were structurally basically the same as the UK ones.
It was found that the blast deflectors on the launch mounts had to be replaced after three launches, and some cabling and equipment would be damaged each time, but the simplest reason is that if the UK pads had actually had to be used there probably wouldn't be a pad left to reload after the incoming strike...
On average at any given time there would be 64 useable Thors in the UK; one on each pad, plus a spare held at each Wing HQ. Transporting a missile from Wing HQ to a dispersed site took a day, add another day or so to mate it to the launch mount, program the RV and mate it to the missile, do the post-installation checks etc. Not a speedy reload by any means. ;)
All the best,
PB
By: - 25th October 2012 at 05:49 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Stateside pads were experimental sites, flight test. Ditto Jupiter. All operational rounds were in (Thor, UK; Jupiter, Italy/Turkey). Range 1,500nm.
By: - 25th October 2012 at 17:59 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
thor
thankyou for the responses most interesting, thanks again
By: - 25th October 2012 at 20:47 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Does anyone know where they were located?
By: - 25th October 2012 at 20:56 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Funnily enough I was at the Metheringham airfield visitors centre last night for a cracking talk by an x-vulcan chap - there is a small display there regarding Thor's based nearby at Coleby Grange back in the day.
These may help:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_Emily#RAF_Strategic_Missile_.28SM.29_stations_and_squadrons
http://www.airfieldinformationexchange.org/community/showthread.php?270-Coleby-Grange
Cheers
By: - 25th October 2012 at 21:00 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Some useful information and links in this recent thread as well http://forum.keypublishing.co.uk/showthread.php?t=120015&highlight=Thor ;)
By: - 25th October 2012 at 21:23 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
On average at any given time there would be 64 useable Thors in the UK; one on each pad, plus a spare held at each Wing HQ. Transporting a missile from Wing HQ to a dispersed site took a day, add another day or so to mate it to the launch mount, program the RV and mate it to the missile, do the post-installation checks etc. Not a speedy reload by any means.
Great info....thanks for sharing!!
By: - 25th October 2012 at 22:09 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Stateside pads were experimental sites, flight test. Ditto Jupiter. All operational rounds were in (Thor, UK; Jupiter, Italy/Turkey). Range 1,500nm.
Plus the operational nuclear tipped ASAT Thors based on Johnston Island.
By: - 25th October 2012 at 22:29 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Thor and Bloodhound sites just up the road from me at Breighton.
http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/pgm-17-thor-missile-launch-site-breighton/view/?service=1
Posts: 255
By: repcobrab - 24th October 2012 at 21:40
i understand that the American Thor sites were reuseable whilst the UK ones could only be used once as the concrete wasnt sufficienly strong enough to withstand multi launches ,why would this have been so ie purley as a financial issue or as a we,d only get one shot policy