Page 70 - Aviation News (February 2020)

by NATO. It was designed to test the latest
concepts in dispersal, tactical air control
and execution of alert plans in the event
of an atomic war. For the purposes of this
exercise the US 12th Air Force and the 4th
Allied Tactical Air Force (ATAF) of NATO were
pitted against the forces of the 2nd ATAF.
The action commenced on June 20
and Peter Desmond took part: “We were
detached to Brustem in Belgium for two
weeks under canvas for the exercise.
We flew mostly at night, and Jack and
Above: After serving with 264 Sqn (pictured), NF.11, WD649, went on to 226 OCU and 46 Sqn; I were selected to fly low-level night
then to the Royal Navy as a TT.20, eventually passing to the Armée de l’Air in December 1974. intruder sorties in the neighbourhood of
Robbie Robinson
the USAF bases, Landstuhl, Sembach and
Below: Patrolling over the Canal Zone is NF.13 WM321 of 219 Sqn. This aircraft was written off in Spangdahlem. We had a ball and I recorded
April 1954 after an inflight fire. Peter Green via Roger Lindsay that we claimed three [North American]
F-86D and three [Douglas] B-26 kills in four
sorties. We must have scared them silly. In
a war it must have been totally unnerving
for returning aircraft to have to deal with
that particular hazard [of night-fighters over
home base]. We knew we were effective
because the following month we were sent
on squadron exchange with the USAF 526th
FS [flying F-86Ds] from Landstuhl, where
we were looked after exceedingly well
by the USAF project officer, Lt Col Robin
be changed. Gunnery scores were generally Ardennes. Peter Desmond recalls the role of Olds, a World War Two fighter ace, and
very low, particularly compared with the day- the navigator in these operations: “Once we later a Vietnam War ace as the leader of the
fighter chaps on the Meteor 8.” had found the range, which was not easy, the famous Ubon Phantom Wing. As a former
All Meteor squadrons took part in regular navigator had little to do. A combination of All-American and West Point star himself,
short detachments to the Armament 30° dive angle and 400ft pull-out was quite he was able to explain the finer points of the
Practice Camp at RAF Acklington which frightening, Unfortunately Jack was good at first US football match I ever saw.”
was on the Northumberland coast near this event, so we used to do more than other Air defence exercises took place regularly
Morpeth. The air-to-air gunnery was crews in order to raise the squadron average.” and all the squadrons could expect to take
carried out over Druridge Bay in the North In the Middle East, at Kabrit, both 39 and part in several each year. Exercise Dividend
Sea, which had radar-controlled ranges 219 Sqns flew gunnery practice sorties on took place in the UK in July 1954 and was
facilitating gunnery at higher altitudes and ranges in the Canal Zone and in Cyprus. Air- a major drill, with the UK being ‘attacked’
above cloud. In addition to firing on the flag, to-ground missions took the Meteors to the by a large number of aircraft from the RAF
Acklington also provided small gliders which range at RAF Shallufa, Egypt and there were and NATO allies. It was spread over three
were towed in a similar fashion and served regular extended detachments to Morphou days, and approximately 6,000 sorties were
the same purpose. Bay near Nicosia in Cyprus for air-to-air flown by an assortment of ‘enemy’ aircraft,
gunnery practice. operating at heights from 12,000 to 40,000ft.
AIR-TO-GROUND Regular ‘attackers’ included the North
In addition to the air-to-air intercept EXERCISES American B-45 Tornado, Avro Lincoln, Boeing
mission, the NF.11 squadrons were also In addition to standing night alert, the B-47 Stratojet, Boeing KC-47 Stratocruiser
tasked with a secondary role of ground Meteor night-fighter squadrons regularly and the English Electric Canberra. The latter
attack. The latter also took them to the took part in war games designed to test the would prove to be the most elusive of the
ranges for air-to-ground gunnery practice. air defences of various NATO countries. One ‘targets’ for the Meteor night-fighters.
In common with other West German- of these occurred in June 1955. Exercise Pete Hills said: “The Canberra was
based units, 87 Sqn regularly flew its air-to- Carte Blanche, flown mostly over West difficult to intercept because of the high
ground sorties at the Monschau range in the Germany, was one of the largest ever staged altitude it flew at, which was around

Receiving Meteor NF.11s in March 1953, Leuchars-based 151 Sqn converted to the de Havilland Venom NF.3 in 1957. Key Collection

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