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List of V Bomber dispersal bases

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In its early years, the British V bomber force relied on the concept of aircraft dispersal to escape the effects of an enemy attack on their main bases. There were 22 such bases in 1962, in addition to the ten main bases making a total of 32 bases available for the V bomber force.

In times of heightened international tension the V bomber force, already loaded with their nuclear weapons, could be flown to the dispersal bases where they could be kept at a few minutes readiness to take-off. The bases were situated around the United Kingdom in such a way that a nuclear strike by an attacking state could not be guaranteed to knock out all of Britain's ability to retaliate. However, except during exercises, the dispersal bases, capable of taking two to four aircraft each, were never used. During the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962, Prime Minister Harold Macmillan declined to order the dispersal of the V-Force because he believed the Soviets would view this as provocative. The bombers were instead held at 15-minute readiness at their main bases.

The dispersal bases are mentioned in the opening titles of the 1965 Peter Watkins documentary The War Game.

Types

Dispersal types include:

Operational Readiness Platform (ORP): Usually a group of 4 aircraft pans attached to the runway where aircraft can taxi in and out without the use of a tug
Dispersal Airfield: Group of 4 aircraft pans where aircraft can taxi in and out without the use of a tug, usually with additional support buildings
Home Station "H": Group of 4 aircraft pans in the shape of the letter "H" where aircraft cannot taxi in and out without the use of a tug
Home Station Looped "H": Group of 4 aircraft pans in the shape of the letter "H" where aircraft can taxi in and out without the use of a tug, usually with additional support buildings

Main bases

Base	Location	Dispersal type	Notes
RAF Coningsby	Lincolnshire, England	ORP & Home Station "H"
RAF Cottesmore	Rutland, England	ORP & Home Station "H" & Home Station Looped "H"
RAF Finningley	South Yorkshire, England	ORP & Home Station "H" & Home Station Looped "H"
RAF Gaydon	Warwickshire, England	ORP & Home Station "H"
RAF Honington	Suffolk, England	ORP & Home Station Looped "H"
RAF Marham	Norfolk, England	ORP & Home Station Looped "H"
RAF Scampton	Lincolnshire, England	ORP & Home Station "H" & Home Station Looped "H"
RAF Waddington	Lincolnshire, England	ORP & Home Station "H"
RAF Wittering	Cambridgeshire, England	ORP & Home Station "H"	(HQ RAF Bomber Command)
RAF Wyton	Cambridgeshire, England	ORP & Home Station "H" & Home Station Looped "H"

Dispersal bases

Scotland

Base	Location	Dispersal type	Notes
Prestwick Airport	Ayrshire, Scotland	2 bay ORP
RAF Machrihanish	Argyll and Bute, Scotland	2 bay ORP
RAF Kinloss	Moray, Scotland	4 bay ORP
RNAS Lossiemouth	Moray, Scotland	Dispersed Airfield & 2 bay ORP	(later transferred to the RAF)
RAF Leuchars	Fife, Scotland	2 x 2 bay ORP

Northern Ireland

Base	Location	Co-ordinates	Dispersal type	Notes
RAF Aldergrove	Country Antrim, Northern Ireland		Nil
RAF Ballykelly	County Londonderry, Northern Ireland		4 bay ORP

England

An Avro Vulcan B1A V bomber parked on one of the rapid dispersal points at Filton during a public air display in the 1960s

Base	Location	Dispersal type
RAE Bedford	Bedfordshire, England	Dispersed Airfield
A&AEE Boscombe Down	Wiltshire, England	Dispersed Airfield & ORP
RAF Bruntingthorpe	Leicestershire, England	Nil
RAF Burtonwood	Cheshire, England	4 bay ORP
RAF Carnaby	East Riding of Yorkshire, England	Nil
RAF Cranwell	Lincolnshire, England	2 x 2 bay ORP & Dispersed Airfield
RAF Coltishall	Norfolk, England	2 x 2 bay ORP
RAF Elvington	North Yorkshire, England	Nil
Filton Airport	Gloucestershire, England	Dispersed Airfield
RAF Kemble	Gloucestershire, England	Nil
RAF Leconfield	East Riding of Yorkshire, England	2 x 2 bay ORP & Dispersed Airfield
RAF Leeming	North Yorkshire, England	1 x 2 bay ORP & Dispersed Airfield
RAF Lyneham	Wiltshire, England	Dispersed Airfield
RAF Manston	Kent, England	Nil
RAF Middleton St George	County Durham, England	2 x 2 bay ORP & Dispersed Airfield
RRE Pershore	Worcestershire, England	2 x 2 bay ORP & Dispersed Airfield
RAF Shawbury	Shropshire, England	Dispersed Airfield
London Stansted Airport	Essex, England	Nil
RAF St Mawgan	Cornwall, England	Nil
RAF Tarrant Rushton	Dorset, England	Nil
RAF Wattisham	Suffolk, England	2 x 2 bay ORP
RNAS Yeovilton	Somerset, England	2 bay ORP

Wales

Base	Location	Dispersal type	Notes
RNAS Brawdy	Pembrokeshire, Wales	2 bay ORP	(later transferred to RAF)
RAE Llanbedr	Gwynedd, Wales	2 bay ORP
RAF Valley	Anglesey, Wales	2 bay ORP

References

Citations

Bibliography

Wynn, Humphrey - RAF Strategic Nuclear Deterrent Forces, their Origins, Roles and Deployment 1946-69 - HMSO London - 1994 - - p. 449

References

Force V: The history of Britain's airborne deterrent, by Andrew Brookes. Jane's Publishing Co Ltd; First Edition 1 Jan. 1982, {{ISBN. 0710602383, p.104.
"Prestwick International Airport; Monkton and Prestwick; AYRSHIRE; SCOTLAND". National Collection of Aerial Photography.

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