Operation Black Buck 1982

Viac o knihe

The RAF's opening shots of the Falklands War were among the most remarkable airstrikes in history. The idea was simple: send a venerable Vulcan to bomb the runway at Port Stanley to deny Argentinian fast jets its use. But the nearest British-owned airfield was Ascension Island - 3,900 miles away from the Falklands. Researcher and historian Andrew D. Bird has uncovered new detail of what really made these extraordinary raids possible, including previously unpublished information about the discreet support provided by the United States. Packed with spectacular original artwork and rare photos from private collections, this book explains how these hugely complex, yet completely improvised raids were launched. This is the story of how the last of the Vulcans, only a few months away from the scrapyard, had to be hastily re-equipped to carry conventional bombs, with bombsights, electronics and navigation systems 'borrowed' from other aircraft. Yet they managed to fly what were the longest-range air raids in history, and struck a severe blow to the occupying forces. Includes: Battlescenes, Bird's-Eye Views, Maps and Diagrams, Expert Analysis