Posted: 3/25/2017 10:23:47 AM EDT
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Was watching a 30min documentary on youtube on the testing/fielding of the Pershing IRBM back in the early 60s.
Interesting in how for the test flights they actually had to fly the missiles over populated areas, so they had to either evacuate people out of the safety zone or at least brief people on the fact that a ballistic missile was flying overhead. Guys who were in during the Cold War, how effective of a deterrent were these? I've heard that the Ruskies were scared shitless of these and the GLCMs pic of a Pershing 
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Was watching a 30min documentary on youtube on the testing/fielding of the Pershing IRBM back in the early 60s. Interesting in how for the test flights they actually had to fly the missiles over populated areas, so they had to either evacuate people out of the safety zone or at least brief people on the fact that a ballistic missile was flying overhead. Guys who were in during the Cold War, how effective of a deterrent were these? I've heard that the Ruskies were scared shitless of these and the GLCMs pic of a Pershing https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e4/Pershing_1_launch_%28Feb_16%2C_1966%29.png The Reds put a lot of time and money into funding The "Useful Fools Club" back when we were putting Pershing ll's in Europe. They were concerned about them because they were very accurate, could hit a target quickly, and had a dial a yield capability which means they very well would of/could of been used. Indeed they were designed as a last ditch defense when our forces got over run to keep the commies away from the channel and thats why we put a smaller dial a yield war head on them. We could use them against enemy formations IN Germany and not blow Germany to hell along with the Reds. So their practicality spokes volumes as to whether we'd use them or not and with Reagan in office we would have. But it was the cruise missiles that scared the shit our of the commies. This was a highly effective and accurate first strike weapon they had no defense against and wouldnt even know was fired until they saw the mushroom clouds. Together they were a 1 - 2 punch that changed the face of The Cold War. I never saw one of these, at the time I was assigned convoy escort for the old stuff being brought back for dissembly, but I can tell you this. Going from cold start the preparing and arming of Jabos to drop gravity bombs isnt a fast or easy task. You have to move the aircraft to hot pads, convoy the weapons from highly secure area's, fuel them, arm them, get the pilots out and brief them.....ect Its not a fast process, most of all with missiles already heading your way. Depending on the state of readiness it could take a long time. What the Pershing-ll did was give us the ability to respond in minutes. Not only was it quick but it was harder for the Reds to detect deployment then an entire air base going up for grabs. The Pershing-ll was simply a response to a new, lethal Soviet IRBM. I remember at the time the Legions of fools in West Europe who actually wanted to totally disarm and leave themselves at the mercy of the Soviets. Well these fools had children and its these assholes that gave their continent away to a foreign invader in modern times. |
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The Reds put a lot of time and money into funding The "Useful Fools Club" back when we were putting Pershing ll's in Europe. They were concerned about them because they were very accurate, could hit a target quickly, and had a dial a yield capability which means they very well would of/could of been used. Indeed they were designed as a last ditch defense when our forces got over run to keep the commies away from the channel and thats why we put a smaller dial a yield war head on them. We could use them against enemy formations IN Germany and not blow Germany to hell along with the Reds. So their practicality spokes volumes as to whether we'd use them or not and with Reagan in office we would have. But it was the cruise missiles that scared the shit our of the commies. This was a highly effective and accurate first strike weapon they had no defense against and wouldnt even know was fired until they saw the mushroom clouds. Together they were a 1 - 2 punch that changed the face of The Cold War. I never saw one of these, at the time I was assigned convoy escort for the old stuff being brought back for dissembly, but I can tell you this. Going from cold start the preparing and arming of Jabos to drop gravity bombs isnt a fast or easy task. You have to move the aircraft to hot pads, convoy the weapons from highly secure area's, fuel them, arm them, get the pilots out and brief them.....ect Its not a fast process, most of all with missiles already heading your way. Depending on the state of readiness it could take a long time. What the Pershing-ll did was give us the ability to respond in minutes. Not only was it quick but it was harder for the Reds to detect deployment then an entire air base going up for grabs. The Pershing-ll was simply a response to a new, lethal Soviet IRBM. I remember at the time the Legions of fools in West Europe who actually wanted to totally disarm and leave themselves at the mercy of the Soviets. Well these fools had children and its these assholes that gave their continent away to a foreign invader in modern times. neat info, I'm always fascinated by the Cold War in western Europe. |
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Pershing 2, taken during AIT in 1984. Yes I was a Pershing 2 crewmember, stationed at the 74th USAFAD in Schwabstadl Germany. It was a NATO unit for the P1. 250 americans on a german base, with a missile site in the Alps. It was an interesting time to be in Bavaria for sure! a lot of protestors did not like having Pershings in country, but others were happy we were there. We were not allowed within 10Km of any Warsaw pact country and were always made aware of Russian agents trying to get information via pretty ladies at the clubs.
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Mainly it was how close they were that scared the Soviets. Missles is Turkey were just a few miles from Moscow. And it was all on trip wire back then. Bombers either at fail safe or on hot pads able to be airborne in minutes. If you really want to read about this stuff read Command and Control I was stationed at LRAFB when this happened tho I wasnt involved personally. |
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We didnt have missiles in Turkey. The last ones we had there were the Jupiter missiles and they were removed in the early '60s as a secret part of the Cuban missile crisis agreement. We did, and do, have gravity bombs there tho and airplanes to deliver them tho overall the nuclear threat to NATO is nothing compared to the '70s and '80s. Back then each side had 10,000 + strategic weapons each pointed at each other. Not even counting the Tactical and theater weapons. And it was all on trip wire back then. Bombers either at fail safe or on hot pads able to be airborne in minutes. If you really want to read about this stuff read Command and Control I was stationed at LRAFB when this happened tho I wasnt involved personally. I have that book on my Kindle, I really do need to read it at some point |
| Just finished "The Dead Hand" and apparently the Soviets were really afraid of the Pershings and cruise missiles. They feared a first strike and those two weapons could have done it at the time. Very interesting eras throughout the Cold War with the Reagan/Gorbachev era bringing an end to it all. Had Reagan given up on missile defense it is possible he and Gorbachev would have eliminated all nuclear weapons... |