How a troubled nuclear bomber became the USAF’s guardian against Soviet air defenses during the Cold War
Production cuts in 1955 severely impacted the USAF’s B-66B bomber program. Originally slated for 138 aircraft across two Tactical Air Command wings, the program was reduced to just 69 due to production delays, cost overruns, and post-Korean War force reductions. The Western Electric K-5 bombing system also failed to meet accuracy requirements. Ultimately, only the 17th Bombardment Wing (BW), based at Miho AB, Japan, received the aircraft. By September 1957, the unit and its three bombardment squadrons relocated to Hurlburt Field, Florida, to transition from the B-26 to the Destroyer.
Nuclear Strike Missions at RAF Sculthorpe
After replacing F-105D Thunderchiefs in TAC service, the B-66B force transferred to the 47th BW at RAF Sculthorpe, Norfolk—Britain’s most crucial nuclear base of the early 1950s. The first aircraft arrived in January 1958, replacing B-45A Tornados. The B-66Bs carried two Mk 28 hydrogen bombs, with pilots selecting yields up to 1.1 megatons pre-flight. Crews underwent seven-day Victor Alert rotations with two armed aircraft ready to launch within five minutes.
Nuclear training employed blue concrete practice bombs over the Jurby sea range and simulated attacks on British radar sites. During its four and a half years at Sculthorpe, the B-66B force suffered only four fatal accidents—a dramatic improvement over the 37 serious mishaps the 47th BW had experienced with B-45s. The wing’s inactivation came on 22 June 1962, partly due to improved Soviet defenses, particularly the SA-2 surface-to-air missile.
Reconnaissance Operations in Europe
USAFE’s 10th and 66th Tactical Reconnaissance Wings operated RB-66 variants across Western Europe from 1956 onwards. The 42nd Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron (TRS) received its first RB-66C in November 1956, replacing RB-26s at Spangdahlem. The 30th TRS converted to RB-66s in 1957, though training shortages delayed operational readiness. By late 1957, seven WB-66D weather reconnaissance variants joined the 42nd TRS’s Weather Flight, providing advanced navigation for European deployments.
Destroyer crews regularly flew low-altitude night photographic reconnaissance, ELINT missions along East German and Czech borders, and specialized weather reconnaissance. Their 100 mph speed advantage over earlier RB-45Cs provided better protection from fighter opposition, though in-flight hydraulic failures and undercarriage malfunctions claimed several aircraft. On 4 July 1958, Capt William Marcum’s crew ejected from RB-66B 54-433 when both hydraulic and manual undercarriage systems failed near Norwich.
Cold War Confrontations
The most significant incident occurred on 10 March 1964, when 19th TRS RB-66B 54-541 strayed 120 miles off course into East Germany. Maj. David Holland’s crew descended toward what they believed were bridge targets near Osnabrück, only to discover a Soviet exercise involving 6,000 troops in the Berlin air corridor near Stendahl. Two MiG-19s from Wittstock AB damaged the aircraft with 23mm gunfire and C-5 rockets, forcing the crew to eject near Gardelegen. All three crewmen were recovered after intensive interrogation. The incident prompted the establishment of an Air Defence Identification Zone along the German and Czech borders, though it reflected a broader problem: 108 U.S. airmen had been lost crossing the border since 1950.
An earlier navigational incident in January 1958 saw an aircraft cross the East German border when its AN/APN-82 navigation radar failed. Thereafter, aircraft were forbidden from approaching borders without fully functioning navigation aids.
Specialized Radar Testing Missions
RB-66s proved valuable in provoking Soviet radar responses. On 22 December 1959, F-102A Delta Daggers accelerated across the East German border at supersonic speed, forcing a P-35 ‘Bar Lock’ early warning radar to engage and reveal technical data previously unknown to nearby RB-66 operators.
Brown Cradle ECM Conversion
Beginning January 1960, 13 ex-47th BW B-66Bs underwent conversion to Brown Cradle electronic countermeasures (ECM) configuration, inspired by SAC’s Blue Cradle EB-47E program. These aircraft received dual jammers in ECM tail cones, AN/ALE-1 chaff dispensers, and up to 18 additional radar jammers in bomb-bay ‘cradles,’ adding 17 mph to maximum speed and over 100 nautical miles to range.
WEXVAL II tests demonstrated the jammers could defeat both naval radars and fighter interception. RB-66C ‘ferret’ flights mapped threat radar frequencies beforehand; the electronic warfare operator (EWO) then simply switched units on or off during missions. British-based RB-66Bs surrendered tail guns in 1960, replacing gunners with flight engineers equipped with ECM tail cones.
By 1962, Brown Cradle aircraft had transferred to the 42nd TRS at Chelveston, then to Toul-Rosières, operating in an Echo Alert posture alongside F-100D strike packages. The aircraft flew the USAF’s first active ECM missions during Exercise Cold Turkey in 1961.
Base Relocations and Vietnam Transition
When France expelled all foreign nuclear forces in July 1959, USAFE reconnaissance squadrons relocated to British bases. The 1st and 31st TRS moved to Alconbury; the 19th TRS transferred to RAF Bruntingthorpe; the 42nd TRS is based at Chelveston. In August 1962, all European-based RB-66s consolidated at Toul-Rosières, eliminating the need for KB-50 tanker support.
In 1965, the 42nd TRS was reassigned to the newly formed 25th Tactical Reconnaissance Group at Chambley-Bussières AB, France. However, French runway concrete proved inadequate for heavily laden RB-66s. The compulsory French exit in 1966 dissolved the 25th TRG, with both squadrons reconstituting in Thailand as the 19th and 42nd Tactical Electronic Warfare Squadrons (TEWS) for Vietnam operations.
The transfer of RB/EB-66s to Southeast Asia in 1966-67 significantly degraded USAFE and NATO EW capability. European commanders received insufficient notice of these deployments, forcing temporary College Caper operations using EB-57E Canberras from Air Defense Command and planned 4417th CCTS EB-66 detachments. The permanent solution arrived in 1969 when the 39th TEWS and its EB-66C/E variants were based in West Germany.
This article is from the book “B/EB-66 Destroyer Units in Combat” by Peter E. Davies, available here.
