Iceland Fokker 27 Bomber

[Captain Canada]

lol too funny.

[TallEng]

In the 17 February 1979 Flight International is a report on military sales stopped by President Carter;

Iceland were refused permission to buy LGBs or cluster munitions. They were apparently planning to put bombs on their Fokker 27 Friendships 
This was at the time of the Cod War with Iceland and Britain clashing in the Atlantic over fishing rights.

Lots of other whifs in the list including the potentially lethal supply of C-Rations to Nicaragua!
XV-15 for Italy and F-8s for Indonesia. C-5 Galaxy for West Germany, Bell 206 TOW for over 20 countries etc.

That F-27 Bomber has been bugging me
And now I know why
Apparently there was a 'real' F-27 (B-27) Bomber!
It was used in Biafra (not very successfully either) as it crashed on its first mission.
Allegedly a hole was cut in the rear fuselage for the bombs to be pushed/dropped out of 

More details in 'Shadows' Airlift and Airwar in Biafra and Nigeria 1967-1970 (Hikoki publications)
A very interesting book

Regards
Keith

[Dork the kit slayer]

You're weird, you know that don't you ? Sort of thought I would have had. Obviously has to do with living in the Croydon area



Is this a good time to bring up my "cod and chips theme"       thought not................................Ill git me coat.

[Captain Canada]

Clashes in the North/ Arctic/ Atlantic are always an interest. I think it's the whole WWII Battle of the North Atlantic thing for me.

[scooter]

Clashes in the North/ Arctic/ Atlantic are always an interest. I think it's the whole WWII Battle of the North Atlantic thing for me.

Hmm...

Task force around HMS Belfast going up against a task force centered around INV Mjölnir?

[scooter]

And then there's another reason to look east- Mines laid by the  British are still harassing Icelandic trawlers

[lenny100]

Its a true fact that there are over 45% of all the mines laid over both world wars in the north Atlantic and north sea are still missing !! on advridge the royal navy bomb teams dispose of at least one per week found by trawlers

[NARSES2]

Its a true fact that there are over 45% of all the mines laid over both world wars in the north Atlantic and north sea are still missing !! on advridge the royal navy bomb teams dispose of at least one per week found by trawlers

Didn't realise that Lenny. I know there were charts of the fields but that doesn't help with the ones that have broken free

[Captain Canada]

Interesting stuff. I like the Belfast idea as well.

[Rheged]

Interesting stuff. I like the Belfast idea as well.

Being shown round Belfast some time ago, the chap in A turret  waxed lyrical about the 6" guns.  "These  guns could take out Scratchwood Services from here" he said, "Just reach out and touch someone......"

[NARSES2]

When you were on Belfast did you notice where her turrets are aimed ? I'm reliably informed that they are trained on the Palace of Westminster 

Said informer is a volunteer on her and a member of my local social club where we meet and every Sunday he has a new cut/bruise/graze from where he has banged his head on one of Belfast's low portals 

[PR19_Kit]

On the subject of the Belfast, when I was IPMS UK Branch Liaison Officer, back before most of you were born perhaps,  I thought  it would be a good idea to have a Branch Secretary's meeting before the AGM. As this seemed to smack of heresy amongst the then Committee's hierarchy they wouldn't let us hold it at the same venue as the AGM. 

I needed a place that was easily found so we held it on the foredeck of HMS Belfast, just forward of 'A' turret. 

Since then sanity has prevailed and its held at Telford these days IIRC.

[NARSES2]

I needed a place that was easily found so we held it on the foredeck of HMS Belfast, just forward of 'A' turret. 

Lucky she was in Port kit, she would still of been in service then, wouldn't she ? 

Seriously she has been there that long ? I still remember the Pool of London as a working dock (indeed a friends first job was as a shipping clerk at the Pool) especially where the Banana boats docked

[Nick]

When you were on Belfast did you notice where her turrets are aimed ? I'm reliably informed that they are trained on the Palace of Westminster 

Said informer is a volunteer on her and a member of my local social club where we meet and every Sunday he has a new cut/bruise/graze from where he has banged his head on one of Belfast's low portals 

I've just checked that and the guns (on Google Earth) are aimed at Euston Station and Brent Cross shopping centre beyond. Maybe a hint regarding the modern buildings and the fact that both HMS Belfast and the old Euston went out of use at the same time?
There's a lot of 'tourist tales' that are untrue but sound good to the punter... 

I work with an ex-Royal Marine whose first cruise was on HMS Belfast out in Malaya before she was retired in the 60s. She was placed in the Pool of London as a museum ship in 1971.

[PR19_Kit]

She was placed in the Pool of London as a museum ship in 1971.

Yep, I was BLO from '73 to '75 I think.