The scale of this work was, and still is, very impressive.Operation Pontifex.
This involved Valiants of No. 543 Squadron at RAF Wyton, that were modified to serve in the photographic reconnaissance role, being sent to undertake a survey of Northern Rhodesia (now Zambia), Southern Rhodesia (Zimbabwe) and Bechuanaland (Botswana) in July 1964. The unit was based in Southern Rhodesia for the job which was one of the largest photographic mapping efforts carried out by the RAF and, as it turned out, among the last major Valiant force tasks. The planned 11-week operation used three Valiants, four crews and 100 support personnel to complete a 400,000sq mile (1,035,995km) survey operating from Salisbury (now Harare) Airport.
https://www.key.aero/article/v-force-reconnaissanceThe Valiant is probably the least well remembered of the V-Bombers, its nearly ten-year service career overshadowed by its dramatic withdrawal due to severe airframe fatigue problems. The Valiant was a pioneer, a photographic-reconnaissance version envisaged from the early design phase because of its promised superior performance. The first Valiant photoreconnaissance airframe, WP205, was designated as a B.(PR)1 and made its maiden flight on October 8, 1954. As well as camera equipment, extra fuel tanks were also installed to give it an extended range. Eleven B.(PR)1s were built and entered service as part of Bomber Command’s ‘Main Force’ photographic reconnaissance squadron, at RAF Gaydon, Warwickshire, re-formed as 543 Sqn on April 1, 1955.
- Valiant.JPG (27.16 KiB) Viewed 830 times
The unit slowly grew and transferred to RAF Wyton, (then in Huntingdonshire), finally reaching its full eight operational aircraft complement in April 1956. During their careers the B.(PR)1 variants flew with most Valiant squadrons including: 49, 90, 138, 148, 207, 214 in addition to 543. First flying in January 1956, with an air-refuelling p ack in the bomb bay, 13 Valiants operated as tankers while retaining their reconnaissance capability. The converted aircraft were designated B.(PR)K1s and flew with 7, 90, 138, 148, 214 and 543 Sqns.
In the photo reconnaissance role, the Valiant B.(PR)1 carried a camera ‘crate’ installed in the bomb bay, which could be set up in several configurations. This could consist of up to eight F.52 cameras usually fitted with 36 or 48in (91 or 122cm) focal length lenses, or a fan arrangement to give horizon to horizon coverage. There was also provision for vertically mounted F.49 ‘survey’ cameras with 6in (15cm) lens and fixed rear bomb-bay mountings for oblique imagery. The cameras were controlled from either the prone bombing position in the nose, or at the console on the starboard side of the Valiant’s rear cabin, depending on the task. In the night photographic configuration, two port and two starboard sideways-facing cameras were installed in the crate and powerful night photoflashes carried in the rear of the bomb bay, controlled by the radar navigator and the Valiant’s bombing system.
VALIANT RADAR RECONNAISSANCE
One Valiant was trialled with the Yellow Aster system linked to its H2S radar to provide highquality radar imagery, with a small 35mm camera used to record screen images. This later led to a major equipment trial for 543 Sqn, which deployed an aircraft to Canada on three occasions from autumn 1955 to summer 1956 under the name Operation Snow Trip. During the first deployment they took radar pictures of northern Canada’s terrain, watching the transition from summer to winter. The second deployment covered the thaw followed by a final third deployment in summer 1956. They ascertained how much the radar imagery was affected by seasonal changes, particularly snow and temperature. Additionally, on several occasions, 543 Sqn supported British nuclear test operations in the Pacific, committed to pre- and post-test reconnaissance.
The maritime radar reconnaissance (MRR) task was developed by the squadron’s crews. From 40,000ft the Valiants H2S radar could see about 180nm and was used during regular patrols up the North Sea to the North Cape, across to Iceland and the eastern Atlantic.
SURVEY WORK
Reconnaissance Valiants carried out substantial survey and disaster assistance work around the world. In 1961 543 Sqn deployed to British Honduras to provide damage assessment images in support of civil authorities after a severe hurricane.
Closer to home, in February 1962, severe gales hit Sheffield and a 543 Sqn aircraft was dispatched to photograph the considerable damage. More typical were deployments to conduct survey work including: Thailand, the Seychelles, Solomon and the Santa Cruz Islands and the New Hebrides to name just a few. Perhaps the best known was 543 Sqn Valiants’ Operation Pontifex.
This involved a detachment being sent to undertake a survey of Northern Rhodesia (now Zambia), Southern Rhodesia (Zimbabwe) and Bechuanaland (Botswana) in July 1964. The unit was based in Southern Rhodesia for the job which was one of the largest photographic mapping efforts carried out by the RAF and, as it turned out, among the last major Valiant force tasks. The planned 11-week operation used three Valiants, four crews and 100 support personnel to complete a 400,000sq mile (1,035,995km) survey operating from Salisbury (now Harare) Airport.
An early issue was heavy static electrical discharges to the rear bomb-bay camera that damaged films. This was partially solved by controlling the film storage cans’ humidity and temperature. Early-morning departures were standard on this deployment, the Valiants generally operated at 30,000ft from first light, flying their pre-determined routes until running out of film. The task was completed in 110 sorties, over seven weeks and produced more than 27,000 photographs. While at Salisbury, one of the Valiants had developed a crack in the rear spar and so it was sent back to the UK for attention. This foreshadowed the imminent grounding of the entire fleet. By the time the last aircraft returned to RAF Wyton on August 26 the Valiant force was subject to very restricted flying of just a few aircraft. Most remained permanently grounded and in January 1965 the type was formally withdrawn from service.
RECCE VICTORS
A 1952 decision to include provision for a reconnaissance kit in the Victor specification proved extremely fortuitous. It too used a ‘camera pallet’ fitted into the aircraft’s bomb bay. Initial ideas envisaged 15 cameras, plus internally and externally carried photoflashes for night-reconnaissance operations. The second Victor prototype, WB775, was the trials airframe for the photoreconnaissance fit, even appearing at the 1955 Farnborough Airshow in the wartimereminiscent ‘PR blue’ paint scheme.
The Victor Radar Reconnaissance Flight (RRF) was formed at RAF Wyton in early 1958 to develop equipment and tactics. Initially established with three Victor B.1s arriving at the base between January and April 1958, the Flight was supplemented by a fourth aircraft from mid-1959.
All V-bombers were to be guided to their targets by their sophisticated Navigation Bombing System (NBS) linked to their H2S Mk.9 radars. The H2S was the key tool for reconnaissance operations. Trials conducted by RRF Victors saw testing of the sideways looking Blue Shadow radar also used on special reconnaissance Canberras. It was probably used on both Baltic and Black Sea missions to establish accurate position fixes for V-bomber war routes. A far more advanced sideways-looking radar, known as Red Neck, was tested on another Victor using 40ft (12m) pod-mounted aerials. However, the in-flight flexing of the aerials caused a considerable quality loss and the system was abandoned. In October 1961, the RRF Victors were stripped of their special equipment and returned to training duties with 232 Operational Conversion Unit (OCU), the Victor training unit.
Development work of a photo-reconnaissance Victor continued using XA920 from 1959 and handed over to an early B.2 version, XH675, from October 1961. The bomb bay could be fitted with a combination of camera crates, fuel tanks and photoflashes for night photography. Among the equipment carried were F.49 and F.96s cameras for daytime photography, the latter particularly used for high-level operations, mounted in a fan to give horizon-to-horizon coverage. Up to four F.49s were used for mapping and survey work and F.89s were employed for night photography. Survey work included missions to Commonwealth states in Africa and the Caribbean with a productive mission generating more than 10,000ft (3,048m) of film for processing. The Victor had a 15% higher operational ceiling and 40% extra range over the earlier Valiants.
543 Squadron Operation Pontifex
