Otterburn range wrecks

[steveo578]

Ah you live and learn :-) Thanks for that info I thought it was the result of a weapons test as there was splash damage but I suppose a bad job with a plasma cutter would do the same

 

Steve

[steveo578]

Two Saladins were resident on the RAF range for many years

 

 

The Red survey target was removed in 1998

 

 

Steve

[steveo578]

2 Saladins in the Hindberry area -quite dificult to pick up as targets from either ATGW2 or 3

and were removed in 2002

 

 

 

Gunless Saladin

 

 

Both A/C were in reasonable condition despite there long exposure the one below having taken a hit or two near the turret ring.

 

 

 

Steve

[robin craig]

Pardon my ignorance,

 

Is the "clean up" you mention just a sort of housekeeping when targets get beyond visible as they have taken too many hits and are reduced to scrap?

 

Or is it some eco zealous "no metal on our range" clean up to be replaced by tofu targets?

 

R

[steveo578]

robin craig

Is the "clean up" you mention just a sort of housekeeping when targets get beyond visible as they have taken too many hits and are reduced to scrap?

Most of it is general clean up -change of weapon types -for example Roman Road and Quickencote-Windy Haus were primarily BAT A/T Ranges which fell out of use as MoBat ConBat and WomBats were withdrawn from Regular and TA use. The airfield was a Cold War set up and had become obsolete -the Talibs don't have an air arm:D of course some of the more interesting stuff was recovered as opposed to cleared for scrapping.

 

Or is it some eco zealous "no metal on our range" clean up to be replaced by tofu targets?

 

There is some pressure by the tofu mafia and some efforts have been made to placate them for example, probably still viable and useful concrete buildings-structures and old protective structures have been cleared it "enhance" the "National Park" element of the area -these include the old troop shelter South of ATGW2, the OP tower at the redundant Carrick Height Grenade Range and the storage hut at Roman Road site -which was too obstrusive for English Heritage.

 

Time expired targets the "chassis" of a stollie HiAb supports the hull pan of a 432 -I suppose floor plate of the 432 could have been positioned as a target but as with the Saladin behind -which was fairly intact and recognisable, there was a need to reduce the number of Afvs on the "RAF" range.

 

 

General cleaning up of the old aircraft range and a few other sites produced several piles of reduced junk which included various recognisable airframe parts including the taill section of an Westland Whirlwind A/S rescue lots of other junk, corrugated iron, bomb retard tail sections and for the observant in the foreground the exhaust off one of the Windy Hause M47s

 

 

Steve

Edited November 21, 2010 by steveo578

[eddy8men]

loving the thread mate, keep 'em coming

 

eddy

[AndyFowler]

loving the thread mate, keep 'em coming

 

eddy

 

My thoughts exactly ! Keep em coming Steve ! Very interesting !

[steveo578]

High up near the crest of Crigdon Hill in the centre of the Redesdale impact area the submersible Centurion Mk7 probably 43BA64. probably placed on the range at the same time as the comres Comet 19ZR17 formerly on Windy Hause AT Range. it has been mentioned on another thread so some photos are repeats.

 

The sheet steel sealing rim around the open turret. note the dexion bracket- where would the 1960-70s British Army have been without that wonder of grown up meccano that Dexion was.:nut:

 

 

The open turret with dummy hatch positions in mild steel angle iron.

 

 

Sealed up ammunition hatch.

 

Edited November 22, 2010 by steveo578

[oily]

such a sorry thing to happen to some very interesting, and in some cases very rare vehicles..... surely the Army could have made more money by selling them off as going concerns, and building heavier 'targets' from scrap ship armour and reinforced concrete.....?

That way the targets would last far longer!:-(

[steveo578]

Looking down into the open turret

 

 

View of the window cut in the glacis.

 

 

 

The overall colour was Red/White as a survey target, the vehicle was seldom engaged by heavy weapons althoug at one time it had been on fire and had lost all rubber from the wheels- In 1965 during trials it (assuming it is 43BA64) burnt out the engine after a fuel problem and backfire.

 

[steveo578]

Two general views of the Centurion Mk7.

 

 

 

Steve

[Amphibi boy]

Great thread, the first Saladin picture, I can see many stollies in background (I want to cry) I have couple of photo's of stollies on range at catterick, completely waisted.

 

It is sad to see them (any vehicle) end up like this.

 

Are there many stollies still on the range?

 

Keep pictures coming.

Thanks

[steveo578]

Are there many stollies still on the range?

 

Yes they were -a bit like sheep I'll be posting them in the near future.

 

Steve

[steveo578]

The T54 at Dearbush Burn area -Carshope Plantation in the far background.

This tank was successfully recovered under its own power after almost a decade of Northumberland weather:shocked: It sat there along with a pair of Stollies almost forgotten suffering a light dusting of mortar fire and a halfhearted attempt to KO it with a Millan -which missed

 

 

 

T54 at Hindberry a potential target for both ATGW2 and 3 -it actually supplied its starter to get the Dearbush tank mobile.

 

 

Edited November 24, 2010 by steveo578

[steveo578]

T55 at Black Knowe just west of the mobile target complex note the pick up disc and having previously painted with white stripes -it was an easy target- (bet the Taliban dont put white discs on their T55s:D)

 

 

I had to investigate this tank closely as from first sight it looked like a PRC T69 with smoothbore gun as the fume extractor was at the correct position :-) however as the say when you hear hooves think horses not zebras -all that had happened was a missile hit had forced the fume extractor down the barrel- so nothing exotic just a bog standard T55. Note the deep hole dug by multiple short falls.

 

 

Steve

[steveo578]

Rather unwisely a pair of T33 Talon trainers (the P80-F80 Shootingstar trainer conversion) one certainly manufactured in 1951 was sited on the range at Hindberry about the most inappropriate area to place air frames,more or less in the centre of the impact area, they were soon almost un recognisable.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A picture of the Scout airframes at ATGW2 hard standing- the scouts were sent to the range in late 1994 but sensibly they were not placed as active targets.

 

 

Steve

Edited November 27, 2010 by steveo578
correction struck though

[Adrian Barrell]

The T-33 was known as the Shooting Star or just T bird, the Talon was the Northrop T38.

[steveo578]

Adrian Barrell

... the Talon was the Northrop T38.

 

Of course it is Shooting-star T-Bird and Star-Fire, Talon an F5 derivative -I should have checked:blush:. Thanks for the correction. One of the wrecks could be a disarmed F80 liasion aircraft rather than a T33 trainer but they were in very poor condition, very difficult to ID.

 

Steve

Edited November 27, 2010 by steveo578
addition

[Amphibi boy]

Cheers steveo,

Will look forward to the stalely pictures.

 

So how do the army decide when to change/scrap the targets? Is it once there blown to pieces or age?

 

And then do they scrap them (melt them down) or do they sell them on?

 

You have a good job, for someone who's into vehicles, I think most of us in this hobby would love that job, although I think sometimes it could be sad seeing the way they go to waste! :cry:

[steveo578]

Amphibi boy

You have a good job, for someone who's into vehicles,

 

If you look in my forum Profile my occupation is an electrican - you seem to be under a misunderstanding I don't work for the MOD, my connection was entirely voluntary with the kind permision and encouragement of the former RO. If I did work for the MOD my life would be a misery by now -being hectored by eddy to find the enigmatic Otterburn Panzer.

 

So how do the army decide when to change/scrap the targets? Is it once there blown to pieces or age?And then do they scrap them (melt them down) or do they sell them on?

 

It was entirely in the control of the Range Officer and the OC training with input from interested organisations/parties such as English Heritage (for the National Park). The RAF have some control/input over targets on their range area -hence very few Stalwarts escaped from their clutches. As I said elsewhere scrapping is generally done when no further use can be found for a target, the MkI/II Conqueror was a good example it was pulled off and replaced with a CFE Chieftain but it was then found that the old tank had some "target life" remaining and it was repositioned to the west of Black Knowe mobile target complex about 300 metres north of the T55 shown earlier.

 

When removed for scrapping they are generally scrapped to scrapyards in Newcastle-Gatehead unless some-one interceeds, but most are really of dubious value by the time they get to the scrapping point. However at least one Scout airframe and parts were recovered as was the Ferret 00EC40 which is evidently under restoration -but actually neither of these items were actively targeted. The 40mm bofors were removed for scrapping and 1 possibly 2 were recovered for museums. The aircraft off the dummy airstrip were scrapped in a yard in Blaydon and were evidently under order to be reduced to scrap -it's sometimes best not to ask questions;).

 

This selection of aircraft debris on OTA is not a target but is the unfortunate remains of RNAF Starfighter D-8337 flown by Lt Martin Sasbrink-Harkema which crashed 3 mile west of Alwinton in the lea of Crigdon Hill in March 1983 during the Mallet Blow 1983 excercise. Lt Sasbrink-Harkema was killed he was 26 years old.

 

Most if not all of the aircraft is still there and several articles have been written about the crash -including one that states that the remains of the RNAF Lt. was found in the wreckage- which is strange as according to witnesses the unfortunate pilot ejected at very low altitude which tends to be supported by this photo of the canopy which shows the effect of the 1st stage of ejection -blown out perspex. The pilot was taken to hospital in Newcastle and pronounced DOA -the body was then under the 1958 NATO Act returned to the RNAF and repatriated.

 

 

Possibly a sign of sudden loss of power the afterburner - still on the surface

 

 

The tail section complete with both the isnignia of the squadron.

 

 

You don't really worry too much about the destruction of range wrecks when you come across this sort of thing:-(. RIP Lt Sasbrink-Harkema your plane is still where you left it.

[Amphibi boy]

Sorry Steve, I missunderstood, I thought it was your job, but hey, great part time job/hobby anyway

 

It's good to see some go on for restoration, or for spares, but like you say if there at the point where there useless then scrapping is the only way. (I wouldn't turn down more stolly spares, wink, wink, nod nod)

 

But great thread, thanks for pictures

 

Sad about the pilot,

Thanks

[steveo578]

Stollies

Several Stolies in various state of disrair at ATGW 1 car park.

 

 

 

On the road (well nearly) to Hindberry Grags - ATGW3 firing point this Stalwart was used as a target from ATGW1-2 it didn't last well and could not have been popular with Range Control due to the proximity of the road and any overs may hit the infrastructure of ATGW3. It was replaced by the Chieftain 00FD64 Achillies in early 2000 which was better placed away from the road.

 

 

 

Steve

[AndyFowler]

:cry::cry::cry::cry:

[Amphibi boy]

:cry::cry::cry: im sooo sad, what a shame, still great pictures.

 

As i look at them all sad, i am also thinking thats not too bad, could be saved, or mmmm some nice spares on that one!!!

[diver99]

"find the enigmatic Otterburn Panzer."

 

WHAT PANZER?