32 Mace B cruise missile nukes almost launched during Cuban Missile Crisis

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Winston

Winston

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Did the U.S. Air Force Nearly Start World War III?
New account alleges nukes almost launched during Cuban Missile Crisis.
Oct 27, 2015

https://www.popularmechanics.com/mi...-the-us-air-force-nearly-start-world-war-iii/

The full account is at the link below and, WOW, you should definitely read this short story. It's fascinating. Whew! Only some critical thinking by the launch crews prevented the 32 cruise missiles with 1.1 MT warheads from being launched after receiving all of the correct launch codes... twice!

The Okinawa missiles of October

https://thebulletin.org/okinawa-missiles-october8826

Excerpt:

"The second launch officer at that site reported to Bassett that the lieutenant had ordered his crew to proceed with the launch of its missiles! Bassett immediately ordered the other launch officer, as Bordne remembers it, “to send two airmen over with weapons and shoot the [lieutenant] if he tries to launch without [either] verbal authorization from the ‘senior officer in the field’ or the upgrade to DEFCON 1 by Missile Operations Center.” About 30 yards of underground tunnel separated the two Launch Control Centers."

EDIT: Had they launched, you probably wouldn't be here. Neither would I. And an "Internet" probably wouldn't even exist.
 
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Thanks for the link! Always love learning new things about the crisis.

Years ago I was reading a book for a diplomacy class that mentioned an odd fact I had never heard before: "The Soviet embassy had offered to remove the missiles...if only the United States would remove it's missiles from Florida under UN inspection."

I knew Florida had defensive missiles like the Nike Ajax/Hercules and Hawk, but had never heard mention of offensive stuff. My professor didn't know anything more about it, and I spent years trying to figure it out. I posted about it over on Armchair General and a forum member mentioned he had heard rumors about a plan to convert certain missiles from SAMs to SSMs, a rumor that the Soviets had gotten wind of and believed. Not long after I stumbled across an article stating that this was in fact done to some Hercules in South Korea.
 
There is a nice large scale model of the Mace with mobile launcher from "Renwall". Revell makes a small version also.
 
Jackball74 said:
Thanks for the link! Always love learning new things about the crisis.

Years ago I was reading a book for a diplomacy class that mentioned an odd fact I had never heard before: "The Soviet embassy had offered to remove the missiles...if only the United States would remove it's missiles from Florida under UN inspection."

I knew Florida had defensive missiles like the Nike Ajax/Hercules and Hawk, but had never heard mention of offensive stuff. My professor didn't know anything more about it, and I spent years trying to figure it out. I posted about it over on Armchair General and a forum member mentioned he had heard rumors about a plan to convert certain missiles from SAMs to SSMs, a rumor that the Soviets had gotten wind of and believed. Not long after I stumbled across an article stating that this was in fact done to some Hercules in South Korea.
Click to expand...
So do I. Have you seen this great PBS series, specifically this episode? There were, very luckily, heroes on both sides although I think the Mace B launch abort is even more impressive since they did actually receive the launch codes not only once, but twice. This sub's commander simply had the option of releasing a nuclear weapon on his own during the Cuban Missiles Crisis:

[video=youtube;4VPY2SgyG5w]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4VPY2SgyG5w[/video]
 

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