Part IV Continued: Logistics for the Kaysen-Rowen Plan

Here would be a great area from the Elbe to Vladivostok . . . torn up and destroyed, without government, without its communications, just an area of starvation and disaster. I ask you what would the civilized world do about it?

—General Dwight David Eisenhower
​addressing the Joint Chiefs of Staff, 1954

F.    ​4136th Strategic Wing, Minot AFB, North Dakota, 525th Bombardment Squadron flying B-52H, twelve planes flying northern route

Plane #1 Dusty; #2 Billy; #3 Krider

Targets:

1. Belaya/Tserkov aka Bila Tserkva 49°47′46″N 30°01′28″E, heavy bomber base Tu-16 and later Tu-16N
2. Uzyn Air Base 49°47′25″N 30°26′27″E, Tu-95K stand-off missile carriers starting in 1959VIP
3. Ozerne (MB) 50°9′30″N 028°44′18″E, 15th Guard’s Heavy Bomber Division Tu-16
4. Baranovichi (MB) 53°5′7″N 26°2′8″E (Belarus), Tu-16 base deployed Tu-16 bombers to Tiski and onward to ice station SP-6

Plane #4 Dark; #5 Past; #6 Ingry

Targets:

1. Dyagilevo (MB) 54°38′30″N 039°34′18″E M-4 VIP
2. Lebedovo 51°17′0″N 046°15′0″E, dispersal site for bombers from Engels during high tension VIP
3. Leningrad Air Control Center 60°03’N 030°11’E (use AGM –Hound Dog from 200 miles out) VIP

Plane #7 Zack; #8 Harp; #9 Kern

Targets:

1. Moscow/Bykovo Command and Control 55°37’N 38°03’E (use AGM – Hound Dog from 200 miles out) VIP
2. Pochinok 54°20′24″N 032°28′24″E
3. Seshcha 53°43’N 033°21’E

Plane #10 Kaster; #11 Loaster

Targets:

1. Ostrov/Gorokhovo 57°18′0″N 028°26′0″E, Tu-16K and Tu-16Z
2. Soltsy Air Base 58°8′48″N 030°19′54″E, Tu-22
3. Bobruysk 53°6′17″N 29°12′21″E, threat to NATO allies

Plane #12 Nymaster in Reserve

G.    379th Bombardment Wing, Wurtsmith AFB, Michigan, 524th Bombardment Squadron, twelve B-52H planes, six flying on southern route, and six on western route

Western Route Planes

Plane #1 Stein

Target:

1. Tiski 71°41′51″N 128°54′10″E, Tu-95 staging base
2. Tiski North 72°2′18″N 128°28′18″E, Tu-95 staging base
3. Tiski West 71°41′36″N 128°41′0″E, Tu-95 staging base

Plane #2 Blemer; #3 Gasper

Targets:

1. Ukrainka Air Base 51°10′12″N 128°26′42″E in 1955, one of only six Soviet bases capable of handling the Myasishchev M-4 (NATO: Bison) bomber VIP
2. Vozdvizhenka aka Ussuriysk 43°54′44″N 131°55′04″E, Pacific Long Range Bomber Fleet Tu-16 VIP
3. Aspidnoye (SB) aka Dresba-Krumaya 69°21′48″N 161°33′42″E, Arctic staging base for Tu-95 and Tu-16 VIP

Plane #4 Carter; #5 Cline

Targets:

1. Belaya (MB) aka Srednii 52°54′54″N 103°34′30″E, Tu-4A, Tu-16, Tu-16K
2. Mengon (SB) 50°02’00” 136°18’00”E, dispersal base VIP
3. Spassk-Dalny Airfield 44°36′47″N 132°53′13″E, Tu-16
4. Bechevinka 53°16′21″N 159°47′04″E, Pacific Submarine Base VIP

Plane #6 Lars in Reserve

Southern Route Planes

Plane #1 Baset

Target:

1. Tyuratam-Baikonur 45°39’N 63°18’50”E ICBM four launch sites #2 VIP

Plane #2 Crank; #3 Opel; #4 Kirstin; #5 Edwards

Targets:

​1. Mozdok 43°47′15″N 44°36′11″E, Tu-95 base VIP
2. Melitopol 46°52′36″N 035°18′27″E
3. Sevastopol 44°36′28″N 33°31′48″E Black Sea Fleet VIP
4. Balaklava Crimea 44°29′56″N 33°35′46″E, submarine pen deeply fortified needs Mt or more (hidden subs in cave) VIP

Plane # 6 Girder in Reserve

H.    42nd Bombardment Wing, Loring AFB, Maine, flying seven B-52G planes, on northern route

Plane #1 Mauser; #2 Weston

Targets:

​1. Tartu 58°24’N 026°46E
2. Minsk-Machulische 53°46′25″N 027°34′38″E
3. Bobruysk 53°6′17″N 29°12′21″E, threat to NATO allies
4. Pryluky Air Base 50°34′0″N 032°19′0″E, Tu-16 medium bombers

Plane #3 Houser; #4 Caldwell

Targets:

1. Poltava Air Base 49°37′37″N 034°29′11″E, Tu-16
2. Zhitomir/Skomorokhi 50°10’N 028°44’E
3. Poltava Air Base 49°37′37″N 034°29′11″E, Tu-16

Plane #5 Paul; #6 Lisk

Targets:

1. Bykhov 53°31’N 30°12’E, one 1959 target list
2. Orsha/Orsha S.W. 54°26’N 30°17’E
3. Gomel/Pribytki 52°18’N 031°10’E

II. Revision of the Kaysen-Rowen Plan

Between the time Kaysen and Rowen submitted their plan to McNamara and the JCS on 09/05/1961 and the submission of the DPM from McNamara to Kennedy dated 10/28/1961, substantial changes to the Kaysen-Rowen limited counterforce strike had been made. A review of footnote #35 from David A. Rosenberg’s “More Bang for the Buck” 1994 article found in Part III of this series reveals that General David A. Burchinal, then USAF Director of Plans, related that access to the planning was extremely limited. Burchinal also related that individual units for participation had been identified. The revised limited counterforce plan was likely scaled back by Burchinal and staff to ten B-52s to preserve the initial element of surprise and recognition that no more than twenty-six DGZs were critical to US safety and only about twelve targets (six ICBMs and six Tu-95s and M-4 bases) represented an immediate threat. The follow-on forces envisioned by the DPM offered more of a chance to protect US NATO allies by taking out MRBMs, more Tu-16 bases, and TNWs. Moreover, the changes simplified geographical logistics by significantly shortening strike routes and delivery times, thereby enhancing the ability to handle difficult timing issues.

End Part IV

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