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No.224 Sqn RAF - Squadron Details - Aviation Directory

No.224 Sqn RAF


Name : No.224 Sqn RAF
Founded : 1st April 1918
Disbanded : 31st October 1966
Country : UK
Fate : Disbanded 31st October 1966
More Details :

Fedele all amico - Faithful to a freind
Known Code Letters : , PW, QA, QX, XB,

Known Service Details :

Pilot or Aircrew

Rank

Start of Service

End of Service

Known Dates

Aircraft

Airframes

Notes

A Bathgate

Aircraftsman 1

unknown

30th September 1939

Hudson

N7216

Killed in Action

J L Calpin

Leading Aircraftsman

unknown

7th September 1939

Hudson

N7247

Killed in Action

F A E Cramp

Sergeant

unknown

unknown

08th September 1939

Hudson

N7210

James Goldie

unknown

unknown

H D Green

Flying Officer

unknown

7th September 1939

Hudson

N7247

Killed in Action

Hill

Pilot Officer

unknown

unknown

30th September 1939

Hudson

N7219

J R Hollington

Flying Officer

unknown

30th September 1939

Hudson

N7216

Killed in Action

J. Pearce

Sergeant

unknown

30th September 1939

Hudson

N7219

Killed in Action

D G Perry

Flying Officer

unknown

4th October 1939

Hudson

N7214

Killed in Action

R S Pitts

Sergeant

unknown

30th September 1939

Hudson

N7216

Killed in Action

A M Rodger

Aircraftsman 1

unknown

7th September 1939

Hudson

N7247

Killed in Action

G Rout

Aircraftsman 1

unknown

30th September 1939

Hudson

N7216

Killed in Action

A Sill

Aircrafts

unknown

30th September 1939

Hudson

Killed in Action

A Thomason

Aircraftsman 1

unknown

30th September 1939

Hudson

N7219

Killed in Action

C N Whittington

Pilot Officer

unknown

7th September 1939

Hudson

N7247

Killed in Action

Pilots and Aircrew for : No.224 Sqn RAF
A list of all aircrew from our database who are associated with this squadron. A profile page is available by clicking their name.
NameInfo
Bathgate, A
Click the name above to see a profile of Bathgate, A

   Died : 30 / 9 / 1939
Bathgate, A

Killed on 30th September 1939 when his Hudson Mk.1 N7216 QX-D of 224 Sqn failed to return from a operation, Sgt Heinz Demes claimed he shot down the hudson.
Cairns, John Jock
Click the name above to see a profile of Cairns, John Jock
Cairns, John Jock

Joined the RAFVR in May 1939 and was called up at the outbreak of war as a navigator. He completed his flying training by the early spring of 1941 and spent a brief period with 224 Squadron, Coastal Command before volunteering for Special Duties as a Navigator/Radio Leader. During training ‘Jock’ Cairns was crewed with an experienced pilot and posted to the prestigious 85 Squadron, Fighter Command and together with his pilot Sq/Ldr Simon Maude, DFC, achieved the destruction of a Dornier 217 during the Canterbury blitz. After six months rest from operations, John took over as the Navigator/Radio Leader of the Squadron – a short and lively tour intruding against Luftwaffe night-fighter airfields and interdiction of rail traffic during which five locomotives were destroyed. After another six months, Fl/Lt Cairns re-crewed with Fl/Lt John Hall and they enjoyed a very successful tour with 488 Squadron, RNZAF in 2nd TAF and were both credited with eight victories and each awarded the DFC with Bar.
Calpin, J L
Click the name above to see a profile of Calpin, J L

   Died : 7 / 9 / 1939
Calpin, J L

Killed on 7th September 1939 when his Hudson Mk.1 N7247 QX-G of No.224 Sqn was lost at sea.
Cramp, F A E
Click the name above to see a profile of Cramp, F A E
Cramp, F A E

on 8th September 1939, He escaped injury when his Hudson Mk.1 N7210 QX-? of No.224 Sqn was damaged in a landing accident.
Goldie, James
Click the name above to see a profile of Goldie, James
Goldie, James

No's 7, 83, 97 and 224 Squadrons. Joined RAF trained as Air Gunner.Flew 73 missions with Bomber Command - 38 Main Force, 35 Pathfinders and 38 with Coastal Command. Total flying hours 1,630. Crashed in an Avro Manchester 13109/41. Spleen removed as a result of injuries sustained in the crash and returned to Operations. Raids included 6 Essen, 6 Duisberg, 3 Berlin, 4 Hamburg, 5 Bremen and 3 Nuremberg. Served with 83 Squadron at RAF Wyton, 97 Squadron RAF Coningsby/ Woodhall Spa and 7 Squadron Oakington. Demobilised 1956. Service number 620563. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross as a Warrant Officer with No.83 Sqn, which was gazetted on 17th August 1943, and the Distinguished Flying Medal as a Flight Sergeant with No.97 Sqn, gazetted on 20th November 1942. We have been informed that he has now passed away, but do not have any information as to the date.
Green, H D
Click the name above to see a profile of Green, H D

   Died : 7 / 9 / 1939
Green, H D

Killed on 7th September 1939 when his Hudson Mk.I N7247 QX-G of No.224 Sqn was lost at sea.
Hollington, J R
Click the name above to see a profile of Hollington, J R

   Died : 30 / 9 / 1939
Hollington, J R

Killed on 30th September 1939 when his Hudson Mk.1 N7216 QX-D of 224 Sqn failed to return from a operation, Sgt Heinz Demes claimed he shot down the Hudson.
Pearce, J.
Click the name above to see a profile of Pearce, J.

   Died : 30 / 9 / 1939
Pearce, J.

Killed on 30th September 1939 when his Hudson Mk.1 N7219 QX-V of no.224 Sqn was shot down by marineflakabteilung 264.
Pearson, R
Click the name above to see a profile of Pearson, R
Pearson, R

Joined the RAF in 1943 to begin training as an Air Gunner. After the usual short attachments at various training stations eventually ending up at No 2 AGS Dalcross. Air firing was carried out from an Avro Anson. There was always a mad rush to be first aboard the aircraft on every detail, not from enthusiasm, but from trying to avoid winding up the undercarriage after take off. M/Sig Pearson went from Dalcross to Kinloss to join a crew flying Whitleys and several months later ended up at 158 Sqdn Lissett to commence operations on Halifaxes. After half a tour and very happy at Lissett his crew were posted onto a PFF Sqdn, 635 Sqdn Downham Market. His first operation, and very nearly his last, was a daylight raid on Hamburg. On the bombing run, they had the misfortune to be selected by the pilot of a ME262 as his victim. He was not spotted until he was dead astern and blazing away with the four 30mm cannon in the nose. Evasive action was given and the pilot promptly stood the Lanc on its nose. Unfortunately not all the cannon shells missed and they lost quite a piece of fuselage leaving ammo belts hanging out in the slipstream. After regaining level flight, they were attacked again by another ME262, but this time they were lucky. Both ME pilots decided to push off and find some other sitting duck! Despite these attacks, they carried on and bombed, making their way home across the North Sea, not a pleasant journey. The pilot received an immediate award of the DFC. M/Sig Pearson finished the war out at Downham Market and after the war in Europe ended was posted to 83 Sqdn Conningsby for Tiger Force training and operations against the Japanese. Fortunately the war in the east ceased just as they were ready to depart. He was demobbed in May 1947, but was not happy out of uniform so was back in again at the end of 1949 as an A/G flying on Lincolns at 9 Sqdn. Binbrook. He had a short detachment with 617 Sqdn at Shallufa, Egypt and at the end of 1952 was posted onto B29 aircraft with 15 Sqdn. Coningsby. After six months he was posted to Little Rissington on a Link Trainer course and then to FTS Syerston as a Link instructor to Naval cadet pilots. In 1955, he was required to either remuster to a ground trade or take another aircrew trade. He was posted to Swanton Morley to take training as an Air Signaller and from then to St Mawgan 228 Sqdn on Shackletons. Next came a posting to Northolt in a drawing office drawing En-Route charts and Terminal Approach Procedures. Back to flying in 1961 and a posting to 224 Sqdn Gibraltar and then to Air Traffic Control School at Shawbury. On completion of this course came a posting to RAF Lyneham as Local Controller and thence to RAF Colerne as Approach Controller. He left the service in 1968.
Perry, D G
Click the name above to see a profile of Perry, D G

   Died : 4 / 10 / 1939
Perry, D G

Killed on 4th October 1939 when his Hudson Mk.1 N7214 QX-T of no.244 Sqn crashed near Leuchars.
Pitts, R S
Click the name above to see a profile of Pitts, R S

   Died : 30 / 9 / 1939
Pitts, R S

Killed on 30th September 1939 when his Hudson Mk.1 N7216 QX-D of 224 Sqn failed to return from a operation, Sgt Heinz Demes claimed he shot down the hudson.
Rodger, A M
Click the name above to see a profile of Rodger, A M

   Died : 7 / 9 / 1939
Rodger, A M

Killed on 7th September 1939 when his Hudson Mk.1 N7247 QX-G of No.224 Sqn was lost at sea.
Rout, G
Click the name above to see a profile of Rout, G

   Died : 30 / 9 / 1939
Rout, G

Killed on 30th September 1939 when his Hudson Mk.1 N7216 QX-D of 224 Sqn failed to return from a operation, Sgt Heinz Demes claimed he shot down the hudson.
Sill, A
Click the name above to see a profile of Sill, A

   Died : 30 / 9 / 1939
Sill, A

Killed on 30th September 1939 when his Hudson Mk.1 N7219 QX-V of no.224 Sqn was shot down by marineflakabteilung 264.
Thomason, A
Click the name above to see a profile of Thomason, A

   Died : 30 / 9 / 1939
Thomason, A

Killed on 30th September 1939 when his Hudson Mk.1 N7219 QX-V of no.224 Sqn was shot down by marineflakabteilung 264.
Whittington, C N
Click the name above to see a profile of Whittington, C N

   Died : 7 / 9 / 1939
Whittington, C N

Killed on 7th September 1939 when his Hudson Mk.1 N7247 QX-G of No.224 Sqn was lost at sea.



Pilots or Aircrew :
Henry Outram Thwaite
Historical Notes :
10-07-1937 - delivered to 224 Squadron at Thornaby on 10th July 1937, it moved with unit to Eastleigh on 17th January 1938 and then back to Thornaby on 26th March 1938. It returned to A.V.Roe Ltd at Woodford for modifications on 5th August 1938. In the meantime 224 Squadron had moved to Leuchars so when the aircraft was returned to it's unit on 2nd September 1938 it was flown to Leuchars
27-06-1939 - transferred to 220 Squadron at Bircham Newton and coded "NR-Z". It then moved with unit to Thornaby on 21st August 1939 and on 16th September landed at Redcar but was not damaged. Three days later it suffered Cat.M/FA damage in an accident at Thornaby but was only slightly damaged and repaired on site and returned to 220 Squadron. It later transferred to S of GR at Thorney Island on 14th Noveber 1939
26-04-1940 - It later transferred to S of GR at Thorney Island on 14th Noveber 1939 and then again moved with this unit to Guernsey on 26th April 1940 to assist with the evacuation. The Unit moved to Hooton Park on 19th June 1940 and was renamed No.1 School of General Recconnaissance (S of GR).
05-07-1940 - It was written off in July 1940 as destroyed on the ground on Guernsey during evacuation on 5th July 1940 but may have been left there as it was unservicable and was left to its fate only to be written off some weeks later as the paperwork went through.
16-09-1939 - F/O Henry Outram Thwaite RAF (39399) was forced to make a landing at around 07.00hrs on Redcar Racecourse because of bad weather on return from an operational patrol. The aircraft was not damaged at all and it is thought that it took off again at a later date from the racecourse when the weather improved.
Squadrons :
No.224 Sqn RAF
Historical Notes :
10-07-1937 - delivered to 224 Squadron at Thornaby on 10th July 1937, it moved with unit to Eastleigh on 17th January 1938 and then back to Thornaby on 26th March 1938. It returned to A.V.Roe Ltd at Woodford for modifications on 5th August 1938. In the meantime 224 Squadron had moved to Leuchars so when the aircraft was returned to it's unit on 2nd September 1938 it was flown to Leuchars.
Squadrons :
No.224 Sqn RAF
Pilots or Aircrew :
F A E Cramp
Historical Notes :
08-09-1939 - Damaged in landing accident. Sgt F A E Cramp ok.
Squadrons :
No.224 Sqn RAF
Pilots or Aircrew :
D G Perry
Historical Notes :
04-10-1939 - Crashed due to loss of control. F/O D G Perry killed, P/O J W C McFarlane killed, Sgt H Letchford killed, P/O R A Barker killed, AC1 F H May killed, AC1 C A Bates killed.
Squadrons :
No.224 Sqn RAF
Historical Notes :
30-09-1939 - Claimed to have been shot down by Ltn Heinz Demes. F/O J R Hollington killed, Sgt R S Pitts killed, AC1 G Rout killed, AC1 A Thomason killed.
Squadrons :
No.224 Sqn RAF
Historical Notes :
30-09-1939 - Shot down over the island of Sylt. P/O D G Heaton-Nichols taken as a PoW, Sgt J Pearce killed, AC1 A Sill killed, AC1 A Thomason killed.
Squadrons :
No.224 Sqn RAF
Historical Notes :
07-09-1939 - Lost at sea. Flying Officer H D Green killed, Pilot Officer C N Whittington killed, Leading Aircraftsman J L Calpin killed, Aircraftsman 1 A M Rodger killed.
Squadrons :
No.224 Sqn RAF
Historical Notes :
18-10-1939 - After assembly and testing at M.U. it was issued to 224 Squadron at Leuchars.
11-01-1940 - The Hudson struck the top of the area of high ground on Warren Moor, above Kildale in the early hours of the morning, but did not catch fire. The exact time for the crash is not known. The crash investigation initially thought that during the flight the wireless equipment and direction finding equipment might have failed, with the crew then were unsure of their position they probably then flew a rough westerly course to make landfall to try and work out where they were but then should then have headed along the coast. Instead of this the aircraft drifted over land



Known Individual Aircraft of No.224 Sqn RAF :

Type

Serial

Codes

First Flew

Squadron History

Aircrew History

History Notes

Engine

Factory

Anson

K8825

NR-Z

10/07/1937

details

details

details

A.V. Roe Ltd at Woodford

Anson

K9925

10/07/1937

details

no information

details

A.V. Roe Ltd at Woodford

Hudson I

N7210

QX-?

-

details

details

details

Hudson I

N7214

QX-T

-

details

details

details

Hudson I

N7216

QX-D

-

details

details

details

Hudson I

N7219

QX-V

-

details

details

details

Hudson I

N7247

QX-G

-

details

details

details

Hudson

N7298

-

details

no information

details

Lockheed-Vega at Burbank, California

Aircraft for : No.224 Sqn RAF
A list of all aircraft associated with No.224 Sqn RAF. A profile page including a list of all art prints for the aircraft is available by clicking the aircraft name.
AircraftInfo

Anson



Click the name above to see prints featuring Anson aircraft.

Manufacturer : Avro
Production Began : 1935
Retired : 1968
Number Built : 11020

Anson

he Avro Anson originated from the Avro 652 commercial aircraft which first flew on 7th January 1935. It was a twin-engine British-built multi-role aircraft which saw distinctive service with both the Royal Air Force and The Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm as well as The Royal Canadian Air Force during and after the Second World War. The prototype 652A first flew at Woodford on 7th January 1935 and was developed from an initial airliner design and named after Admiral George Anson. The adaptation for a coastal reconnaissance role resulted in the production variant, the Avro 652a, which flew at Woodford on New Years Eve 1935 with the type entering service in March 1936 as the Anson Mk1. Initially it was flown with a 3-man crew but later developments in its reconnaissance role required a 4th crew member. The Anson entered service on 6 March 1936 with 48 Squadron equipped with the Anson. At the start of the Second World War, the RAF had received 824 Ansons and there were 26 RAF squadrons operating the Anson I: 10 with Coastal Command and 16 with Bomber Command. All of the squadrons in Bomber Command in 1939 with Anson Is were operational training squadrons that prepared crews for frontline service. 12 of the squadrons were in No. 6 (Operational Training) Group. Newly formed crews having completed individual flying and technical training were first trained as bomber crews in Ansons and then advanced to the various frontline aircraft types, which were also in the same squadrons with the Ansons. After training in the frontline aircraft type, crews would advance to the frontline bomber squadrons with those aircraft types (Fairey Battle, Bristol Blenheim, Vickers Wellington, Armstrong Whitworth Whitley, and Handley-Page Hampden). At the start of the war, the Lockheed Hudson was beginning to replace the Ansons in Coastal Command with one squadron of Hudsons and one with both Ansons and Hudsons. Limited numbers of Ansons continued to serve in operational roles such as coastal patrols and air/sea rescue. Early in the war, an Anson scored a probable hit on a German U-boat. In June 1940, a flight of three Ansons was attacked by nine Luftwaffe Messerschmitt Bf 109s. Remarkably, before the dogfight ended, without losing any of their own, one of the Ansons destroyed two German aircraft and damaged a third. The aircraft's true role, however, was to train pilots for flying multi-engined bombers such as the Avro Lancaster. The Anson was also used to train the other members of a bomber's aircrew, such as navigators, wireless operators, bomb aimers and air gunners. Postwar, the Anson continued in the training and light transport roles. The last Ansons were withdrawn from RAF service with communications units on 28 June 1968. The Royal Australian Air Force operated 1,028 Ansons, mainly Mk Is, until 1955

Halifax



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Manufacturer : Handley Page
Production Began : 1941
Retired : 1952
Number Built : 6177

Halifax

Royal Air Force heavy Bomber with a crew of six to eight. Maximum speed of 280mph (with MK.VI top speed of 312mph) service ceiling of 22,800feet maximum range of 3,000 miles. The Halifax carried four .303 browning machine guns in the tail turret, two .303 browning machines in the nose turret in the MK III there were four .303 brownings in the dorsal turret. The Handley Page Halifax, first joined the Royal Air Force in March 1941 with 35 squadron. The Halifax saw service in Europe and the Middle east with a variety of variants for use with Coastal Command, in anti Submarine warfare, special duties, glider-tugs, and troop transportation roles. A total of 6177 Halifax's were built and stayed in service with the Royal Air Force until 1952

Hudson



Click the name above to see prints featuring Hudson aircraft.

Manufacturer : Lockheed
Production Began : 1939
Number Built : 2584

Hudson

In 1938, the British Purchasing Commission sought an American maritime patrol aircraft and light bomber for the United Kingdom to support the Royal Air Force's Avro Anson. On 10th December 1938, Lockheed produced a modified version of the Lockheed Model 14 Super Electra which was a commercial airliner and the Hudson Mk I went into production. The Hudson was the first significant aircraft construction contract for the Lockhead Aircraft Corporation with the initial RAF order for 200 Hudsons far surpassed any previous order the company had received. By February 1939, Hudsons began to be delivered. A total of 350 Mk I and 20 Mk II Hudsons were supplied in total. These had two fixed Browning machine guns in the nose and two more in a Boulton Paul dorsal turret. Initially the first batch of Hudsons were supplied to No.224 Squadron RAF based at RAF Leuchers in May 1939. By the start of the war in September 78 Hudsons were in service. Not only did the RAF use the Hudson but the Hudson also served throughout the war with Coastal Command and was also used in transport and training roles as well as delivering agents into occupied France. They were also used extensively with the Royal Canadian Air Force wiht their anti-submarine squadrons. They were operated by RAF Special Duties squadrons for clandestine operations, with No.161 Squadron in Europe and No.357 Squadron operating in Burma. During the war, they were used as maritime patrol aircraft in the Pacific by the US Navy, the RAAF and the Royal New Zealand Air Force. A total of 2,584 Hudsons were built. They began to be withdrawn from front line service in 1944. The Hudson provided the basis for the development of the Lockhead Ventura.

Lancaster



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Manufacturer : Avro
Production Began : 1942
Retired : 1963
Number Built : 7377

Lancaster

The Avro Lancaster arose from the avro Manchester and the first prototype Lancaster was a converted Manchester with four engines. The Lancaster was first flown in January 1941, and started operations in March 1942. By March 1945 The Royal Air Force had 56 squadrons of Lancasters with the first squadron equipped being No.44 Squadron. During World War Two the Avro Lancaster flew 156,000 sorties and dropped 618,378 tonnes of bombs between 1942 and 1945. Lancaster Bomberss took part in the devastating round-the-clock raids on Hamburg during Air Marshall Harris' Operation Gomorrah in July 1943. Just 35 Lancasters completed more than 100 successful operations each, and 3,249 were lost in action. The most successful survivor completed 139 operations, and the Lancaster was scrapped after the war in 1947. A few Lancasters were converted into tankers and the two tanker aircraft were joined by another converted Lancaster and were used in the Berlin Airlift, achieving 757 tanker sorties. A famous Lancaster bombing raid was the 1943 mission, codenamed Operation Chastise, to destroy the dams of the Ruhr Valley. The operation was carried out by 617 Squadron in modified Mk IIIs carrying special drum shaped bouncing bombs designed by Barnes Wallis. Also famous was a series of Lancaster attacks using Tallboy bombs against the German battleship Tirpitz, which first disabled and later sank the ship. The Lancaster bomber was the basis of the new Avro Lincoln bomber, initially known as the Lancaster IV and Lancaster V. (Becoming Lincoln B1 and B2 respectively.) Their Lancastrian airliner was also based on the Lancaster but was not very successful. Other developments were the Avro York and the successful Shackleton which continued in airborne early warning service up to 1992.

Liberator



Click the name above to see prints featuring Liberator aircraft.

Manufacturer : Consolidated Aircraft of San Diego, California
Production Began : 1939
Retired : 1968
Number Built : 18188

Liberator

he initial production batch of B-24As was completed in 1941, with many being sold directly to the Royal Air Force. Sent to Britain, where the bomber was dubbed "Liberator," the RAF soon found that they were unsuitable for combat over Europe as they had insufficient defensive armament and lacked self-sealing fuel tanks. Due to the aircraft's heavy payload and long range, the British converted these aircraft for use in maritime patrols. Learning from these issues, Consolidated improved the design and the first major American production model was the B-24C which also included improved Pratt & Whitney engines. In 1940, Consolidated again revised the aircraft and produced the B-24D. The first major variant of the Liberator, the B-24D quickly amassed orders for 2,738 aircraft. Overwhelming Consolidated's production capabilities, the aircraft was also built under license by North American, Douglas, and Ford. The latter built a massive plant at Willow Run, Michigan that, at its peak (August 1944), was producing fourteen aircraft per day. Revised and improved several times throughout World War II, the final variant, the B-24M, ended production on May 31, 1945. he United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) took delivery of its first B-24As in mid-1941. Over the next three years, B-24 squadrons deployed to all theaters of the war: African, European, China-Burma-India, the Anti-submarine Campaign, the Southwest Pacific Theater and the Pacific Theater. In the Pacific, to simplify logistics and to take advantage of its longer range, the B-24 (and its twin, the U.S. Navy PB4Y) was the chosen standard heavy bomber. By mid-1943, the shorter-range B-17 was phased out. The Liberators which had served early in the war in the Pacific continued the efforts from the Philippines, Australia, Espiritu Santo,Guadalcanal, Hawaii, and Midway Island. The Liberator peak overseas deployment was 45.5 bomb groups in June 1944. Additionally, the Liberator equipped a number of independent squadrons in a variety of special combat roles. The cargo versions, C-87 and C-109 tanker, further increased its overseas presence, especially in Asia in support of the XX Bomber Command air offensive against Japan. So vital was the need for long range operations, that at first USAAF used the type as transports. The sole B-24 in Hawaii was destroyed by the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941. It had been sent to the Central Pacific for a very long range reconnaissance mission that was preempted by the Japanese attack. The first USAAF Liberators to carry out combat missions were 12 repossessed LB-30s deployed to Java with the 11th Bombardment Squadron (7th Bombardment Group) that flew their first combat mission in mid-January. Two were shot up by Japanese fighters, but both managed to land safely. One was written off due to battle damage and the other crash-landed on a beach. US-based B-24s entered combat service in 1942 when on 6 June, four B-24s from Hawaii staging through Midway Island attempted an attack on Wake Island, but were unable to find it. The B-24 came to dominate the heavy bombardment role in the Pacific because compared to the B-17, the B-24 was faster, had longer range, and could carry a ton more bombs. In the European and North Africa Theatres On 12 June 1942, 13 B-24s of the Halverson Project (HALPRO) flying from Egypt attacked the Axis-controlled oil fields and refineries around Ploiești, Romania. Within weeks, the First Provisional Bombardment Group formed from the remnants of the Halverson and China detachments. This unit then was formalized as the 376th Bombardment Group, Heavy and along with the 98th BG formed the nucleus of the IX Bomber Command of the Ninth Air Force, operating from Africa until absorbed into the Twelfth Air Force briefly, and then the Fifteenth Air Force, operating from Italy. The Ninth Air Force moved to England in late 1943. This was a major component of the USSTAF and took a major role in strategic bombing. Fifteen of the 15th AF's 21 bombardment groups flew B-24s 1st August 1943 Operation Tidal Wave: A group of 177 American B-24 Liberator bombers, with 1,726 total crew, departed from Libya to make the first bombing of the oil refineries at Ploieşti, Romania, the major supplier of fuel to Germany. The mission temporarily halted oil production, but 532 airmen and 54 of the planes were lost. After a 40% loss of production, the refineries would be repaired more quickly than projected.[1] Germany's Radio Reconnaissance Service had intercepted and decrypted the Allied messages about the raid and the departure from Libya, and anti-aircraft defenses were in place despite the low-level approach of the bombers.

Mosquito



Click the name above to see prints featuring Mosquito aircraft.

Manufacturer : De Havilland
Production Began : 1940
Retired : 1955
Number Built : 7781

Mosquito

Used as a night fighter, fighter bomber, bomber and Photo-reconnaissance, with a crew of two, Maximum speed was 425 mph, at 30,300 feet, 380mph at 17,000ft. and a ceiling of 36,000feet, maximum range 3,500 miles. the Mosquito was armed with four 20mm Hospano cannon in belly and four .303 inch browning machine guns in nose. Coastal strike aircraft had eight 3-inch Rockets under the wings, and one 57mm shell gun in belly. The Mossie at it was known made its first flight on 25th November 1940, and the mosquito made its first operational flight for the Royal Air Force as a reconnaissance unit based at Benson. In early 1942, a modified version (mark II) operated as a night fighter with 157 and 23 squadron's. In April 1943 the first De Haviland Mosquito saw service in the Far east and in 1944 The Mosquito was used at Coastal Command in its strike wings. Bomber Commands offensive against Germany saw many Mosquitos, used as photo Reconnaissance aircraft, Fighter Escorts, and Path Finders. The Mosquito stayed in service with the Royal Air Force until 1955. and a total of 7781 mosquito's were built.




Last edited : 15:56, June 21, 2016
Last editor : HMS

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