101 Squadron (Israel)

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101 Squadron
F-16C

101 Squadron of the

F-16C Fighting Falcon Barak out of Ramat David Airbase
.

History

101 Squadron is Israel's first fighter squadron, formed on 20 May 1948, six days after Israel declared its independence. Initially flying the

Dassault Mystere IV, Dassault Mirage IIICJ, IAI Nesher and IAI Kfir
.

101 Squadron was formed at two air bases simultaneously: IAF Ekron, former

RAF Aqir, currently Tel Nof Airbase, and Žatec, code-named "Zebra", in northwestern Czechoslovakia, a former Luftwaffe airfield close to a Messerschmitt production facility. Pilots received initial flight training on the Avia S-199s, Czechoslovak-built copies of the Bf 109G with 1,320 hp Junkers Jumo 211F powerplants. During one ferry flight some of the squadron's 15 aircraft were forced to land in Greece, and were immediately impounded. During the next ferry-flight a C-46 was used as a navigation guide, and a corvette was readied off the coast in case any aircraft had to be ditched and pilots rescued from water.[1]

Four of these flew the squadron's first mission on 29 May 1948, strafing the Egyptian ground forces near

C-47s which had just bombed Tel Aviv.[2][3]

A makeshift strip located around the current Herzliya Airport was the main operating base of the squadron between June and October 1948, and the squadron moved to it after un-assembled planes were strafed on the ground on 30 May. The airfield was used as it was some distance behind the front lines, and was clandestine. It was a purpose built strip that was constructed after the beginning of hostilities in between the orange orchards around Herzliya, and did not appear on published maps.[4][5][6]

During these initial operations, the squadron operated with a few planes in the face of the Arab forces' near-

air superiority towards the Israelis.[7][8][9] In 2021 the squadron relocated from Hatzor Airbase to Ramat David Airbase alongside the 105 Squadron
.

Pilots

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Squadron 101 (Israeli Air Force).
  1. ^ Luttrell, Robert J., I flew for Israel, Flying Magazine, May 1949, p.58
  2. ISBN 1-84176-294-6
    .
  3. ISBN 1-85780-088-5
    .
  4. ^ "How Nazi Fighter Planes Saved Israel War Is Boring, 2016-15-08". Archived from the original on 2016-09-07. Retrieved 2017-03-15.
  5. ^ "Herzliya Airfield - first days, AOPA Israel, 2014-04-22". Archived from the original on 2017-03-15. Retrieved 2017-03-15.
  6. ^ "המרכז הבינתחומי - הבסיס שעשה היסטוריה - וואלה! חדשות". 2017-03-15. Archived from the original on 2017-03-15. Retrieved 2021-06-16.
  7. ^ "How Nazi Fighter Planes Saved Israel War Is Boring, 2016-15-08". Archived from the original on 2016-09-07. Retrieved 2017-03-15.
  8. ^ "Herzliya Airfield - first days, AOPA Israel, 2014-04-22". Archived from the original on 2017-03-15. Retrieved 2017-03-15.
  9. ^ "המרכז הבינתחומי - הבסיס שעשה היסטוריה - וואלה! חדשות". 2017-03-15. Archived from the original on 2017-03-15. Retrieved 2021-06-16.

External links

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