No. 13 Squadron RAF

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No. XIII Squadron RAF
Latin for 'We assist by watching')[1]
AircraftGeneral Atomics MQ-9A Reaper
Battle honours
Insignia
Squadron codeAN (1939) OO (1939-1942)
Squadron badge heraldryIn front of a dagger, a lynx's head affrontee.[2]
Squadron markings

Number 13 Squadron, also written as XIII Squadron, is a squadron of the

SPAD XIII, the Sopwith Dolphin during the First World War. In the Second World War it started out operating the Westland Lysander for army cooperation. From late 1942 it used Blenheims in North Africa but in 1943 squadron converted to Ventura for coastal patrols and convoy escort duties. Post war it operated Mosquito before transitioning to the new jet aircraft Gloster Meteor and English Electric Canberra for photoreconnaissance. From 1 January 1990, it operated the Panavia Tornado, initially the GR1A at RAF Honington and later the GR4/4A at RAF Marham where it temporarily disbanded on 13 May 2011.[4]

History

World War I

No. XIII Squadron RFC was formed at

SPAD XIII, and the Sopwith Dolphin fighters. The squadron disbanded on 31 December 1919.[5]

World War II

The unit had reformed at

Fall of France.[6]

In May 1941 No. XIII Squadron changed role and theatre, flying a variety of bomber aircraft including the

Douglas Boston light bombers in the Mediterranean until the end of the war,[7] disbanding on 19 April 1946.[8]

Cold War (1946–1982)

Canberra PR.9 XH130 of No. 13 (Photographic Reconnaissance) Squadron in 1964

No. XIII Squadron reformed as No. 13 (Photographic Reconnaissance) Squadron on 1 September 1946 at RAF Ein Shemer, Palestine, when No. 680 Squadron was renumbered.[8] Peace heralded the return to reconnaissance duties, with the unit flying the de Havilland Mosquito PR.34. Moving to Egypt, the squadron converted to the Gloster Meteor PR.10 in 1952 and by 1956 was operating the English Electric Canberra PR.7.[9]

During the

1956 Suez Crisis, the squadron flew reconnaissance flights over Syria from Cyprus, which resulted in one Canberra being shot down by the Syrian Air Force.[10]

In 1978, the squadron moved to RAF Wyton near Huntingdon in the UK, flying Canberra PR.7 and PR.9s, built by Short Brothers, until the unit disbanded on 1 January 1982.[7]

Panavia Tornado (1990–2011)

RAF Honington & Gulf War (1990–1994)

The squadron reformed at RAF Honington on 1 January 1990 equipped with reconnaissance Tornado GR.1A aircraft. These aircraft were equipped with the new and somewhat embryonic reconnaissance equipment designed to exploit the night, all-weather capability of the Tornado by using a unique system of infra-red sensors and video recorders. The complete system is carried and allows the Navigator to either view the imagery in real time or later in the mission. As the Allied Coalition began to deploy forces to the Gulf in the latter part of 1990, it quickly became apparent that the unique night reconnaissance capability of the Tornado GR.1A could provide vital intelligence to the Allied commanders. As a result, on 15/16 January 1991, immediately before hostilities commenced, 6 aircraft were deployed to Saudi Arabia. During the first nights of the War, the Reconnaissance Wing successfully discovered several of the elusive Scud sites.[11]

The majority of sorties were however, tasked into Central and Eastern Iraq to identify the disposition of the various Iraqi ground forces in preparation for the ground offensive. Although the rest of the Coalition Air Forces moved to medium level operations after the first few nights of the air war, the GR.1As operated at night and at low-level for the duration of the conflict. The Squadron was also fundamental to the success of the Tornado/TIALD (Thermal Imaging And Laser Designation) combination. 4 XIII Squadron crews began the work-up from mid-January and, after encouraging results, four aircraft flew to Tabuk.[12]

After the war, the Squadron continued its peacetime training role at RAF Honington as well as taking part in

No-Fly Zone in the South of Iraq below the 32nd parallel north.[13]

RAF Marham (1994–2011)

Tornado GR.4A ZG712 of No. 13 Squadron as seen at the 2007 CIAF air show in the Czech Republic

On 1 February 1994, No. XIII Squadron moved to RAF Marham. Since that time, the Squadron has taken part in a number of successful exercises around the world from

Operation Telic in 2009.[4]

In the summer of 2010 the squadron flew Close Air Support in Afghanistan as part of Operation Herrick,[4] and in 2011 they fired Storm Shadow missiles against Libya in the early days of Operation Ellamy.[4] A few weeks later, on 13 May 2011, the squadron was disbanded as part of the reductions announced in the Strategic Defence and Security Review of 2010.[4]

MQ-9 Reaper (2012–present)

At the disbandment parade of XIII (Tornado) Squadron in May 2011, the Chief of the Air Staff announced the formation of a second unit operating the MQ-9 Reaper RPAS, which would receive the XIII Squadron numberplate. XIII (Reaper) Squadron was reformed on 26 October 2012 at RAF Waddington.[14][15] Subsequently, the Squadron flew the first remote operational mission from UK soil towards the end of April 2013[16] and conducted its first remote weapons strike a few days later.[17]

The squadron will re-equip with Protector RG Mk1 when that comes into service around 2024.[18]

Aircraft operated

List of aircraft operated by No. 13 Squadron:[8]

A selection of aircraft operated by No. 13 Squadron

See also

  • List of RAF squadrons

Bibliography

  • Halley, J.J., The Squadrons of the Royal Air Force & Commonwealth 1918-1988, 1988, Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd,
    ISBN 0-85130-164-9
  • Jefford, C G (1988). RAF Squadrons. A comprehensive record of the movement and equipment of all RAF squadrons and their antecedents since 1912.
    ISBN 1-85310-053-6
    .

References

  1. ISBN 0-7100-9339-X
    .
  2. ^ The Squadron had used the dagger for some time and the lynx's head indicates vigilance. Approved by King George VI in February 1937.
  3. ^ RAF to get new Reaper squadron Archived 22 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine
  4. ^ a b c d e "No XIII Squadron Disbandment – RAF Marham". Royal Air Force. 13 May 2011. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 11 June 2011.
  5. ^ a b Halley, 1988, p. 44
  6. ^ Jefford 1988, p. 28
  7. ^ a b Halley, 1988, p. 45
  8. ^ a b c "No.13 Squadron". National Cold War Exhibition. Royal Air Force Museum. Retrieved 4 February 2018.
  9. ^ "No 13 Squadron". Air of Authority - A History of RAF Organisation. Retrieved 23 November 2020.
  10. ISBN 978-1560986263
    .
  11. ^ "British Military Aviation in 1991". Royal air Force Museum. Retrieved 10 June 2019.
  12. ISBN 978-1473837720
    .
  13. ^ "Sir Stephen Dalton - LLD (Doctor of Laws)". University of Leicester. 14 July 2011. Retrieved 10 June 2019.
  14. ^ "13 Squadron reformed October 2012". Royal Air Force Association Costa Blanca Branch. 26 October 2012. Retrieved 15 September 2013.
  15. ^ Clements, Richard (15 January 2013) UK’s Royal Air Force to support French forces deployed to Mali with airlifters. And drones The Aviationist, Retrieved 5 February 2013
  16. ^ "Armed drones operated from RAF base in UK, says MoD". BBC News. Retrieved 7 November 2015.
  17. ^ "RAF crew conducts first Reaper strike in Afghanistan from UK soil". Flightglobal.com. Retrieved 7 November 2015.
  18. ^ Allison, George (17 September 2021). "Second Protector squadron to be 13 Squadron".

External links

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