No. 269 Squadron RAF
No. 269 Squadron RAF | |
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Coastal Command | |
Motto(s) | Latin: Omnia videmus ("We see all things")[1] |
Engagements | World War I World War II Battle of the Atlantic Cold War |
Insignia | |
Squadron Badge | An ancient ship in full sail[2] |
Squadron Codes | KL (Apr 1939 - Sep 1939) UA (Sep 1939 - Jan 1944) HK (Oct 1944 - Mar 1946) |
No. 269 Squadron RAF was a maritime patrol unit of the Royal Air Force that saw service in World War I, World War II, and the Cold War.
Service history
World War I
On 6 October 1918, No. 269 Squadron was formed from Nos. 431 and 432 Flights at the seaplane station based at
Inter-war Period
On 7 December 1936, C Flight of
World War II
1939
No. 269 Squadron was transferred to
1940
Aircraft from No. 269 Squadron made six separate attacks on German
- 1 March — The Stavanger airfieldwas attacked.
- 11 June — The German battleships Scharnhorst, Gneisenau and Admiral Hipper were attacked while at anchor in Trondheim harbor.
- 22 June — Aircraft from the No. 269 Squadron and No. 442 Squadron RAF attacked the German battleship Scharnhorst while at sea north of Bergen, but inflicted little damage on the German warship.
- 27 June — No. 269 Squadron executed a special mission reconnaissance of Norwegian coast.
The squadron also began receiving new Lockheed Hudson patrol bombers starting in March 1940, completing the transition on 15 April, while it ceased operating Avro Anson aircraft as of 1 June. By 15 July, No, 269 Squadron was fully operational with 18 Hudson Mk1 aircraft.[5]
1941
After a year of operations against enemy shipping from RAF Wick, No. 269 Squadron began transferring to Iceland starting on 12 April 1941, with the last Hudson aircraft arriving on 30 May. The squadron completed its re-deployment to Iceland on 10 July. A detachment of No. 269 Squadron deployed to RAF Reykjavik on 12 December.[6]
On 9 April, six aircraft from RAF Wick bombed the aluminium factory at
On 27 August 1941,
1942
Aircraft of the No. 269 Squadron attacked U-510 on 14 July, U-609 on 23 July, U-164 and U-210 on 26 July, and U-595 on 30 July and 31 July. No. 269 aircraft made eight separate U-boat attacks during August. Six U-boats were attacked during September. U-183 was attacked on 3 October. No. 269 Squadron scored its first confirmed U-boat kill by sinking U-619 on 5 October.[9]
1943
No. 269 Squadron attacked four U-boats during January, and Four Hudson aircraft were deployed to the Bluie West One airfield in Greenland on 29 January. No. 269 Squadron attacked three U-boats in April and eight in May, as well as sinking U-646 and U-273 on 17 May and 19 May, respectively. Six U-boats were attacked in June, and No. 269 aircraft sank U-535 on 5 July. Three U-boats were attacked in August. U-336 was sunk on 27 September, and U-539 was attacked. U-275 was attacked on 3 October, U-641 was severely damaged, and sank U-389 on 5 October.[10]
On 13 December, No. 269 Squadron began its temporary transfer from RAF Reykjavik to RAF Davidstow Moor prior to its 1944 deployment to the Azores. The squadron was re-equipped with Supermarine Walrus I and Vickers Warwick I ASRI aircraft, as well as retaining its extant Hudson Mk III patrol aircraft. The squadron also received Miles Martinet I aircraft for target-towing purposes. This transfer was completed on 8 January 1944,[11]
1944 - 1946
No. 269 Squadron completed its deployment to
Cold War
No. 269 Squadron was reformed at North Front,
Aircraft
The following aircraft were assigned to No. 269 Squadron during its operation service arranged in chronological order:[14]
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References
Notes
- ISBN 0-7100-9339-X.
- ISSN 0015-3710.
- ^ a b "History of No. 269 Squadron Royal Air Force, 1914-1923". No. 269 Squadron RAF – Old Comrades' Association. Archived from the original on 19 September 2012. Retrieved 30 August 2008.
- ^ "History of No. 269 Squadron Royal Air Force, 1936-1940". No. 269 Squadron RAF – Old Comrades' Association. Archived from the original on 5 September 2012. Retrieved 30 August 2008.; "No. 269 Squadron RAF". RAF Command. Archived from the original on 27 August 2008. Retrieved 30 August 2008.
- ^ a b "History of No. 269 Squadron Royal Air Force, 1936-1940". No. 269 Squadron RAF – Old Comrades' Association. Archived from the original on 5 September 2012. Retrieved 30 August 2008.
- ^ a b c "History of No. 269 Squadron Royal Air Force, 1941". No. 269 Squadron RAF – Old Comrades' Association. Archived from the original on 19 September 2012. Retrieved 30 August 2008.
- ^ "History of No. 269 Squadron Royal Air Force, 1941". No. 269 Squadron RAF – Old Comrades' Association. Archived from the original on 19 September 2012. Retrieved 30 August 2008.; "No 269 Squadron". Air of Authority - A History of RAF Organisation. Archived from the original on 20 August 2008. Retrieved 30 August 2008.
- ^ "No. 35283". The London Gazette. 23 September 1941. p. 5521.
- ^ "History of No. 269 Squadron Royal Air Force, 1942". No. 269 Squadron RAF – Old Comrades' Association. Archived from the original on 5 September 2012. Retrieved 30 August 2008.
- ^ "History of No. 269 Squadron Royal Air Force, 1943". No. 269 Squadron RAF – Old Comrades' Association. Archived from the original on 8 September 2012. Retrieved 30 August 2008.
- ^ "History of No. 269 Squadron Royal Air Force, 1943". No. 269 Squadron RAF – Old Comrades' Association. Archived from the original on 8 September 2012. Retrieved 30 August 2008.; "History of No.2 69 Squadron Royal Air Force, 1944 - 1946". No. 269 Squadron RAF – Old Comrades' Association. Archived from the original on 6 September 2012. Retrieved 30 August 2008.
- ^ "History of No. 269 Squadron Royal Air Force, 1944 - 1946". No. 269 Squadron RAF – Old Comrades' Association. Archived from the original on 6 September 2012. Retrieved 30 August 2008.
- ^ a b c d "History of No. 269 Squadron Royal Air Force, 1952 - 1963". No. 269 Squadron RAF – Old Comrades' Association. Archived from the original on 14 August 2007. Retrieved 30 August 2008.
- ^ "No. 269 Squadron RAF - Aircraft and Markings". Air of Authority: A History of RAF Organisation. Archived from the original on 2 May 2008. Retrieved 30 August 2008.
Bibliography
- Halley, James J. The Squadrons of the Royal Air Force & Commonwealth, 1918 -1988. Tonbridge, Kent, UK: Air Britain (Historians) Ltd., 1988. ISBN 0-85130-164-9.
- Jefford, C.G. RAF Squadrons, a Comprehensive Record of the Movement and Equipment of all RAF Squadrons and their Antecedents since 1912. Shrewsbury: Airlife Publishing, 1998 (second edition 2001). ISBN 1-84037-141-2.
- Rayner, Ted. Coastal Command Pilot, 1939-1945: Wartime Experiences with 220 & 269 Squadrons. Bognor Regis, West Sussex, UK: Woodfield Publishing Ltd., 1994. ISBN 1-873203-29-2.
- Rawlings, John D.R. Coastal, Support and Special Squadrons of the RAF and their Aircraft. London: Jane's Publishing Company Ltd., 1982. ISBN 0-7106-0187-5.
External links
- Royal Air Force
- Air of Authority: A History of RAF Organisation
- RAF Command
- No. 269 Squadron RAF – Old Comrades' Association
- RAF Davidstow Moor