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Defunct flying squadron of the Royal Air Force
Military unit
No. 199 Squadron
was a
Royal Air Force
aircraft squadron that operated during the Second World War and later in the 1950s as a radar countermeasures squadron.
History
[
edit
]
No. 199 Squadron was formed at
Rochford
on 1 June 1917 with
Royal Aircraft Factory BE.2e
biplanes to teach pilots advanced bomber training. Renumbered as No. 99 (Depot Training) Squadron RFC the squadron moved to
RFCS Harpswell, Lincolnshire
in 1918, as a night bomber training unit, where it was disbanded on 13 June 1919.
Dutch monument to Wellington HE702, lost over
Doornspijk
, Netherlands, on 13 May 1943
The squadron reformed at
RAF Blyton
on 7 November 1942 equipped with the
Vickers Wellington
, after a few months the squadron moved to
RAF Lakenheath
and was re-equipped with the
Short Stirling
heavy-bomber. Between February 1943 and June 1943 the squadron was based at
RAF Ingham
in
Lincolnshire
training for maritime mine laying over
The Wash
. Following training the squadron returned to RAF Lakenheath for marine operations over the English Channel and North Sea.
Stirling at Lakenheath, preparing for a minelaying operation along the Dutch coast
In July 1943 the squadron commenced mine laying duties using the Stirling and from February 1944 performed supply drops for the
Special Operations Executive
.
In May 1944 the squadron was moved from 3 Group to
No. 100 (Radio Countermeasures) Group
and from RAF Lakenheath to
RAF North Creake
. It was equipped with new Short Stirling IIIs fitted with Mandrel and Shiver radar jamming equipment and the Gee navigation aid to perform radar jamming operations during the landings in Normandy. While Mandrel had already been used with Bomber Command's 'Main Force' on heavy bomber raids over Germany and by 515 Squadron, 199 Squadron were to create a solid screen of jamming for the main force. This entailed pairs of aircraft flying circuits about 10 miles long perpendicular to the enemy coast; the two aircraft covering the full spectrum of the enemy radar between them.
[2]
In 1945 the Stirlings were exchanged for the
Handley Page Halifax
until the squadron was disbanded on 29 July 1945 at
RAF North Creake
.
Over the months, the squadron refined their technique and with two other squadrons could form a screen from Sussex north east and out over the North Sea about level with the Humber. C Flight was split off from 199 to form 171 Squadron, eventually receiving Halifax bombers with Mandrel.
In 1951 the squadron was formed again at
RAF Watton
as part of No. 90 Signals Group to operate in the electronic countermeasures role with the
Avro Lincoln
and
de Havilland Mosquito
.
[4]
The Mosquitos were replaced by the
English Electric Canberra
and the squadron operated with other pathfinder Canberra squadrons at
RAF Hemswell
. The Lincolns were replaced by the
Vickers Valiant
in 1957. The squadron was disbanded on 15 December 1958 with the Valiants of C Flight becoming
18 Squadron
at
RAF Finningley
.
Aircraft operated
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]
References
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edit
]
Sources
[
edit
]
- Bowyer, Michael J F (1984).
Action Stations 1; Military Airfields of East Anglia
. Cambridge: Patrick Stephens.
ISBN
0-85059-335-2
.
- Jefford, C.G. (1988).
RAF Squadrons
. Airlife Publishing Ltd.
ISBN
1-85310-053-6
.
- The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft (Part Work 1982-1985)
. Orbis Publishing.