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Fighter Command |
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Fighter Command carried the brunt of the air war during the Battle of Britain. It was divided into four main sub-groups responsible for defence of the northern, central, south west and south east sections of Britain. During those desperate days its losses were heavy and the men exhausted by constant sorties, struggling against the numerically superior Luftwaffe. At one stage Fighter Command was flying 600 sorties a day. But their fight was critical to maintaining Britain's fighting will. Prior to the Battle of Britain, RAF squadrons had flown in support of the British Expeditionary Force during the German invasion of France. At the beginning of 1940 there were about 450 RAAF personnel serving in RAF squadrons. About fifty Australian pilots flew against the Luftwaffe over France. Ten of these were killed including South Australian Flying Officer Leslie Clisby who was killed in May after downing eight enemy aircraft in a five day period. Losses in the Battle of France meant only thirty Australian pilots, a third of whom would be killed, flew in the crucial weeks of the Battle of Britain. Fighter Command worked with both Bomber and Coastal Command in mounting an effective defence against German raiders. This cohesion, along with Goering's mismanagement of his forces and the development of a highly efficient integrated air defence system helped shift the balance of power in the air overhead the United Kingdom. Australian fighter squadrons also participated in the D-Day offensive flying over the beaches in support of the bombers and as a screen to keep the Luftwaffe at bay. Over 200 Australian pilots serving in RAF Squadrons were involved in this phase as well as the pilots in RAAF day fighter squadron No. 453 and its night fighter equivalent No. 456. On 25 June Spitfire pilots of No. 453 Squadron clashed with German planes over Liseux and claimed four kills and five damaged. Three Australian fighter squadrons were formed in England: No. 452, 456 and 457. No. 452 Squadron produced fighter pilots such as Keith 'Bluey' Truscott, 'Bardie' Wawn and R.E. Thorold-Smith. 452 Squadron formed on 8th April, 1941 at Kirton-on-Lindsey, England, with Spitfire Is, becoming the first RAAF unit raised in the United Kingdom. 452 initially undertook convoy patrols, bomber escort missions and fighter sweeps over occupied France. It drew its first blood on July 11, when Irish pilot Flt. Lt. Brendan Eugene "Paddy" Finucane, a flight commander, downed a Bf.109. 452 Squadron was one of the most successful RAAF Spitfire squadrons, and from August to November 1941 distinguished itself as the top-scoring fighter squadron in RAF Fighter Command. It was recalled to Australia in late 1942 to participate in the war in the Pacific. In June 1941, 457 Squadron formed in England and spent the remainder of the year flying patrols and convoy escort missions. The Squadron was also used as an operational training unit, supplying Spitfire pilots to squadrons engaged in operations. In March 1942, No. 457 Squadron moved to Redhill and operations quickly increased in intensity with the Spitfires flying escort to RAF light bombers attacking occupied France. Constant contact with enemy fighters and sophisticated anti-aircraft defences saw squadron losses mount. After three months of flying fighter sweeps and bomber escort missions, 457 Squadron was withdrawn from Europe, sailing for Australia in June. During its short period of active operations, 457 Squadron had shot down nine enemy aircraft and damaged a further seven. 457 Squadron was effectively replaced by the formation of 453 Squadron. Equipped with Spitfires, 453 Squadron was re-formed in England in June 1942 after it had been wrecked in the Japanese offensive in the East. Flying fighter sweeps and bomber escort the Squadron's Spitfires accounted for many enemy aircraft. Early 1944 saw 453 Squadron operations concentrated on defensive patrols designed to keep German reconnaissance aircraft from detecting the shipping build-up prior to the Allied invasion of Europe. Following the D-Day landings the squadron was involved in combat patrols over the beach head. The next three months saw 453 Squadron deployed to Europe in support of the advancing Allied ground forces. By September 1944 the Squadron was back in England, from where its Spitfires mounted attacks against heavily defended V-1 and V-2 missile launching sites in Holland. From November until the end of the war the squadron was once again flying fighter sweeps and bomber escort. Following Germany's capitulation, 453 Squadron was selected as part of the Allied occupation forces and was the first Commonwealth squadron to be based in Berlin. 453 squadron disbanded on 21 January 1946. No. 456 Squadron, equipped with Defiant night fighters, was formed in England in June 1941 The Defiants were soon replaced with Beaufighters and on the 11 January 1942 the squadron claimed its first kill - a German bomber. For the next six months the squadron's activities consisted of uneventful patrols with an occasional air-sea rescue mission. In December the unit began to re-equip with Mosquitoes and commenced offensive missions known as 'Rangers' over occupied Europe. The Mosquitoes' usual targets were road and rail transport, and during the month of May 1943, 456 Squadron damaged or destroyed eighteen locomotives. From mid-1943, 456 Squadron Mosquitoes hunted German Ju88 fighters, which were attacking Coastal Command aircraft. When located, the German twin-engine fighters often attempted to escape but were usually caught by the faster Mosquitoes. In February 1944, after being re-equipped with aircraft fitted with an improved radar, 456 Squadron began operations against German bombers making night attacks against London. In the month following the Normandy landings, 456 Squadron met with outstanding success over France, destroying thirteen bombers. June 1944 also saw the commencement of V-1 flying bomb attacks against English cities. 456 Squadron Mosquitoes achieved an impressive record against these rockets, with one pilot shooting down at least nine V1's. From late 1944 until the end of the war, 456 Squadron continued its 'Ranger' missions over Germany, attacking airfields in support of Bomber Command as well as other targets of opportunity. 456 Squadron disbanded on 15 June 1945. |
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