No. 313 (Czechoslovak) Squadron RAF

Last updated

No. 313 (Czechoslovak) Squadron RAF
No. 313 Squadron RAF badge.gif
Badge of № 313 Squadron RAF
Active10 May 1941 – 15 February 1946
Country Flag of the United Kingdom.svg United Kingdom
Allegiance Flag of the Czech Republic.svg Czechoslovakia
BranchEnsign of the Royal Air Force.svg  Royal Air Force
Nickname(s)Czechoslovak
Motto(s)(Czech): Jeden jestřáb mnoho vran rozhání
("One hawk chases away many crows")
Insignia
Squadron BadgeA hawk volant, wings elevated and addorsed
Squadron CodesRY (May 1941 – February 1946)

No. 313 Squadron RAF was a Czechoslovak-manned fighter squadron of the Royal Air Force in the Second World War.

Contents

History

The squadron was formed at RAF Catterick [1] on 10 May 1941. [2] It was the last RAF squadron to be formed mostly of escaped Czechoslovak pilots. Its first commander was the British Squadron Leader Gordon Sinclair. [3] On 29 July, Czechoslovak fighter pilot Josef Jaške was appointed as joint commander of the squadron. [4] The plan was for responsibility to be transferred gradually from Sinclair to Jaške.

The squadron was equipped initially with Supermarine Spitfire I fighters. On 30 June 1941 it moved to RAF Leconfield [1] in the East Riding of Yorkshire. In August the squadron was re-equipped with the Spitfire IIA, [5] and on 25 August it moved to RAF Portreath [1] in Cornwall. In October the squadron was re-equipped with the Spitfire VB/C. [5]

A 313 squadron pilot with a rigger, fitter and his Spitfire at RAF Hornchurch in April 1942 A Czech Spitfire pilot of No. 313 Squadron in conversation with his rigger and fitter at Hornchurch, 8 April 1942. CH17971.jpg
A 313 squadron pilot with a rigger, fitter and his Spitfire at RAF Hornchurch in April 1942

On 15 December 1941 Sqn Ldr Karel Mrázek succeeded Jaške as commanding officer [4] and the squadron moved to RAF Hornchurch [6] in Essex. On 8 June 1942 the squadron moved to RAF Church Stanton [6] in Somerset and on 26 June Sqn Ldr Jaroslav Himr succeeded Mrázek as commanding officer. [4]

In 1943 the squadron moved to Scotland, firstly on 28 June to RAF Sumburgh "A" in Shetland, and shortly thereafter to RAF Peterhead "B" [6] in Aberdeenshire. The squadron briefly flew the Spitfire VI in June and July 1943. [5] On 20 July it moved to RAF Hawkinge [6] in Kent. On 18 September it moved to RAF Ibsley [7] in Hampshire and on 24 September Sqn Ldr František Fajtl succeeded Himr as commanding officer. [4]

On 1 February 1944 Sqn Ldr Václav Bergman succeeded Fajtl as commanding officer. [4] Also in February the squadron was re-equipped with the Spitfire IX. [5] This model was fitted with 190-gallon "slipper" tanks to extend its range, enabling the squadron to escort bombers on raids deep into Germany. [8] On 20 February the squadron moved to RAF Mendlesham [7] in Suffolk. On 14 March it moved again, to RAF Rochford [7] in Essex.

Ground crew changing the engine oil of a Spitfire LF My IX at RAF Appledram Royal Air Force 1939-1945- Fighter Command CH12860.jpg
Ground crew changing the engine oil of a Spitfire LF My IX at RAF Appledram

On 3 April 1944 the squadron moved to RAF Appledram [9] in West Sussex. On 22 May Sqn Ldr Alois Hochmál succeeded Bergman as commanding officer. [4] From 29 June the squadron spent a few days at RAF Tangmere, [9] also in West Sussex. On 4 July it spent a week at RAF Lympne [9] in Kent.

On 11 July 1944 the squadron moved to RAF Skeabrae [9] on Orkney in Scotland. The squadron briefly flew the Spitfire VII in July and August 1944. [5]

On 3 October 1944 the squadron moved to RAF North Weald [9] in Essex. Also in October it reverted to the Spitfire IX, which it continued to operate until the end of its history as an RAF unit. [5] On 1 September 1944 Sqn Ldr Karel Kasal succeeded Hochmál as commanding officer, and on 15 November Sqn Ldr Otmar Kučera succeeded Kasal. [1] On 29 December the squadron moved to RAF Bradwell Bay, [9] also in Essex.

Farewell parade of Czechoslovak squadrons at RAF Manston, Kent, on 3 August 1945. Air Marshal John Slessor, with walking stick, inspects some of the men. Air Marshal Karel Janousek can be seen behind him. Slessor inspects Czecho-Slovak personnel.jpg
Farewell parade of Czechoslovak squadrons at RAF Manston, Kent, on 3 August 1945. Air Marshal John Slessor, with walking stick, inspects some of the men. Air Marshal Karel Janoušek can be seen behind him.

From 27 February to 8 May 1945 the squadron was based at RAF Manston [9] in Kent. On 3 August members of all of the RAF's Czechoslovak squadrons held a farewell parade at RAF Manston. Air Marshal John Slessor inspected the parade, accompanied by A/M Karel Janoušek. On 24 August 313 Squadron moved to Ruzyně Airport in Prague. It became a squadron of the new Czechoslovak Air Force, and on 15 February 1946 was officially disbanded as an RAF squadron. [2] [5]

Aircraft operated

A Spitfire Mk Vb in a sandbagged revetment at RAF Hornchurch in 1942 or 1943 as its pilot runs up its engine Royal Air Force Fighter Command, 1939-1945. CH5840.jpg
A Spitfire Mk Vb in a sandbagged revetment at RAF Hornchurch in 1942 or 1943 as its pilot runs up its engine
Aircraft used [5]
FromToAircraftVariantNotes
May 1941August 1941 Supermarine Spitfire I
August 1941November 1941 Supermarine Spitfire IIa
October 1941February 1944 Supermarine Spitfire Vb/c
June 1943July 1943 Supermarine Spitfire VI
February 1944July 1944 Supermarine Spitfire LF.IX
July 1944August 1944 Supermarine Spitfire VII
July 1944October 1944 Supermarine Spitfire Vb/c
October 1944February 1946 Supermarine Spitfire LF.IX

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">No. 303 Squadron RAF</span> Military unit

No. 303 Squadron RAF, also known as the 303rd "Tadeusz Kościuszko Warsaw" Fighter Squadron, was one of two Polish squadrons that fought during the Battle of Britain along with No. 302 Squadron, of 16 total Polish squadrons during the Second World War. Flying Hawker Hurricanes, the squadron claimed the largest number of aircraft shot down of the 66 Allied fighter squadrons engaged in the Battle of Britain, even though it joined the fray two months after the battle had begun.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">No. 54 Squadron RAF</span> Flying squadron of the Royal Air Force

Number 54 Squadron is a squadron of the Royal Air Force based at RAF Waddington, Lincolnshire. On 1 September 2005, it took on the role of Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) Operational Conversion Unit, and is now the Advanced Air ISTAR Academy, responsible for training all RAF crews assigned to the MQ-9A Reaper, Protector RG1 (MQ-9B), Shadow R1/R2, RC-135W Rivet Joint and Poseidon MRA1. It also controls the RAF ISR Warfare School (ISRWS) who run the Qualified Weapons Instructor Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance and QWI Reaper Courses.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">No. 249 Squadron RAF</span> Military unit

No. 249 Squadron RAF was a Royal Air Force squadron, active in the sea-patrol, fighter and bomber roles during its existence. It was one of the top scoring fighter squadrons of the RAF in World War II.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">No. 331 Squadron RAF</span> Squadron of the Royal Air Force

No. 331 Squadron RAF was a Second World War squadron of the Royal Air Force. The squadron was primarily manned with Norwegian aircrew. The squadron was part of Fighter Command between 1941 and March 1944 when it joined the 2nd Tactical Air Force until the end of the war. The squadron took part in the Dieppe Raid and the Normandy landings.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">No. 603 Squadron RAF</span> Force Protection squadron of the Royal Auxiliary Air Force

No. 603 Squadron is a squadron of the Royal Auxiliary Air Force, based in Edinburgh, Scotland. On reforming on 1 October 1999, the primary role of 603 Squadron was as a Survive to Operate squadron, as well as providing force protection.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">No. 310 (Czechoslovak) Squadron RAF</span> Defunct flying squadron of the Royal Air Force

No. 310 Squadron RAF was a Czechoslovak-manned fighter squadron of the Royal Air Force in the Second World War.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">No. 312 (Czechoslovak) Squadron RAF</span> Defunct flying squadron of the Royal Air Force

No. 312 Squadron RAF was a Czechoslovak-manned fighter squadron of the Royal Air Force in the Second World War.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alois Vašátko</span> Czechoslovak artillery officer (1908–1942)

Alois Vašátko DFC was a Czechoslovak artillery officer who became an air force pilot. In the Second World War he was a fighter ace, first in the French Air Force in the Battle of France and then in the Royal Air Force.

The No. 341 Squadron also known in French as Groupe de Chasse n° 3/2 "Alsace", was a Free French squadron in the RAF during World War II.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">No. 609 Squadron RAF</span> Military unit

No. 609 Squadron of the Royal Auxiliary Air Force, originally formed as a bomber squadron and in the Second World War active as fighter squadron, nowadays provides personnel to augment and support the operations of the Royal Air Force. The squadron is no longer a flying squadron, but instead has the role of Force Protection. It is currently based at RAF Leeming, North Yorkshire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">No. 607 Squadron RAF</span> Military unit

No. 607 Squadron is an auxiliary squadron of the Royal Air Force. It was formed in 1930 as a bomber unit in the Auxiliary Air Force and changed in 1936 to the fighter role. It fought in that role during the Second World War in Europe and Asia. After the war, in 1946, the squadron reformed as a fighter unit. Awarded the title Royal Auxiliary Air Force by King George in 1947, 607 Sqn was disbanded with all the other flying units of the RAuxAF on 10 March 1957. It reformed on 5 January 2015, as a General Service Support Squadron (GSS).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">František Fajtl</span> Czech fighter pilot

Lieutenant General František Fajtl was a Czech fighter pilot of World War II. He was a British Royal Air Force (RAF) squadron and wing commander and led a group of Czechoslovak fighter pilots who formed an air regiment under Soviet Air Force command, supporting the Slovak National Uprising in 1944. He was dismissed from the Czechoslovak Air Force and was held in prison for a year and a half without a trial after the Communists came to power in 1948, and was only fully rehabilitated after the Velvet Revolution in 1989. He wrote many autobiographical books about his wartime experiences, and was an inspiration for the 2001 film Tmavomodrý svět.

No. 122 (Bombay) Squadron was a Royal Air Force fighter squadron during the First and Second World Wars.

Royal Air Force Fairlop or more simply RAF Fairlop is a former Royal Air Force satellite station situated near Ilford in Essex. Fairlop is now a district in the London Borough of Redbridge, England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">RAF Angle</span> Former Royal Air Force station in Pembrokeshire, Wales

Royal Air Force Angle or more commonly RAF Angle, is a former Royal Air Force station located on the Angle Peninsula Coast, 8 miles (13 km) west of Pembroke, Pembrokeshire, Wales. It was operational from 1 June 1941 to 11 July 1946, having been used by both the Royal Air Force and the Royal Navy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">No. 87 Squadron RAF</span> Defunct flying squadron of the Royal Air Force

No. 87 Squadron RAF was an aircraft squadron of the Royal Air Force during the First World War and Second World War.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">No. 601 Squadron RAF</span> Military unit

Number 601 Squadron is a squadron of the RAF Reserves, based in London. The squadron took part in the Battle of Britain, during which the first Americans to fly in World War II were members of the squadron.

No. 229 Squadron RAF was a squadron of the Royal Air Force, and is an officially accredited Battle of Britain Squadron. It became No. 603 Squadron RAF in January 1945.

No. 132 Squadron RAF was a Royal Air Force Squadron formed to be a bomber unit in World War I and reformed as a fighter unit in World War II.

No. 134 (Czech) (Fighter) Wing RAF is a former Royal Air Force wing that was operational during the Second World War.

References

313 Squadron pilot Arnost Mrtvy, who was shot down and killed over Belgium on 19 April 1944 Arnost Mrtvy.jpg
313 Squadron pilot Arnošt Mrtvý, who was shot down and killed over Belgium on 19 April 1944

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 4 van Eyck 1993, p. 21.
  2. 1 2 Lewis 1968, p. 96.
  3. ↑ "Squadron Commanding Officers, Nos 300 - 361 Squadrons". Air of Authority – A History of RAF Organisation.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 van Eyck 1993, p. 20.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Jackson 2003, p. 89.
  6. 1 2 3 4 van Eyck 1993, p. 22.
  7. 1 2 3 van Eyck 1993, p. 24.
  8. ↑ "Miroslav Liskutin – RAF's Czech fighter pilot". Chichester Observer. Johnston Press. 7 July 2017. Retrieved 3 October 2017.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 van Eyck 1993, p. 25.

Bibliography

  • Halley, James J (1988). The Squadrons of the Royal Air Force & Commonwealth, 1918–1988. Tonbridge: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd. ISBN   0-85130-164-9.
  • Hurt, Zdeněk (2004). In Focus: Czechs in the RAF. Walton-on-Thames: Red Kite. ISBN   0-9538061-9-7.
  • Jackson, Robert (2003). Spitfire The History of Britain's Most Famous World War II Fighter. Bath: Parragon. p. 89. ISBN   0-75258-770-6.
  • Jefford, Wg Cdr CG (2001) [1998]. RAF Squadrons, A Comprehensive Record of the Movement and Equipment of all RAF Squadrons and their Antecedents since 1912 (second ed.). Shrewsbury: Airlife Publishing. ISBN   978-1-84037-141-3.
  • Lewis, Peter (1968) [1959]. Squadron Histories, RFC, RNAS and RAF, Since 1912. London: Putnam. p. 96. SBN 370-00022-6.
  • Liškutín, Miroslav A (1988). Challenge in the Air: a Spitfire pilot remembers. London: William Kimber. ISBN   0718306910.
  • Rawlings, John DR (1976) [1969]. Fighter Squadrons of the RAF and their Aircraft (new ed.). London: Macdonald and Jane's (Publishers) Ltd. ISBN   0-354-01028-X.
  • van Eyck, Manuel F (1993). Zemřeli jsme pro Anglii (in Czech). Translated by František Fajtl. prologue by František Fajtl. Prague: Naše vojsko. ISBN   80-206-0321-2.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.