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No. 44 Squadron Finnish Air Force | |
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Country | Finland |
Branch | Finnish Air Force |
Role | bomber |
Engagements | Winter War, Continuation War |
No. 44 Squadron (Finnish : Lentolaivue 44 or LLv.44, from 3 May 1942 Le.Lv.44), renamed No. 44 Bomber Squadron (Finnish: Pommituslentolaivue 44 or PLe.Lv.44 on 14 February 1944), was a bomber squadron of the Finnish Air Force during World War II. The squadron was part of Flying Regiment 4.
The Squadron was equipped with 8 Bristol Blenheim Is and 1 Douglas DC-2.
The equipment consisted of 8 Bristol Blenheim Mk.Is and some Mk.IVs, 3 Junkers K 43, 1 Blackburn Ripon IIF, 1 Heinkel He 115, and 14 Junkers Ju 88s.
The Bristol Blenheim is a British light bomber aircraft designed and built by the Bristol Aeroplane Company (Bristol) which was used extensively in the first two years of the Second World War, with examples still being used as trainers until the end of the war. Development began with the Type 142, a civil airliner, in response to a challenge from Lord Rothermere to produce the fastest commercial aircraft in Europe. The Type 142 first flew in April 1935, and the Air Ministry, impressed by its performance, ordered a modified design as the Type 142M for the Royal Air Force (RAF) as a bomber. Deliveries of the newly named Blenheim to RAF squadrons commenced on 10 March 1937. In service the Type 142M became the Blenheim Mk.I which would be developed into the longer Type 149, designated the Blenheim Mk.IV, except in Canada where Fairchild Canada built the Type 149 under licence as the Bolingbroke. The Type 160 Bisley was also developed from the Blenheim, but was already obsolete when it entered service.
Flying Regiment 4 was a bomber aircraft regiment of the Finnish Air Force. The regiment was formed on 1 January 1938 and was active during the Winter War, the Continuation War, and the Lapland War. During the Winter War, the unit flew 423 war missions, of which 22 were strategic and photo reconnaissance flights with its Bristol Blenheim Mk.Is. 18 aircraft and 21 crew members were lost.
No. 10 Squadron was a divebomber squadron of the Finnish Air Force in World War II. The squadron was part of Flying Regiment 1.
No. 12 Squadron, renamed No. 12 Reconnaissance Squadron was a reconnaissance squadron of the Finnish Air Force during World War II. The squadron was part of Flying Regiment 1.
No. 14 Squadron, later renamed No. 14 Reconnaissance Squadron, was a reconnaissance squadron of the Finnish Air Force during World War II. The squadron was part of Flying Regiment 1 during the Winter War and Flying Regiment 5 during the Continuation War.
No. 16 Squadron, renamed No. 16 Reconnaissance Squadron was a reconnaissance squadron of the Finnish Air Force during World War II. The squadron was part of Flying Regiment 1 during the Winter War and Flying Regiment 2 during the Continuation War.
No. 22 Squadron was a fighter squadron of the Finnish Air Force during World War II. The squadron was part of Flying Regiment 2. It was to be equipped with new Brewster Buffaloes and Hawker Hurricane Is, but only the first Flight saw action during the war. After the Winter War, the squadron was attached to the new Flying Regiment 3 and renamed as No. 32 Squadron.
No. 24 Squadron, renamed No. 24 Fighter Squadron was a fighter squadron of the Finnish Air Force during World War II. The squadron was part of Flying Regiment 2.
No. 26 Squadron, renamed No. 26 Fighter Squadron was a fighter squadron of the Finnish Air Force during World War II. The squadron was part of Flying Regiment 2 during the Winter War and Flying Regiment 3 during the Continuation War.
No. 28 Squadron, renamed No. 28 Fighter Squadron was a fighter squadron of the Finnish Air Force during World War II. The squadron was part of Flying Regiment 2.
No. 42 Squadron, renamed No. 42 Bomber Squadron was a long-range bomber squadron of the Finnish Air Force during World War II. It was established in 1940. The squadron participated in the Winter, Continuation and Lapland wars as part of Flying Regiment 4, and was the only regiment in the squadron that exclusively operated Bristol Blenheim bomber aircraft. The squadron was abolished in 1952.
No. 46 Squadron, renamed No. 46 Bomber Squadron was a bomber squadron of the Finnish Air Force during World War II. The squadron was part of Flying Regiment 4.
No. 48 Squadron, renamed No. 48 Bomber Squadron was a bomber squadron of the Finnish Air Force during World War II. The squadron was part of Flying Regiment 4.
No. 30 Squadron, renamed No. 30 Fighter Squadron was a fighter squadron of the Finnish Air Force during World War II, which had been formed from the disbanded No. 10 Squadron. The No. 30 Sqn was part of Flying Regiment 5.
No. 32 Squadron, renamed No. 32 Fighter Squadron was a fighter squadron of the Finnish Air Force during World War II. The squadron was part of Flying Regiment 1. The squadron was formed from the disbanded No. 22 Squadron.
No. 34 Squadron, renamed No. 34 Fighter Squadron was a fighter squadron of the Finnish Air Force during World War II. The squadron was part of Flying Regiment 3.
No. 6 Squadron, renamed No. 6 Bomber Squadron was a maritime bomber squadron of the Finnish Air Force during World War II. The squadron was part of Flying Regiment 5.
No. 41 Squadron was a bomber unit of the Finnish Air Force formed in 1946 and based at Luonetjärvi. The squadron belonged to Flying Regiment 4. In 1951 the unit was renamed into No. 41 Squadron.
No. 36 Squadron was a maritime reconnaissance squadron of the Finnish Air Force during World War II. The unit was later reorganized into the No. 39 Squadron.
Flying Regiment 1 was a mixed regiment, incorporating both fighter, reconnaissance and communication squadrons, of the Finnish Air Force during World War II. The unit was disbanded in June 1941, but reformed from the Supplement Flying Regiment on May 3, 1942.