No. 179 Squadron RAF

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No. 179 Squadron RAF
Active1 September 1942 – 30 September 1946
CountryUnited Kingdom United Kingdom
BranchEnsign of the Royal Air Force.svg Royal Air Force
Motto(s)Latin: Delentum deleo (I destroy the destroyer)
Insignia
Squadron BadgeA lantern in front of a harpoon
Squadron codeOZ (Nov 1944 – Sept 1946)

No. 179 Squadron RAF was a Royal Air Force Squadron that was a maritime patrol/anti-submarine warfare unit in World War II.

History[]

Formation in World War II[]

The Squadron was supplied with Leigh light equipped Wellingtons from a flight of No. 172 Squadron RAF on 1 September 1942. It was then stationed at Gibraltar, before operating patrols from airfields in the United Kingdom including RAF Chivenor, RAF Benbecula, RAF Predannack and RAF St Eval in Cornwall.

In November 1944 the squadron converted to Warwick aircraft and in February 1946 one element of the squadron (179X) converted to Lancasters, while 179Y retained the Warwicks before it was renumbered No. 210 Squadron RAF. No 179 squadron was finally disbanded on 30 September 1946.

179 Squadron was a successful anti-submarine unit, accounting for eleven U-boats destroyed during the Second World War.[1]

Aircraft operated[]

Aircraft operated by no. 179 Squadron RAF[2]
From To Aircraft Variant
Sep 1942 Sep 1943 Vickers Wellington VIII
Aug 1943 Nov 1944 Vickers Wellington XIV
Nov 1944 May 1946 Vickers Warwick V
Feb 1946 Sep 1946 Avro Lancaster ASR 3

References[]

  1. ^ Neistle, Axel. German U-Boat Losses during World War II (1998) Greenhill Books. ISBN 1-85367-352-8 p.303
  2. ^ C.G.Jefford (1988). RAF Squadrons. UK Airlife Publishing. ISBN 1-85310-053-6.

External links[]

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