No. 312 Squadron RAF

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312nd RAF Fighter Squadron
312. československá stíhací peruť RAF
№ 312 (Czechoslovak) Fighter Squadron
RAF312Sq.gif
Motto:
Non multi sed multa
Not many, but a lot
Code:
YOU
Originated:
5th September 1940, Duxford
Dissolved
September 22, 1945,
České Budějovice

The 312nd Fighter Squadron was one of the four RAF air forces of the Czechoslovak Army in Exile that took part in the fighting of the British Air Force during World War II in Europe as units of the Royal Air Force (RAF) . The season made a significant contribution to the Battle of Britain .

history

The 312nd Fighter Squadron was the third of all Czechoslovak Royal Air Force squadrons that formed in the United Kingdom and took part in the fighting. It was created on August 29, 1940 in RAF Duxford , Cambridgeshire, from members of the Czechoslovak Air Force who fled to France after the occupation of their country by the Wehrmacht and served there. After the collapse of France, they finally came to England.

The unit was to RAF Speke -Airport near Liverpool moved to the area Merseyside and thus to defend Liverpool. The fleet consisted of aircraft of the type Hawker Hurricane . After a few changes of location such as after RAF Valley and South West England, the squadron fell to the task of defending the Orkney Islands from June 1943 . In September 1943, the squadrons were in the 84th group of the 2nd Tactical Air Force - incorporated to in the planned (2nd Tactical Air Force TAF) Operation Overlord - the invasion of Normandy - participate, and flew missions over northern France. She remained stationed in eastern England until the end of the war and accompanied bombing missions.

During these missions 14 enemy aircraft were destroyed, nine more likely, and 16 aircraft damaged.

In August 1945, the squadron was transferred to Czechoslovakia to help build the country's new air force. On February 15, 1946, it was officially disbanded as a unit of the Royal Air Force.

Overviews

bases

The 312nd Squadron flew their missions from the following bases:

  • Duxford, Cambridgeshire, 29/08/40
  • Speke, Lancashire, 26/09/40
  • Valley, Anglesey, 03/03/41
  • Jurby, Isle of Man, 25/04/41
  • Kenley, Surrey, 29/05/41
  • Martlesham Heath, Suffolk, 07/20/41
  • Ayr, Ayrshire, 19/08/41
  • Fairwood Common, Glamorganshire, 01/01/42
  • Angle, Pembrokeshire, 01/24/42
  • Fairwood Common, Glamorganshire, 04/18/42
  • Warmwell, Dorset, 04/20/42
  • Harrowbeer, Devon, 05/02/42
  • Warmwell, Dorset, 19/05/42
  • Harrowbeer, Devon, 31/05/42
  • Redhill, Surrey, 01/07/42
  • Harrowbeer, Devon, 08/07/42
  • Redhill, Surrey, 16/08/42
  • Harrowbeer, Devon, 08/20/42
  • Church Stanton, Somerset, 10/10/42
  • Warmwell, Dorset, 02/20/43
  • Church Stanton, Somerset, 03/14/43
  • Skeabrae, Orkney, 24/06/43
  • Ibsley, Hampshire, 21/09/43
  • Llanbedr, Merioneth, 02/12/43
  • Ibsley, Hampshire, 18/12/43
  • Mendlesham, Suffolk, 19/02/44
  • Appledram, Sussex, 04/04/44
  • Tangmere, Sussex, 22/06/44
  • Lympne, Kent, 04/07/44
  • Coltishall, Norfolk, 07/11/44
  • North Weald, Essex, 08/27/44
  • Bradwell Bay, Essex, 03/10/44
  • Manston, Kent, 02/27/45

On September 8, the squadron was relocated to Czechoslovakia and was initially stationed in Praha-Ruzyně (officially from August 13, 1945), from September 22, 1945 in České Budějovice.

Planes

The squadron was equipped with various types of Hawker Hurricane and Supermarine Spitfire fighters:

Personnel and losses

Of the 11 commanders of the 312nd Squadron, one was British, of the 12 commanders of Swarm A, two were British, and of the 16 commanders of Swarm B, two were British. In the 312nd squadron served during the Second World War 141 pilots, besides the Czechoslovaks also 8 British and one American. The personnel losses of the 312nd Squadron of the RAF during the war amounted to 17 people.

Commanders of the entire squadron

Jan Ambrus 09/12/1940 - 12/12/1940
Frank H. Tyson *) 09/05/1940 - 04/01/1941
Evžen Čížek 12/12/1940 - 27/05/1941
Jan Klan May 27, 1941 - June 5, 1941
Alois Vašátko 06/05/1941 - 05/03/1942
Jan Čermák May 3, 1942 - January 1, 1943
Tomáš Vybíral 01.01.1943 - 01.11.1943
František Vancl November 1, 1943 - May 15, 1944
Jaroslav Hlado May 15, 1944 - November 15, 1944
Václav Slouf November 15, 1944 - April 19, 1945
Hugo Hrbacek April 19, 1945 - ČSR

Swarm Commanders "A"

Josef Duda 09/05/1940 - 11/17/1940
Harry AG Comerford *) 09/30/1940 - 11/15/1940
Jan Klan November 17, 1940 - May 27, 1941
Charles A. Cooke *) 12/01/1940 - 05/28/194
Josef Jaske May 27, 1941 - July 20, 1941
Jan Čermák 07/21/1941 - 05/03/1942
Viktor Kaslik May 3, 1942 - February 1, 1943
Karel Kasal 02/01/1943 - 06/10/1944
Josef Keprt 06/10/1944 - 10/01/1944
Václav Slouf October 01, 1944 - November 15, 1944
Karel Posta November 15, 1944 - February 17, 1945
Antonín Dvořák 02/17/1945 - ČSR

Swarm Commanders "B"

Alois Hlobil 09/05/1940 - 11/17/1940
Dennys E. Gillam *) 09/06/1940 - 12/01/1940
Alois Vašátko 11/17/1940 - 06/05/1941
AM Dawbam *) December 01, 1940 - April 10, 1941
Tomáš Vybíral 06/05/1941 - 06/19/1942
Karel Kasal June 19, 1941 - August 25, 1942
Adolf Vrána 08/25/1942 - 09/29/1942
Karel Kasal 09/29/1942 - 11/15/1942
Tomáš Vybíral November 15, 1942 - January 1, 1943
Adolf Vrána 01/01/1943 - 06/01/1943
Viktor Kaslik 06/01/1943 - 07/01/1943
Václav Slouf 07/01/1943 - 02/01/1944
Vojtěch Smolík 02/01/1944 - 07/11/1944
Otto Smik 07/11/1944 - 09/03/1944
Jaroslav Sodek 09/03/1944 - 02/01/1945
Josef Pipa 02/01/1945 - ČSR

*) The Czechoslovak commanders were temporarily assigned British officers to ensure communication with the higher command structures.

Remarks

  1. ↑ Allusion to Winston Churchill's saying on the outcome of the Battle of Britain - "Never have so many people owe so much to so few people"

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Information from the portal rafcommands.com, online at: rafcommands.com/Fighter/312F.html , compared with cz-raf.hyperlink.cz , both accessed on March 7, 2012
  2. ↑ No. 312 Czechoslovak Fighter Squadron , online at: cz-raf.hyperlink.cz/Units/312.html ; see. also aircraft of seasons 310-330 , rafweb.org / ... , both accessed on March 6, 2012
  3. ↑ No. 312 Czechoslovak Fighter Squadron , online at: cz-raf.hyperlink.cz/Units/312 ; see. also the list of members of the squadron, List of Czechoslovak airmen at No. 312 Czechoslovak Fighter Squadron , online at: cz-raf.hyperlink.cz/Units/staff312 , both accessed March 9, 2012
  4. ↑ Statistics of Czechoslovak Airmen in the Royal Air Force Voluntary Reserve , online at: cz-raf.hyperlink.cz/Units/cz_stat , accessed March 7, 2012

swell

See also

Web links