No. 174 Squadron RAF

No. 174 (Mauritius) Squadron RAF
Active3 March 1942 – 8 April 1945
26 August 1945 – 6 September 1945
9 September 1945 – 31 March 1946
CountryUnited Kingdom United Kingdom
Branch Royal Air Force
Nickname(s)Mauritius
Motto(s)Attack
Insignia
Squadron BadgeA springing winged Sambur deer
Squadron codesXP (March 1942 – April 1946)

No. 174 (Mauritius) Squadron RAF was a Royal Air Force Squadron that was a fighter-bomber unit in World War II.

History

Formation in World War II

The squadron formed on 2 March 1942 at RAF Manston and equipped with Hurricanes and then rocket armed Typhoons in April 1943. They participated in the Dieppe Raid,[1] and were involved in attacks on shipping and V-1 flying bomb launch sites from several bases in the UK. The squadron moved to Camilly, France after D-Day and then withdrew back to the UK, before joining the allied advance across Europe. The squadron disbanded in Germany on 8 April 1945 upon renumbering as No. 137 Squadron RAF, then reformed for two further brief periods and was equipped with Tempests in September 1945 before final disbandment on 31 March 1946 at Faßberg, Germany.

Aircraft operated

Hawker Hurricane IIB BE505 / XP-L in No. 174 Squadron RAF markings.[2]
Aircraft operated by No. 174 Squadron RAF[3]
From To Aircraft Variant
Mar 1942 Apr 1943 Hawker Hurricane IIB
Apr 1943 Apr 1945 Hawker Typhoon IB
Aug 1945 Sep 1945 Hawker Typhoon IB
Sep 1945 Apr 1946 Hawker Tempest V

References

  1. ^ "Dieppe, 19 août 1942 : La disparition d'Émile (dit François) Fayolle". Retrieved 19 March 2016.
  2. ^ "Hawker Hurricane IIb - BE421/XP-L". Flying Legends. Touchdown Aviation. Retrieved 21 February 2014.
  3. ^ C.G.Jefford (1988). RAF Squadrons. UK Airlife Publishing. ISBN 1-85310-053-6.
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