No. 176 Squadron RAF was a Royal Air Force Squadron that was a night defence unit based in India in World War II.
| No. 176 Squadron RAF | |
|---|---|
| Active | 15 Jan 1943 – 1 Jun 1946 |
| Country |  United Kingdom |
| Branch |  Royal Air Force |
| Motto(s) | Latin: Nocte custodimus (We keep the night watch) |
| Insignia | |
| Squadron Badge | A dagger in front of a crescent moon |
History
editFormation in World War II
editThe squadron was formed at RAF Dum Dum, India on 15 January 1943 from a detachment of No. 89 Squadron RAF, flying radar-equipped Bristol Beaufighter night fighters in defence of Calcutta.[1] That night, it flew its first operational sorties, with Flight Sergeant Arthur Pring shooting down three Japanese Mitsubishi Ki-21 bombers in four minutes, becoming an air ace.[2][a] On the night of 19/20 January, another of 176's aircraft intercepted three more Ki-21s, claiming two destroyed and one damaged, but itself being shot down by return fire from the bombers. In fact, only one of the Ki-21s was shot down. The losses of four bombers in a few days caused Japanese night attacks on Calcutta to be suspended.[4] Detachments of the squadron were then based at Chittagong Burma, Ratmalana Ceylon, Baigachi and Mingaladon where the Beaufighters were replaced with Mosquitos in June 1945. The squadron disbanded on 1 June 1946.
Aircraft operated
edit| From | To | Aircraft | Variant |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 1943 | Aug 1943 | Bristol Beaufighter | IF |
| Jan 1943 | Aug 1945 | Bristol Beaufighter | VIF |
| May 1943 | Jan 1944 | Hawker Hurricane | IIC |
| Jun 1945 | Jul 1945 | de Havilland Mosquito | XVI |
| Jul 1945 | Jun 1946 | de Havilland Mosquito | XIX |
Notes
editReferences
edit- ^ Shores 2005, pp. 49, 409
- ^ Shores 2005, pp. 50–51
- ^ Shores 2005, p. 50
- ^ Shores 2005, pp. 52–53
- ^ C.G.Jefford (1988). RAF Squadrons. UK Airlife Publishing. ISBN 1-85310-053-6.
- Shores, Christopher (2005). Air War for Burma: The Allied Air Forces Fight Back in South-East Asia 1942–1945. London: Grub Street. ISBN 1-904010-95-4.