|
|
|
|
|
 |
|||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||
| Click Here For Full Artist Print Indexes | Aviation History Archive |
|
Aviation Art Prints  Countries UK Squadron Index More Squadrons Squadrons 88 to 126  No.104 Sqn |
[UP] - No.88 Sqn - No.89 Sqn - No.90 Sqn - No.91 Sqn - No.92 Sqn - No.97 Sqn - No.99 Sqn - No.100 Sqn - No.101 Sqn - No.102 Sqn - No.103 Sqn - No.104 Sqn - No.105 Sqn - No.106 Sqn - No.107 Sqn - No.109 Sqn - No.110 Sqn - No.111 Sqn - No.112 Sqn - No.120 Sqn - No.124 Sqn - No.126 Sqn |
No.104 Sqn
Country : UK
Founded : 1st September 1917
The squadron was again reformed - as No. 104 (Strategic Missile) Squadron - on 22 July 1959, one of 20 squadrons associated with Project Emily.
Codes : , EP, PO,
Strike hard
No 104 Squadron, RFC, was formed at Wyton, Huntingdonshire, on 4th September 1917, from a nucleus provided by No. 20 Training Squadron, and went to France in May 1918, equipped with DH9 aircraft. The squadron was posted to the bombing force which, on 6th June, became known as the Independent Force and from 8th June until the Armistice was engaged on long-distance day-bombing raids into Germany. On nearly all its raids - and it made a good many - it met the most strenuous opposition from large formations of enemy fighters, but it succeeded in destroying thirty and shooting down another 27 out of control. More than 41 tons of bombs were dropped, the greater proportion on German towns far behind the lines. The squadron had to re-form three times owing to heavy casualties.
Eight flying aces served within its ranks, including future Rear Admiral Arthur Rullion Rattray, Jeffrey Batters Home-Hay, William Bottrill, Richard Gammon and W. Harrop.
On 7 January 1936, the squadron was reformed at Abingdon from the 'C' Flight of No. 40 Squadron. The squadron was equipped with the Hawker Hind. In August 1936 the squadron moved to RAF Hucknall, followed by a move to Bassingbourn in May 1938, and conversion to the Bristol Blenheim
The squadron spent the rest of the war in the Mediterranean, first operating in the Western Desert, moving west behind the advancing armies, then at the end of 1943 moving to southern Italy, from where it carried out raids across the Balkans and northern Italy. No. 104 Squadron retained its Wellingtons into 1945, flying its last Wellington mission on 27 February, before converting to the Liberator.
After the war the squadron moved to Egypt, operating Lancasters until it was disbanded on 1 April 1947.
In March 1955 the squadron reformed at Gutersloh equipped with the English Electric Canberra. Appointed as CO by April 1955 was Squadron Leader Edward Stephenson, an experienced flying instructor. The squadron became part of No. 551 Wing RAF, the Bomber Command Element of 2TAF: this consisted of Nos 102, 103, 104 and 149 Squadrons - each equipped with ten Canberra B2s. The squadron disbanded again in August 1956.
The squadron was again reformed - as No. 104 (Strategic Missile) Squadron - on 22 July 1959, one of 20 squadrons associated with Project Emily. The squadron was equipped with three Thor Intermediate range ballistic missiles. and based at RAF Ludford Magna.
In October 1962, during the Cuban Missile Crisis, the squadron was kept at full readiness, with the missiles aimed at strategic targets in the USSR. The squadron was disbanded on 24 May 1963
| No.104 Sqn Aviation Art Prints, Paintings and Drawings Aviation Art |
|
| Text for the above items : |
Encore by Steve Gibbs. Wellington Mk X Bombers from 104 Squadron Royal Air Force based at Foggia in Italy make a night raid on the Messerschmitt factory at Steyr in Austria on 24/25th February 1944. The raid was by way of a follow-up to the USAAF daylight raid of earlier that day which left the factory badly damaged. Of the 36 Wellingtons that took off from Foggia, only these two found the target. Others, using captured Italian maps later found to be in error, were unable to navigate accurately. Six aircraft were lost in the Alps through flying into mountains where their captured maps indicated incorrect heights. The depicted aircraft, flown by Canadian Flg Off Fred Ashbaugh and navigated by the late Flg Off Dennis Wilburn, returned safely to Foggia after the successful mission. |
|
Contact Details |
|
Sign Up To Our Newsletter!
This website is owned by Cranston Fine Arts. Torwood House, Torwoodhill Road, Rhu, Helensburgh, Scotland, G848LE Contact: Tel: (+44) (0) 1436 820269. Email: cranstonorders -at- outlook.com
|
|
|
