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Old 11th April 2021, 08:26
Courtois Laurent Courtois Laurent is offline
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Re: Order of Patriotic War 1st Class awarded to RAF??

Hello,

an extract from my future book on the Normandy-Niemen pilot uniforms. In one of the presentation passages, I talk a little about the RAF pilots in Murmansk.

Laurent-Alexandre

The 151st Wing of the RAF, an allied unit on the Russian Front one year before the Normandie-Niemen.

Following the entry into the war of the USSR against Germany (Operation Barborossa, June 22, 1942) and Finland (War of Continuation, June 25, 1945), it was decided during the Anglo-Soviet Commission of July 12, 1941 to send two RAF fighter groups (squadron 81 & 134) to Vaïenga (currently Severomorsk, Russia) in the Murmansk Fjord. This operation, called Operation Benedict, had three objectives, the first to protect the convoys taking the North Route, the second to show the Russians the values ​​of English planes (Hurricane, Blenheim and Beaufighter) and to train Soviet personnel (pilots and mechanics) in front of replace the British.
The 24 Hawkers Hurricane MkIIB of Squadron 134 were delivered safely to Vaïenga by the British aircraft carrier HMS Argus during Operation Strength. It was not the same for the 14 planes and 2700 airmen (including 14 pilots) of the RAF transported during Operation Dervish threatened by the raids of the Luftwaffe based in Norway, they were forced to land on September 1 1941 in Arkhangelsk (640 km south-east of Murmansk). The next day the personnel were transferred to Vaïenga either by boat or train, and 9 days later the Hurricanes, brought up with Soviet help, reached the base on their own.
On September 11, the 39 Hawkers Hurricanes were operational, the next day the 81 squadron won its first victories and its first losses by shooting down three Me109s of the JG77 (two according to German records) and damaging a Heinschel Hs126 of the 1 / (H) 32 . During the fight flight-sergeant N. Smith was shot down. On September 14, 4 more Me109s were shot down during a Petlyakov Pe2 bomber escort mission. On September 25, the first Hurricane (Z5252) was surrendered to the Soviets. This aircraft was damaged on June 2, 1942 during an aerial combat between 7 Hurricanes of the 2nd Guard Regiment and 12 Me109 of 8 / JG5. Forced into a forced landing on a frozen lake 6 km west of Murmansk, the wreckage was only refloated 62 years later, on October 13, 2004 by a team of divers led by V.N. Lartasev.
In two months the 151st Wing flew 365 war missions with 16 victories including 11 Messerschmitt Bf-109 and 3 Junkers Ju88 did not lose any of the planes it had to escort and only suffered one loss. This extremely favorable result impressed the Soviets more than favorably. In October, the second phase of Operation Benedict, the conversion began with the training of pilots and ground personnel. On the 15th the planes of the 81st squadron were surrendered to the Soviets and on the 26th the Soviet hurricanes won their first victory against a Messerschmitt Me109. On November 27, all of the British personnel with the exception of a few radio specialists re-embarked aboard convoy QP3.
The outcome of the operation four pilots (Wing Commander Ramsbottom-Isherwood, Squadrons Leaders AH Rook and AG Miller and Flight Sergeant Haw) were awarded the prestigious Order of Lenin on November 28, 1941. The commander of the English mechanics in Murmansk , Fligt-Lieutenant Gittins received the “Red Star” in 1944. About 3000 Hurricanes, either new or retired from RAF units converted to Spitfire, were delivered to the USSR.
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