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Allied and Soviet Air Forces Please use this forum to discuss the Air Forces of the Western Allies and the Soviet Union. |
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#1
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Bomber Command overseas?
So I understand Bomber Command was a UK based Command only. But were any of Bomber Command Sqns ever based abroad outside the UK? I know that HP Hampdens were sent on detachment to Northern Russia, but perhaps they were in Coastal Command even though some reverted to Bomber Command afterwards. Were there any shuttle missions that necessitated being temporary bases elsewhere?
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Larry Hayward |
#2
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Re: Bomber Command overseas?
The Hampdens in Russia were torpedo bombers and thus Coastal Command, as you supposed. 2 Group Blenheim units were sent on temporary detachment to Malta, I'm not sure about the Wellington units on Malta but I suspect not. Wellingtons were sent to France in early 1940 in order to bomb Italy but no missions were flown. The initial Halifaxes sent to North Africa were supposedly only a temporary detachment. Another possibility is the Battle squadron sent to Iceland.
I don't know of any shuttle missions, although Halifaxes on SOE duties would go on to North Africa at times, rather than returning directly home. I'm not sure they were strictly under Bomber Command. |
#3
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Re: Bomber Command overseas?
617 Squadron did shuttle missions to North Africa, bombing Rome.
Bruce
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http://www.filephotoservice.co.uk/ RESEARCH AT THE NATIONAL ARCHIVES & OTHER UK INSTITUTIONS |
#4
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Re: Bomber Command overseas?
9 Sqn certainly engaged in shuttle bombing sorties, rotating through Blida in North Africa.
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#5
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Re: Bomber Command overseas?
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#6
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Re: Bomber Command overseas?
The main Bomber Command deployment outside UK was in 1939-1940 when most of the Battle and Blenheim squadrons were based in France.
In June 1940 there was a short deployment of Wellingtons in France to bomb Italy. The next deployement outside UK was by 138 Sqn, the Bomber Command "special operations" squadron that flew sorties from Malta in late 1940-early 1941. And then there are the shuttle missions by 9 and 617 Sqn from UK to Algeria and return in late 1943. |
#7
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Re: Bomber Command overseas?
Operation Bellicose is one worth looking at:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Bellicose from the wiki: Quote:
Also see Operation Paravane (Sept. 1944) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Paravane which was a Bomber Command mission against the Tirpitz staged out of the Soviet Union |
#8
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Re: Bomber Command overseas?
Surely the bomber squadrons in France from 1939 were detached to a completely different command structure rather than being merely deployed, which does imply a temporary nature. Not that promises of returns were always kept, for example the initial deployment of Halifaxes to North Africa. In the case of the Blenheims to Malta, the surviving aircrew were returned, I believe, although not the aircraft.
By any other definition there were a lot of RAF bomber squadrons operating in other theatres. |
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