No. 617 Squadron of the Royal Air Force is better known as the "Dambusters" squadron. It currently operates the Tornado GR4 from RAF Lossiemouth, Scotland.
| No. 617 Squadron | ||
|---|---|---|
No 617 Sqn Tornado GR1 | ||
| Information | ||
| Role | Strike/Attack | |
| Aircraft Operated | Panavia Tornado | |
| Home Station | RAF Lossiemouth | |
| Motto | "Apres Moi Le Deluge (After me, the flood)" | |
| History | ||
| Date Founded | 21 March 1943 | |
| Badge | On a roundel, a wall in fesse, fracted by three flashes of lightning in pile and issuant from the breach water proper | |
| Notable Battle Honours | Fortress Europe 1943-1945, The Dams, Biscay Ports 1944, France and Germany 1944-1945, Normandy 1944, Tirpitz, Channel and North Sea 1944-1945, German Ports 1945, Gulf 1991 | |
History
The squadron was formed at RAF Scampton during World War II on the March 15, 1943 with the purpose of attacking three major dams on the Ruhr in Germany: the Moehne, Eder and Sorpe. The plan was given the codename Operation Chastise and was carried out on May 17, 1943. The squadron had to develop the tactics to deploy Barnes Wallis's unique "Bouncing bomb."
The commander of 617 Squadron Wing Commander Guy Gibson was awarded the VC for his part in the raid. The Squadron's badge, approved by King George VI, depicts the bursting of a dam, in commemoration of Op Chastise.
Later in 1943, Leonard Cheshire took over as CO of the Squadron from Gibson.
Throughout the rest of the war, the Squadron continued the specialist and precision bombing role, including the use of the enormous Tallboy and Grand Slam ground-penetrating 'earthquake' bombs. A particularly notable attack was the sinking of the battle ship Tirpitz. Tirpitz had been moved into a fjord in Northern Norway where she threatened the Arctic convoys and was too far north to be attacked by air from the UK. She had already been damaged by a Royal Navy midget submarine attack and a second attack from carrier born aircraft of the Fleet Air Arm. But both attacks had failed to sink her. The task was given to No. 9 and No.617 Squadrons who operating from a base in Russia attacked the Tirpitz with Tallboy bombs which damaged her so extensively that she was forced to head south to Tromsö fjord to be repaird. This fjord was in range of bombers operating from Scotland. There in October from a base in Scotland she was attacked again. Finally on November 12, 1944, the two squadrons attacked the Tirpitz and she capsized. All three RAF attacks on the Tirpitz were led by Wing Commander JB "Willy" Tait, who had succeeded Wing Commander Cheshire as CO of No. 617 Squadron in July 1944.
Since the end of World War II the Squadron has operated the Avro Vulcan (reforming at Scampton on May 1, 1958,) and the Panavia Tornado GR1 and GR4.
Current Role
When the Squadron was reformed with the Tornado it was originally based at RAF Marham, but is now located at RAF Lossiemouth. 617 Sqn continued its pioneering heritage by becoming the first RAF squadron to fire the MBDA Storm Shadow cruise-missile during the 2003 Invasion of Iraq. The RAF's first female fast jet pilot entered service with 617 Sqn in August 1994.
Previous Aircraft Operated
- Avro Lancaster - 1943
- Avro Lincoln - 1946
- English Electric Canberra - 1952
- Avro Vulcan - 1958
- Panavia Tornado - 1983
RAF Tornado squadrons
GR4/4A
- No. 9 Squadron - RAF Marham
- No. 12 Squadron - RAF Lossiemouth
- No. 14 Squadron - RAF Lossiemouth
- No. 31 Squadron - RAF Marham
- No. 617 Squadron - RAF Lossiemouth
- No. 11 Squadron - RAF Leeming
- No. 25 Squadron - RAF Leeming
- No. 43 Squadron - RAF Leuchars
- No. 111 Squadron - RAF Leuchars
- No. 1435 Flight - RAF Mount Pleasant
See Also
External links
- [ http://www.raf.mod.uk/bombercommand/squadrons/h617.html Royal Air Force Bomber Command 60th Anniversary: No. 617 Squadron]