No. 11 Squadron RAAF

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11SQN
Service RAAF
FEG Surveillance & Response Group
Parent Unit 92 Wing
Motto Shepherd or Destroy
Formed March 1939
Base RAAF Base Edinburgh
Aircraft P-3C Orion
Callsign SHEPHERD

No. 11 Squadron is a Royal Australian Air Force maritime patrol squadron based at RAAF Base Edinburgh. The Squadron was first formed in 1939 and has seen active service in World War II, East Timor, the War on Terrorism and the 2003 Gulf War.

Contents

[edit] History

A 11 Squadron Catalina being beached for maintenance in 1943
Enlarge
A 11 Squadron Catalina being beached for maintenance in 1943

[edit] Second World War

No. 11 Squadron was formed in September 1939 at RAAF Base Richmond. The Squadron was deployed to Port Moresby in New Guinea later that year where it monitored Japanese shipping movements in the region. The Squadron was re-equipped with Catalina aircraft in 1941.

Upon the outbreak of war No. 11 Squadron flew patrol missions across the South West Pacific area. While the Squadron was withdrawn to RAAF Base Rathmines on Lake Macquarie in New South Wales following the Japanese air attacks on Port Moresby in March 1942, it continued to carry out patrols in the waters around New Guinea. In early March 1943 aircraft from No. 11 Squadron took part in the surveillance of the Japanese convoy which was destroyed in the Battle of the Bismarck Sea.

In 1943 No. 11 Squadron began conducting offensive mine-laying operations. These operations continued until the end of the war. The Squadron's most spectacular mine-laying achievement was the mining of Manila harbour in late 1944, which required 3 aircraft to fly over 14,500 kilometres in the RAAF's longest mission of the war. No. 11 Squadron was disbanded in 1946.

An incident in which a a US Navy Wildcat mistook a No. 11 Squadron Catalina for a Japanese aircraft resulted in the adoption of what became the modern RAAF Roundel. At the time RAAF aircraft were using the RAF roundel and the USN aircraft mistook this for the Japanese red circular aircraft marking. This incident led to the adoption of a Roundel consisting of the same blue ring surrounding a red kangaroo in motion.

[edit] Post 1945

No. 11 Squadron was re-formed at RAAF Base Pearce in 1948. Operating modified Lincoln heavy bombers the Squadron conducted patrols over the Indian Ocean. No. 11 Squadron was re-equipped with Neptune aircraft in 1951 and the Squadron relocated to RAAF Base Richmond in 1953.

In 1968 No. 11 Squadron relocated to RAAF Base Edinburgh where it was re-equipped with P-3B Orion aircraft. These aircraft were replaced with P-3C Orions in 1986. No. 11 Squadron continues to operate in the maritime patrol and surveillance roles.

[edit] Aircraft operated

[edit] References

Note: The two Squadron histories listed below give different dates for several key events in No. 11 Squadron's history. This article has used the dates provided on the official RAAF website.

Royal Australian Air Force flying squadrons
RAAF Units Under Australian Operational Control

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 20 21 22 23 24 25 28 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 40 41 42 43 60 66 67 71 73 75 76 77 78 79 80 82 83 84 85 86 87 92 93 94 99 100 102 107 292

RAAF Units Under RAF Operational Control During WWII

450 451 452 453 454 455 456 457 458 459 460 461 462 463 464 466 467

Joint RAAF-Netherlands East Indies Squadrons

No. 18 (NEI) No. 119 (NEI) No. 120 (NEI)