No. 6 Squadron RAF
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| No. 6 Squadron RAF | |
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| Active | 31 January 1914 |
| Role | Offensive Support |
| Garrison/HQ | RAF Coningsby |
| Motto | Oculi exercitus (Latin: "The eyes of the Army") |
| Equipment | (none) |
| Insignia | |
| Identification symbol |
An eagle, wings elevated, preying on a serpent |
No. 6 Squadron of the Royal Air Force operated the Jaguar GR.3 from RAF Coningsby, Lincolnshire until May 2007.
As an offensive support unit, the squadron used the Jaguar in the close air support (CAS) and tactical reconnaissance roles.
The Jaguar is scheduled to be replaced by the Eurofighter Typhoon in RAF service. The RAF has announced that No. 6 Sqn will be the third operational front line squadron equipped with the Eurofighter Typhoon and the first with Tranche 2 aircraft. No. 6 Sqn is expected to reform in 2008 with the Typhoon at RAF Leuchars in Fife.
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[edit] History
[edit] World War I
No. 6 Squadron's motto Oculi Exercitus ("The Eyes of the Army") and the badge depicting an eagle attacking a serpent were gained as a result of fighter defence of army units during World War I.
The squadron was formed on 31 January 1914, at Farnborough as No 6 Sqn, Royal Flying Corps.
The bird depicted on the 6 Squadron badge is a falcon, with the snake serving two purposes, one the then (WWI) obvious anti-Central Powers symbolism, the second to circumvent the rules about squadron badges featuring a squadron's number. The cunningly coiled snake (rumoured to have been cooked up by 6 Sqn members Louis Strange and Lanoe Hawker) neatly sidestepped the regulations.
The squadron were pioneers in military aviation, being blessed with the presence of Strange and Hawker - the former an "ideas man" - almost a mad professor - the latter a skilled engineer. Their dual talents led to some ingenious mountings for machine guns, the use of which famously won Hawker the first air combat Victoria Cross, and nearly cost Strange his life, when he reached up to change the drum on a Lewis gun he had mounted on the top plane of his Martinsyde (long before the Foster Mount became de rigueur) and the machine flipped on its back, threw Strange from the cockpit and went into a flat spin from 10,000 ft. Strange, hanging for dear life to the drum of the Lewis gun, managed to get back into the cockpit and right the aircraft within 500 ft of the ground. He returned to base, and quietly disappeared, sleeping for the best part of 24 hours, telling no-one of the incident. Unfortunately for Strange, the German machine he had been firing at witnessed the whole incident, and assumed that their brave attacker had perished. As was the custom, they dropped a wreath and with it a letter describing the manner of Strange's death, and a bashful Strange found his escapade written into aviation history. Needless to say, his next invention was a pilot's safety harness!
Strange went on to be decorated for bravery in combat in both world wars, and help to initiate, develop and organise the UK's sole parachute training facility at RAF Ringway near Manchester in 1940, and then the catapult Hurricane system (CAM ship). Hawker died in 1916, after an epic one-to-one battle with Baron von Richthofen.
Other members of 6 Sqn RFC included several men who went on to find fame in World War II, including Hugh "Stuffy" Dowding.
[edit] Inter-war Years
Following the Armistice the squadron transferred to Iraq, arriving in July 1919. Operating in the Army Co-operation role in Northern Iraq, it was equipped with Bristol Fighters, the squadron remained there for ten years before moving to Egypt in 1929. At the same time it re-equipped with Fairey Gordons and assumed the bomber role, Hawker Harts replacing these in 1935. Following problems in Palestine, the squadron relocated there in 1938 reverting to the Army Co-operation role with Hawker Hardys, adding Gloster Gauntlets and Westland Lysanders later.
[edit] World War II
During the early part of WWII, the Squadron operated in a tactical reconnaissance role with Westland Lysanders from Palestine, but detached aircraft to the Western Desert until 1941 when Hawker Hurricanes were on strength. Co-operation with ground units was vital during sorties around this time and during one mission Flight Lieutenant McFall, carrying out a Lysander reconnaissance, located the enemy unit and then landed beside Allied gun batteries in order to direct the fire.
Further action in the Desert on anti-tank duties continued from 1942 until the end of the North African campaign. Flying the Tankbusting, rocket firing Hawker Hurricane IID variants the squadron excelled over the desert destroying many axis armoured targets. This is where they earned the nickname "The Flying Tin Openers" In 1944, the Squadron moved to Italy and flew the remainder of the War over the Balkans, equipped with MkIV Hurricanes.
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[edit] Post World War II/Cold World
The squadron remained in the Middle East until 1969. During this period the squadron went from being equipped with Hurricanes (and for a brief period 4 Spitfires due to a lack of available Hurricanes) to Hawker Tempest MkVIs and subsequently De Havilland Vampire MkVs. During the early 1950s the squadron developed a close relationship with Jordan and King Abdullah, through this period it continued to operate Vampires and a twin seat Gloster Meteor MkVII.
In 1956 after a brief period back i nthe canal zone the squadrons moved the De Havilland Venoms it the n operated back to RAF Akrotiri, Cyprus and attacked Egyptian airfields from here during the Suez Crisis. In 1957 the squadron again re-equipped, this time with English Electric Canberras which it continued to operate from Akrotiri until 1969. Having been located outside of the UK for 50 years the squadron returned in 1969 and was the first to receive the Phantom FGR2 from RAF Coningsby, before receiving the Jaguar GR1 and T2 at RAF Lossiemouth in 1974. The squadron then moved to RAF Coltishall. When this closed on 1st April 2006 the squadron moved to RAF Coningsby until its disbandment in May 2007.
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[edit] Post-Cold War
The squadron's aircraft were deployed to the Gulf as part of Operation Granby (Gulf War), for which it received battle honours, and later as part of the Northern No-Fly-Zone.
The squadron deployed to Italy for operations over Bosnia from 1993.
The Squadron was the last to fly the Jaguar, and was disbanded on 31st May 2007. It is due to be reformed flying the Eurofighter Typhoon.
[edit] Aircraft operated
- Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.2 - 1914
- Bristol Scout-1915
- Fairey Gordon
- Gloster Gauntlet
- Hawker Hart - 1935
- Hawker Demon - 1935
- Hawker Hardy - 1938
- Westland Lysander
- Gloster Gladiator
- Hawker Hurricane 1941-
- Hawker Hurricane IID - Famous "Tankbusting" Variant 1942-1944
- Hawker Hurricane IV - Ground Attack Variant - 1944-1946
- Bristol Blenheim
- Supermarine Spitfire 1946
- Hawker Tempest 1946-1949
- de Havilland Vampire 1949-
- de Havilland Venom
- English Electric Canberra 1957-1969
- F4 Phantom FGR2 - 1969-1974
- SEPECAT Jaguar GR3 - 1974-2007
Proposed future aircraft:
- Eurofighter Typhoon - Due to begin operating October 2008
[edit] Commanding officers
- 1934 to 1937 - Herbert Massey[1]
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[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- RAF Squadron history
- RAF 6 Squadron Association [2]
- Air of Authority: A History of RAF organisation [3]
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