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No. 238 Squadron RAF
No. 238 Squadron is a squadron of the Royal Air Force. It was first formed in 1918 by combining number 347, 348 and 349 Flights at RAF Cattewater by the Royal Flying Corps during the First World War. It was reformed for the Second World War, the Berlin Airlift and currently is a Line Training Flight (LTF) squadron based at RAF Cosford, albeit in a non-flying capacity. It is among those officially acknowledged Battle of Britain squadrons.
The squadron was formed at RAF Cattewater (later RAF Mount Batten) in August 1918 by combining number 347, 348 and 349 Flights into the one squadron. All were flying boat flights and the squadron flew anti-submarine patrols until the end of the war, being reduced to a cadre on 15 May 1919. It remained as a storage unit until disbanded on 20 March 1922.
July 1940 was the beginning of the Kanalkampf phase of the Battle of Britain. The Luftwaffe attacked English Channel convoys in an attempt to draw Fighter Command into combat and deplete its strength, attain air superiority, and ostensibly begin an amphibious invasion of England, codenamed Operation Sea Lion. The 10 July was the official opening of the Battle of Britain.
On 16 May 1940, 238 reformed at RAF Tangmere. On 2 July 1940 the squadron was declared operational and operated the Hawker Hurricane. The squadron commenced operations from RAF Middle Wallop. The following day 238 Squadron experienced its first aerial combat with Flight Lieutenant J.C Kennedy damaged a Junkers Ju 88 from 1(F)/123 [1st staffel, Aufklärungsgruppe 123—Reconnaissance Group 123] on a reconnaissance south of Middle Wallop. The Ju 88 piloted by Leutnant Wachtel suffered minor damage and Kennedy was hit by return-fire. On 13 July the squadron was given credit for two Bf 110s destroyed; one shared amongst four pilots.
On 13 July, Flight Lieutenant J.C Kennedy became the first pilot killed in action. Once again in action with Aufklärungsgruppe 123, this time with 2 staffel, Kennedy shot down Leutnant Weinbauer's Dornier Do 17P over Chesil Beach, killing the crew. Kennedy appears to have suffered battle damage for he crash-landed at RAF Warmwell and was killed. A Do 17M from 4./Aufklärungsgruppe 123 crash-landed back in Caen, France, after being damaged in the same engagement. According to records, three pilots were credited with a shared Do 17; six more claimed two Bf 110s between them but this was marked unconfirmed.
Seven days later, the squadron flew standing combat patrols over convoy Bosom. Sergeant C Parkinson was killed in combat with Messerschmitt Bf 109s from JG 27, while the squadron destroyed a Heinkel He 59 floatplane from Seenotflugkommando 1; all four crew were killed. Parkinson was rescued by HMS Acheron but suffered fatal burns. 238 pilots were credited with two Bf 110s destroyed, one shared between two pilots, one Do 17 destroyed; two shared amongst four pilots and one Bf 110 went unconfirmed. Fighter Command recorded the He 59 as a damage claim, while one more Bf 109 was claimed destroyed, another as unconfirmed, and two pilots submitted a claim for another shared.
On 22 July, further combat patrols enabled 238 Squadron, now led by Squadron Leader Harold Fenton, to destroy two 4(F)/14 aircraft: a Do 17 and Messerschmitt Bf 110 with four crews posted missing in action in exchange for one damaged Hurricane. The squadron accounted for a Bf 109 from I./JG 27 on 26 July patrols. Twenty-four hours later the unit flew as escort for convoy Bacon. The pilots claimed one Junkers Ju 87 Stuka shot down from a 40-strong formation, but could not penetrate the fighter escort further. The Ju 87 came from I/StG 77.
On 1 August Fighter Command's order of battle placed 238 under the operational level command of No. 10 Group RAF, headquartered at Rudloe Manor in Wiltshire. Only three of the 12 squadron Hurricanes were operational. 238 shared Middle Wallop with 152, 604 and 609 Squadrons. 152 could field five of the 10 Supermarine Spitfires available, 604 had five from 11 Bristol Blenheims serviceable, while 609 listed six of its 10 Spitfires combat ready.
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No. 238 Squadron RAF
No. 238 Squadron is a squadron of the Royal Air Force. It was first formed in 1918 by combining number 347, 348 and 349 Flights at RAF Cattewater by the Royal Flying Corps during the First World War. It was reformed for the Second World War, the Berlin Airlift and currently is a Line Training Flight (LTF) squadron based at RAF Cosford, albeit in a non-flying capacity. It is among those officially acknowledged Battle of Britain squadrons.
The squadron was formed at RAF Cattewater (later RAF Mount Batten) in August 1918 by combining number 347, 348 and 349 Flights into the one squadron. All were flying boat flights and the squadron flew anti-submarine patrols until the end of the war, being reduced to a cadre on 15 May 1919. It remained as a storage unit until disbanded on 20 March 1922.
July 1940 was the beginning of the Kanalkampf phase of the Battle of Britain. The Luftwaffe attacked English Channel convoys in an attempt to draw Fighter Command into combat and deplete its strength, attain air superiority, and ostensibly begin an amphibious invasion of England, codenamed Operation Sea Lion. The 10 July was the official opening of the Battle of Britain.
On 16 May 1940, 238 reformed at RAF Tangmere. On 2 July 1940 the squadron was declared operational and operated the Hawker Hurricane. The squadron commenced operations from RAF Middle Wallop. The following day 238 Squadron experienced its first aerial combat with Flight Lieutenant J.C Kennedy damaged a Junkers Ju 88 from 1(F)/123 [1st staffel, Aufklärungsgruppe 123—Reconnaissance Group 123] on a reconnaissance south of Middle Wallop. The Ju 88 piloted by Leutnant Wachtel suffered minor damage and Kennedy was hit by return-fire. On 13 July the squadron was given credit for two Bf 110s destroyed; one shared amongst four pilots.
On 13 July, Flight Lieutenant J.C Kennedy became the first pilot killed in action. Once again in action with Aufklärungsgruppe 123, this time with 2 staffel, Kennedy shot down Leutnant Weinbauer's Dornier Do 17P over Chesil Beach, killing the crew. Kennedy appears to have suffered battle damage for he crash-landed at RAF Warmwell and was killed. A Do 17M from 4./Aufklärungsgruppe 123 crash-landed back in Caen, France, after being damaged in the same engagement. According to records, three pilots were credited with a shared Do 17; six more claimed two Bf 110s between them but this was marked unconfirmed.
Seven days later, the squadron flew standing combat patrols over convoy Bosom. Sergeant C Parkinson was killed in combat with Messerschmitt Bf 109s from JG 27, while the squadron destroyed a Heinkel He 59 floatplane from Seenotflugkommando 1; all four crew were killed. Parkinson was rescued by HMS Acheron but suffered fatal burns. 238 pilots were credited with two Bf 110s destroyed, one shared between two pilots, one Do 17 destroyed; two shared amongst four pilots and one Bf 110 went unconfirmed. Fighter Command recorded the He 59 as a damage claim, while one more Bf 109 was claimed destroyed, another as unconfirmed, and two pilots submitted a claim for another shared.
On 22 July, further combat patrols enabled 238 Squadron, now led by Squadron Leader Harold Fenton, to destroy two 4(F)/14 aircraft: a Do 17 and Messerschmitt Bf 110 with four crews posted missing in action in exchange for one damaged Hurricane. The squadron accounted for a Bf 109 from I./JG 27 on 26 July patrols. Twenty-four hours later the unit flew as escort for convoy Bacon. The pilots claimed one Junkers Ju 87 Stuka shot down from a 40-strong formation, but could not penetrate the fighter escort further. The Ju 87 came from I/StG 77.
On 1 August Fighter Command's order of battle placed 238 under the operational level command of No. 10 Group RAF, headquartered at Rudloe Manor in Wiltshire. Only three of the 12 squadron Hurricanes were operational. 238 shared Middle Wallop with 152, 604 and 609 Squadrons. 152 could field five of the 10 Supermarine Spitfires available, 604 had five from 11 Bristol Blenheims serviceable, while 609 listed six of its 10 Spitfires combat ready.