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No. 6 Squadron RAF GudangMovies21 Rebahinxxi LK21
Number 6 Squadron of the Royal Air Force operates the Eurofighter Typhoon FGR.4 at RAF Lossiemouth.
It was previously equipped with the SEPECAT Jaguar GR.3 in the close air support and tactical reconnaissance roles, and was posted to RAF Coltishall, Norfolk until April 2006, moving to RAF Coningsby until disbanding for the first time in its history on 31 May 2007. The squadron officially reformed as a Typhoon squadron on 6 September 2010. No. 6 Squadron is unique in having two Royal standards, having been awarded its second one by King Abdullah I of Jordan in October 1950 due to its long period of service in the Middle East.
History
= First World War
=
The squadron was formed on 31 January 1914, at Farnborough as No. 6 Squadron, Royal Flying Corps. Its first squadron commander was Major John Becke. The squadron had an initial aircraft inventory of two Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.2s and two Farmans, with the squadron also initially incorporating a flight operating man-lifting kites. The squadron, equipped with a mixture of B.E.2s, Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.8s and Farmans crossed the English Channel in October 1914 to support IV Corps in its attempt to prevent the Germans from capturing Antwerp. In November, the squadron joined the newly formed 2nd Wing of the RFC, with the role of supporting the Second and Third Corps, taking part in the First Battle of Ypres.
In February 1915, 9 Squadron, an experimental unit equipped with radio equipped aircraft, was split up, with one flight of aircraft going to 6 Squadron and the other to 2 Squadron. The new flight replaced 6 Squadron's existing C Flight, which together with flights from 2 Squadron and 5 Squadron, was used to form 16 Squadron. In March 1915, the squadron received two Martinsyde S.1 scouts, to escort the squadrons aircraft, and these were later supplemented by Bristol Scouts in the escort role, while the main part of the squadron used the B.E.2. On 25 July 1915, Captain Lanoe Hawker, flying a Bristol Scout, attacked three German aircraft in succession. The first aerial victory for Hawker that day occurred after he emptied a complete drum of bullets from his aircraft's single Lewis machine gun into a German aircraft which went spinning down. The second victory saw a German aircraft driven to the ground damaged, and the third saw a German aircraft – an Albatros C.I of FFA 3 – burst into flames and crash. For this feat he was awarded the Victoria Cross.
The squadron was deployed directing artillery during the Actions of the Bluff near Ypres in February 1916 and the Actions of St Eloi Craters in March–April that year. During the Battle of the Somme from July to November 1916, the squadron carried out bombing attacks, including night bombing operations, against targets in the Ypres salient to prevent the Germans transferring troops to the Somme front. In May 1917, the squadron re-equipped with Royal Aircraft Factory R.E.8s. The squadron took part in the Battle of Messines in June 1917, artillery spotting during the preparatory bombardment, and then flying contact patrols.
= 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. It was later re-equipped with Fairey Gordons and assumed the bomber role, Hawker Harts replacing these in 1935.
= Second World War
=
The squadron relocated to Palestine in 1938, reverting to the army co-operation role with Hawker Hardys, adding Gloster Gauntlets and Westland Lysanders. When hostilities with Italy broke out in June 1940, the squadron deployed one flight of aircraft to Egypt to work with the army, with the remainder of the squadron remained in Palestine. Between September 1940 and September 1943 the squadron saw action in the tank-busting, 40 mm cannon-firing Hawker Hurricane Mk. IID, over the Western Desert.
In the spring of 1944, the squadron moved to a coastal field south-east of Termoli, Italy. The squadron flew Hurricane Mk.IVs equipped with rocket projectiles. Moored Axis ships were attacked at Yugoslav harbours and the Dalmatian islands. They were strongly defended by anti-aircraft gunners on Siebel ferries with their multiple guns, as the ships were being used to supply the German forces. Squadron detachments were also made to Bastia in Corsica, Araxos near Patras in Greece, Brindisi, and near Ancona. A fixed 44-gallon extra petrol tank under the port wing increased the Hurricanes' duration to almost three hours at 160 mph (260 km/h) cruising speed. The airfield on Vis (island) was extensively used as an advanced base from May 1944 to February 1945, usually to top up tanks before each armed reconnaissance.
= Post-Second World War/Cold War
=
In July 1945, the squadron moved to Palestine where it cooperated with the police, patrolling the Kirkuk-to-Haifa oil pipeline to deter sabotage attacks. The squadron was the last RAF combat unit to operate Hurricanes, and for a brief period four Spitfires due to a lack of Hurricanes. It converted, briefly, to Hawker Tempest Mk. VIs followed, in 1946, by de Havilland Vampire FB.5s.
In January 1950, the squadron moved to RAF Habbaniya in Iraq with many moves back and forth between RAF Habbaniya and RAF Shaibah in Iraq, RAF Abu Sueir and RAF Deversoir in the Suez Canal Zone, RAF Nicosia in Cyprus, RAF Mafraq and RAF Amman in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan and detachments throughout the Middle East. While visiting Amman on 15 October 1950, No. 6 Squadron was awarded a Royal Standard by King Abdullah I of Jordan in recognition of the squadron's service in the Middle East since 1919. The squadron continued its close relationship with Jordan throughout the early 1950s, with both King Talal and King Hussein. During this period, it continued to operate Vampires FB.5s and FB.9s(1952) and two twin-seat Gloster Meteor T.7s until it re-equipped with de Havilland Venom FB.1 in February 1954 and the Venom FB.4 in June 1955.
On 6 April 1956, after a brief period back at RAF Habbaniya in Iraq the squadron returned to Cyprus and operated from RAF Akrotiri. From there it attacked Egyptian airfields 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 FGR.2 at RAF Coningsby the same year, before re-equipping with the Jaguar GR.1 and T.2 at RAF Lossiemouth in 1974. The squadron then moved to RAF Coltishall, being declared operational in the tactical nuclear role with twelve aircraft and eight WE.177 nuclear bombs until 1994, when the squadron's nuclear role was terminated and the weapons withdrawn.
= Post-Cold War
=
The squadron continued at RAF Coltishall in its non-nuclear role until Coltishall closed on 1 April 2006, and the squadron moved to RAF Coningsby. 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 SEPECAT Jaguar, and was disbanded on 31 May 2007. The Jaguar's intended replacement in RAF service was the Eurofighter Typhoon. The RAF announced that No. 6 Squadron was to be the fourth operational front-line squadron equipped with the Typhoon and the first with Tranche 2 aircraft, initially scheduled to reform in 2008 at RAF Leuchars in Fife. However, this was delayed until 2010, with the squadron reforming at RAF Leuchars on 6 September 2010, when a closed standing-up ceremony was performed to mark the squadron's reforming, including the arrival of the new Typhoon aircraft in 6 Squadron colours from RAF Coningsby. It has taken over the role of Quick Reaction Alert for the north of the United Kingdom from No. 111 Squadron RAF, the RAF's last Panavia Tornado F.3 squadron, in March 2011. In November 2011 four Typhoons from No. 6 Squadron flew to RMAF Butterworth to participate in aerial wargames for the 40th anniversary of the Five Power Defence Arrangements. In August 2013, several Typhoons from No. 6 were exercising with HMS Dragon and US fighters in the Gulf. In June 2014, the squadron began to move to its new home in RAF Lossiemouth.
The squadron participated in the 2018 missile strikes against Syria during the Syrian Civil War.
In March 2020, the squadron was awarded the right to emblazon a battle honour on its squadron standard, recognising its role in Bosnia during 1995.
The squadron attended Exercise Spears of Victory 23 during February 2023 at King Abdulaziz Air Base.
Aircraft operated
Aircraft operated included:
Commanding officers
See also
List of Royal Air Force aircraft squadrons
Armed forces in Scotland
Military history of Scotland
References
= Notes
=
= Bibliography
=
Halley, James J. (1988). The Squadrons of the Royal Air Force & Commonwealth, 1918-1988. Tonbridge, Kent, UK: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd. ISBN 0-85130-164-9.
Jefford, Wing Commander C.G. RAF Squadrons, a Comprehensive Record of the Movement and Equipment of all RAF Squadrons and their Antecedents since 1912. Shrewsbury: Airlife Publishing, 2001. ISBN 1-84037-141-2.
Jones, H. A. (1928). The War in the Air: Being the Story of the part played in the Great War by the Royal Air Force: Vol. II. History of the Great War. Oxford: The Clarendon Press. OCLC 924164573.
Jones, H. A. (1934). The War in the Air: Being the story of the part played in the Great War by the Royal Air Force: Vol. IV. History of the Great War. Oxford: The Clarendon Press. OCLC 836194155.
Lewis, Peter. Squadron Histories: R.F.C, R.N.A.S and R.A.F., 1912-59. London: Putnam, 1959.
Moyes, Philip J.R. Bomber Squadrons of the RAF and their Aircraft. London: Macdonald and Jane's (Publishers) Ltd., 1964 (new edition 1976). ISBN 0-354-01027-1.
Raleigh, Walter (1922). The War in the Air: Being the Story of the part played in the Great War by the Royal Air Force: Vol. I. History of the Great War. Oxford: The Clarendon Press. OCLC 785856329.
Rawlings, John D. R. (1982). Coastal, Support and Special Squadrons of the RAF and their Aircraft. London: Jane's Publishing Company Ltd. ISBN 0-7106-0187-5.
Rawlings, John D.R. Fighter Squadrons of the RAF and their Aircraft. London: Macdonald and Jane's (Publishers) Ltd., 1969 (new edition 1976, reprinted 1978). ISBN 0-354-01028-X.
Shores, Christopher; Massimello, Giovanni; Guest, Russell (2012). A History of the Mediterranean Air War 1940–1945: Volume One: North Africa: June 1940 – January 1942. London: Grub Street. ISBN 978-1-908117-07-6.
Yoxall, John (28 December 1950). "No. 6 Squadron R.A.F.: History of a Famous Army Co-operation Unit: Part I: From 1914 to 1949". Flight. Vol. LVIII, no. 2188. pp. 617–623.
Yoxall, John (4 January 1951). "No. 6 Squadron R.A.F.: Part II: Anti-tank and Anti-shipping Work in the Second World War". Flight. Vol. LVIV, no. 2189. pp. 11–16.
External links
6 Squadron
RAF 6 Squadron Association
Air of Authority: A History of RAF organisation
Kata Kunci Pencarian:
no 6 squadron raf
No. 6 Squadron RAF - Alchetron, The Free Social Encyclopedia
No. 6 Squadron RAF - Wikipedia
RAF NO. 6 Squadron
No. 6 Squadron RAF - Wikipedia
No. 6 Squadron RAF - Wikipedia
No. 6 Squadron RAF - Wikipedia
RAF No.6 Squadron Crest Sticker | LancasterAssociation
No. 6 Squadron RAF Hawker Hardy Aircraft
6 Squadron Eurofighter Typhoon Pilots - AeroResource
6 Squadron at RAF Lossiemouth | SLDInfo
No. 6 Squadron RAF : 1-99. Squadron RAF
6 Squadron | Royal Air Force
