The 335th Tigers bomber squadron ( Greek 335 Μοίρα Βομβαρδισμού, 335 MB ) is one of the oldest units of the Greek Air Force [1] . Formed on October 7, 1941 and is based in Araxos . Until March 2008, the unit was based on the A-7E “Corsair” aircraft, the current base consists of 30 F-16 Block 52+ bombers [2] .
| 335th Bomber Squadron 335 Μοίρα Βομβαρδισμού, 335 MB | |
|---|---|
| Years of existence | October 7, 1941 - n. at. |
| A country |  Greece |
| Subordination | Greek Air Force (Πολεμική Αεροπορία) |
| Included in | 116th Aviation Regiment |
| Type of | Bomber Squadron |
| Number | Squadron |
| Dislocation | Araxos |
| Nicknames | Tigers |
| Motto | Αίεν Υψικρατείν (from Greek - “Always rule in heaven”) |
| Colors | black, orange, white |
| Equipment | Hawker Hurricane , Supermarine Spitfire |
| Participation in |
|
Content
History
In World War II
In April 1941, the Wehrmacht defeated the Greek army and occupied the whole country, which forced King George II to flee to Egypt and lead the remnants of the Greek armed forces evacuated to the Middle East. The Greek forces were guided by the statutes of the British ground forces and obeyed the British commanders: representatives of the Greek community in Egypt also joined those soldiers.
On October 10, 1941 , the 335th Royal Greek escort squadron was formed ( Greek 335 Βασιλική Ελληνική Μοίρα Διώξεως, 335 Ε.Μ.Μ.Δ. ), which had the British name 335th (Greek) squadron . It was based at the Akir air base in Palestine [3] . The first squadron commander was Xenophon Varvaressos [3] [4] , the core of the squadron were Greek pilots trained in Iraq and refugees from Greece who joined them [1] . The first aircraft in service with the squadron were Hurricane Mk I fighters, on which soldiers trained until January 1942.
Soon the squadron flew to Al-Daba in Egypt, having received official status as fully operational on February 12, 1942 [5] . The first operations were carried out in the Libyan desert until the end of 1942: the squadron defended the convoys, escorted the bombers and participated in the attack on ground targets. From June to September, Hurricane IIBs fighter aircraft entered service [6] . Under the command of Ioannis Kellas, the 335th squadron participated in the second battle of El Alamein , and on October 28, 1942, exactly two years after the start of the Italian invasion of Greece, it “celebrated” this day by attacking the headquarters of the 20th Motorized Army Corps Italy, which raised the morale of the Greeks and scared the Italians [1] [7] .
Later, the squadron continued to carry out missions to defend the convoys, receiving the latest Spitfire Mk Vb and Vc fighters in December 1943 [8] . On September 14, together with the 336th squadron of bombers, the 335th moved to the Italian theater of operations, from where it made flights to Yugoslavia [9] . In November 1944, Greek squadrons fought in their native land, starting the bombing of German fortresses in the Aegean Sea and Crete. July 31, 1945 the squadron became part of the Greek Air Force [6] , receiving the motto "Always rule in heaven."
After the war
The squadron was located at the Cedes base near Thessaloniki; during the Civil War, it participated in operations against communist partisans. In June 1947, fighters of the Spitfire Mk IX and XVI models entered its arsenal, in October 1953 they were replaced by the American F-84 Thunderjet attack aircraft and RT-33A reconnaissance aircraft [1] . The renamed 335th assault squadron ( Greek 335 Μοίρα Διώξεως-Βομβαρδισμού ) was subordinate to the 111th combat wing in Nea Ankhialos until September 1957, until it transferred to Larissa under the command of the 110th wing with new F-84 aircraft.
In November 1960, the squadron was relocated to Tanagra, becoming the 335th shock squadron ( Greek 335 Μοίρα Κρούσης ), where it was located until June 1977, when it flew to Araxos. In May 1965, the F-104G entered service, on which pilots flew until May 1992 [1] . In December 1987, another 10 RF-104 aircraft entered service, forming a photo-reconnaissance detachment that existed until May 1992. Since April 3, 1993, the squadron has regained its historical name: the base was first made up of 62 A-7H Corsair aircraft from the United States, transferred for participation in the Gulf War [1] . Since 2008, the F-16 Block 52+ multifunctional bombers have been in service since February 2010.
Notes
- ↑ 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 335 Squadron , Hellenic Air Force website
- ↑ "Ptisi & Diastima" magazine, vol. 280, Jan09
- ↑ 1 2 The Desert Squadrons , p. 51
- ↑ Hellenic Squadron's Commander . www.ww2incolor.com . Date of treatment May 5, 2013.
- ↑ The Desert Squadrons , p. 52
- ↑ 1 2 RAF Squadron Histories Archived July 23, 2008 to Wayback Machine Archived July 23, 2008.
- ↑ The Desert Squadrons , p. 53
- ↑ The Desert Squadrons , p. 54
- ↑ The Desert Squadrons , p. 75
Literature
- Halley, James J. The Squadrons of the Royal Air Force & Commonwealth 1918-1988 . Tonbridge, Kent, UK: Air Britain (Historians) Ltd., 1988. ISBN 0-85130-164-9 .
- Jefford, Wing Commander CG, MBE , BA, RAF (Retd). RAF Squadrons, a Comprehensive record of the Movement and Equipment of all RAF Squadrons and their Antecedents since 1912 . Shrewsbury, Shropshire, UK: Airlife Publishing, 1988 (second edition 2001). ISBN 1-85310-053-6 .
- Rawlings, John DR Fighter Squadrons of the RAF and their Aircraft . London: Macdonald and Jane's (Publishers) Ltd., 1969 (2nd edition 1976). ISBN 0-354-01028-X .
- Οι Μοίρες της Ερήμου ("The Desert Squadrons") (Greek) (neopr.) ? (PDF). Hellenic Air Force website . Panhellenic Association of Air Force Veterans (November 2004). Date of treatment July 27, 2008.
- Daloumis, Ilias Το Hawker Hurricane στην Ελληνική Αεροπορία ("Hawker Hurricane in the Hellenic Air Force") (Greek) (neopr.) ? . Hellenic Wings website . Date of treatment July 27, 2008. Archived June 22, 2008.