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336th Bomber Squadron (HAF)
Encyclopedia
The 336th Bomber Squadron , callsign "Olympus
", is the second oldest squadron
in service with the Hellenic Air Force
, forming part of the 116th Combat Wing. It is based at Araxos
Air Base in the Peloponnese
, and, following the withdrawal of the type from 335th Squadron, it is the last HAF unit equipped with the A-7 Corsair
.
to the German Wehrmacht
, the Greek government in exile
established Greek armed forces to fight alongside the Allies in the Middle East. By 1942, two Greek squadrons, the 13th Light Bomber Squadron
and the 335th Fighter Squadron, were operating under British command. Their good service record and the existence of sufficient numbers of Greek pilots, newly graduated from aviation schools in Rhodesia
, led to the establishment of a third squadron.
The 336th Royal Hellenic Pursuit Squadron (336 Βασιλική Ελληνική Μοίρα Διώξεως, 336 Β.Ε.Μ.Δ.), designated within the British Royal Air Force
as No 336 (Greek) Squadron, was established on 25 February 1943 at LG 219. Equipped with 21 Hurricane
Mk IIc aircraft and under the command of Flight Lieutenant
Spyridon Diamantopoulos, it counted many veteran pilots from 335 Squadron in its ranks. This allowed the unit to quickly begin operations: its first combat mission was carried out on 1 March, and the unit was declared operational on 11 April. It was subsequently employed in shipping protection and air defence duties along the Libyan coast, as well as fighter sweeps. The squadron received its first six Spitfire
Mk Vc aircraft on 12 October, and over the month of November it participated in several Allied raids against Crete
. Although successful, these missions involved great danger from the German air defence and the Luftwaffe
, and resulted in several losses. By March 1944, the unit had been completely re-equipped with Spitfires, and on 15 September, the squadron was moved along with its sister unit
to the Italian theatre
, from where it carried out operations primarily over occupied Yugoslavia
.
In November the Greek squadrons returned to liberated Greece, where they were engaged in operations from the Ellinikon airfield
against the remaining German garrisons in the Aegean islands and Crete
. In May 1945, the squadron moved to Sedes airfield near Thessaloniki
, where, on 31 July 1945, the squadron was disbanded from the RAF and transferred to Greek control.
Subsequently, 336 Squadron took part in the air operations of the Greek Civil War
(1946–49). In February 1949 it was rebased to Larissa
under the 110th Combat Wing. In August, the squadron was equipped with the US
-made SB2C Helldiver
dive bomber
s, being redesignated as the 336th Light Bomber Squadron (336 Μοίρα Ελαφρού Βομβαρδισμού). In 1953 it was equipped with the F-84G
jets and designated 336th Fighter-Bomber Squadron (336 Μοίρα Διώξεως-Βομβαρδισμού). On 28 December 1953, the squadron was transferred to 111th Combat Wing at Nea Anchialos
, where it received the new F-84F
in 1958. Redeployed again to Larissa in March 1959, it was transferred to 116th Combat Wing in December 1962. On 25 September 1963 it was redesignated as a Strike Squadron (Μοίρα Κρούσης) as a reflection of its new role.
On 15 January 1965 the squadron was partially equipped with the new F-104G
fighters, and the F-104 section moved to the 114th Combat Wing at Tanagra
, while the remainder of the squadron, still equipped with the F-84F, remained at Araxos. In August, the F-84F-equipped section was designated as the 349 Fighter-Bomber Squadron, before being transferred to Larissa in November 1966. In December, the F-104G-equipped 336 Squadron returned from Tanagra to Araxos, where it remains to this day. The squadron would continue to fly the Starfighter until March 1993, following which the squadron was equipped with the A-7E Corsair (from a batch of 62 handed over by the US Air Force as surplus following the First Gulf War), and established in its present form as the 336 Bomber Squadron on 3 April 1993.
Mount Olympus
Mount Olympus is the highest mountain in Greece, located on the border between Thessaly and Macedonia, about 100 kilometres away from Thessaloniki, Greece's second largest city. Mount Olympus has 52 peaks. The highest peak Mytikas, meaning "nose", rises to 2,917 metres...
", is the second oldest squadron
Squadron (aviation)
A squadron in air force, army aviation or naval aviation is mainly a unit comprising a number of military aircraft, usually of the same type, typically with 12 to 24 aircraft, sometimes divided into three or four flights, depending on aircraft type and air force...
in service with the Hellenic Air Force
Hellenic Air Force
The Hellenic Air Force, abbreviated to HAF is the air force of Greece. The mission of the Hellenic Air Force is to guard and protect Greek airspace, provide air assistance and support to the Hellenic Army and the Hellenic Navy, as well as the provision of humanitarian aid in Greece and around the...
, forming part of the 116th Combat Wing. It is based at Araxos
Araxos
Araxos , Latin form: Araxus is a village located in the municipal unit of Larissos in the northwestern part of Achaea, Greece. It is located on a road connecting south to Lappa and east to Lakkopetra and Kato Achaia and also a road to Kalogria and Metochi...
Air Base in the Peloponnese
Peloponnese
The Peloponnese, Peloponnesos or Peloponnesus , is a large peninsula , located in a region of southern Greece, forming the part of the country south of the Gulf of Corinth...
, and, following the withdrawal of the type from 335th Squadron, it is the last HAF unit equipped with the A-7 Corsair
A-7 Corsair II
The Ling-Temco-Vought A-7 Corsair II is a carrier-based subsonic light attack aircraft introduced to replace the United States Navy's Douglas A-4 Skyhawk, initially entering service during the Vietnam War...
.
Foundation and service in World War II
After the fall of GreeceBattle of Greece
The Battle of Greece is the common name for the invasion and conquest of Greece by Nazi Germany in April 1941. Greece was supported by British Commonwealth forces, while the Germans' Axis allies Italy and Bulgaria played secondary roles...
to the German Wehrmacht
Wehrmacht
The Wehrmacht – from , to defend and , the might/power) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the Heer , the Kriegsmarine and the Luftwaffe .-Origin and use of the term:...
, the Greek government in exile
Greek government in exile
The Greek government in exile was the official government of Greece, headed by King George II, which evacuated from Athens in April 1941, after the German invasion of the country, first to the island of Crete and then to Cairo in Egypt. Hence it is also referred to as the "Cairo Government"...
established Greek armed forces to fight alongside the Allies in the Middle East. By 1942, two Greek squadrons, the 13th Light Bomber Squadron
13th Light Bomber Squadron
The 13th Light Bomber Squadron , was one of the three World War II aircraft squadrons in service with the Royal Hellenic Air Force, exiled in the Middle East, that fought under the auspices of the British Royal Air Force...
and the 335th Fighter Squadron, were operating under British command. Their good service record and the existence of sufficient numbers of Greek pilots, newly graduated from aviation schools in Rhodesia
Rhodesia
Rhodesia , officially the Republic of Rhodesia from 1970, was an unrecognised state located in southern Africa that existed between 1965 and 1979 following its Unilateral Declaration of Independence from the United Kingdom on 11 November 1965...
, led to the establishment of a third squadron.
The 336th Royal Hellenic Pursuit Squadron (336 Βασιλική Ελληνική Μοίρα Διώξεως, 336 Β.Ε.Μ.Δ.), designated within the British Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
as No 336 (Greek) Squadron, was established on 25 February 1943 at LG 219. Equipped with 21 Hurricane
Hawker Hurricane
The Hawker Hurricane is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was designed and predominantly built by Hawker Aircraft Ltd for the Royal Air Force...
Mk IIc aircraft and under the command of Flight Lieutenant
Flight Lieutenant
Flight lieutenant is a junior commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many Commonwealth countries. It ranks above flying officer and immediately below squadron leader. The name of the rank is the complete phrase; it is never shortened to "lieutenant"...
Spyridon Diamantopoulos, it counted many veteran pilots from 335 Squadron in its ranks. This allowed the unit to quickly begin operations: its first combat mission was carried out on 1 March, and the unit was declared operational on 11 April. It was subsequently employed in shipping protection and air defence duties along the Libyan coast, as well as fighter sweeps. The squadron received its first six Spitfire
Supermarine Spitfire
The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was used by the Royal Air Force and many other Allied countries throughout the Second World War. The Spitfire continued to be used as a front line fighter and in secondary roles into the 1950s...
Mk Vc aircraft on 12 October, and over the month of November it participated in several Allied raids against Crete
Crete
Crete is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, and one of the thirteen administrative regions of Greece. It forms a significant part of the economy and cultural heritage of Greece while retaining its own local cultural traits...
. Although successful, these missions involved great danger from the German air defence and the Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1935 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956....
, and resulted in several losses. By March 1944, the unit had been completely re-equipped with Spitfires, and on 15 September, the squadron was moved along with its sister unit
335th Bomber Squadron (HAF)
The 335th Squadron , callsign "Tigers", is the oldest squadron currently in service with the Hellenic Air Force. It is currently based at Araxos Air Base in the Peloponnese, forming part of the 116th Combat Wing...
to the Italian theatre
Italian Campaign (World War II)
The Italian Campaign of World War II was the name of Allied operations in and around Italy, from 1943 to the end of the war in Europe. Joint Allied Forces Headquarters AFHQ was operationally responsible for all Allied land forces in the Mediterranean theatre, and it planned and commanded the...
, from where it carried out operations primarily over occupied Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
.
In November the Greek squadrons returned to liberated Greece, where they were engaged in operations from the Ellinikon airfield
Ellinikon International Airport
Ellinikon International Airport , sometimes spelled Hellinikon was the international airport of Athens, Greece for sixty years up until 2001 when it was replaced by the new Athens International Airport. It is located south of Athens, and just west of Glyfada...
against the remaining German garrisons in the Aegean islands and Crete
Crete
Crete is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, and one of the thirteen administrative regions of Greece. It forms a significant part of the economy and cultural heritage of Greece while retaining its own local cultural traits...
. In May 1945, the squadron moved to Sedes airfield near Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki , historically also known as Thessalonica, Salonika or Salonica, is the second-largest city in Greece and the capital of the region of Central Macedonia as well as the capital of the Decentralized Administration of Macedonia and Thrace...
, where, on 31 July 1945, the squadron was disbanded from the RAF and transferred to Greek control.
Post-war history
Greek Civil War
The Greek Civil War was fought from 1946 to 1949 between the Greek governmental army, backed by the United Kingdom and United States, and the Democratic Army of Greece , the military branch of the Greek Communist Party , backed by Bulgaria, Yugoslavia and Albania...
(1946–49). In February 1949 it was rebased to Larissa
Larissa
Larissa is the capital and biggest city of the Thessaly region of Greece and capital of the Larissa regional unit. It is a principal agricultural centre and a national transportation hub, linked by road and rail with the port of Volos, the city of Thessaloniki and Athens...
under the 110th Combat Wing. In August, the squadron was equipped with the US
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
-made SB2C Helldiver
SB2C Helldiver
The Curtiss SB2C Helldiver was a carrier-based dive bomber aircraft produced for the United States Navy during World War II. It replaced the Douglas SBD Dauntless in US Navy service. Despite its size, the SB2C was much faster than the SBD it replaced...
dive bomber
Dive bomber
A dive bomber is a bomber aircraft that dives directly at its targets in order to provide greater accuracy for the bomb it drops. Diving towards the target reduces the distance the bomb has to fall, which is the primary factor in determining the accuracy of the drop...
s, being redesignated as the 336th Light Bomber Squadron (336 Μοίρα Ελαφρού Βομβαρδισμού). In 1953 it was equipped with the F-84G
F-84 Thunderjet
The Republic F-84 Thunderjet was an American turbojet fighter-bomber aircraft. Originating as a 1944 United States Army Air Forces proposal for a "day fighter", the F-84 flew in 1946...
jets and designated 336th Fighter-Bomber Squadron (336 Μοίρα Διώξεως-Βομβαρδισμού). On 28 December 1953, the squadron was transferred to 111th Combat Wing at Nea Anchialos
Nea Anchialos
Nea Anchialos is a town and a former municipality in Magnesia, Thessaly, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Volos, of which it is a municipal unit. It is situated southwest of Volos and north of Almyros. It is placed on the national highway...
, where it received the new F-84F
F-84F Thunderstreak
The Republic F-84F Thunderstreak was an American-built swept-wing turbojet fighter-bomber. While an evolutionary development of the straight-wing F-84 Thunderjet, the F-84F was a new design. The RF-84F Thunderflash was a photo reconnaissance version....
in 1958. Redeployed again to Larissa in March 1959, it was transferred to 116th Combat Wing in December 1962. On 25 September 1963 it was redesignated as a Strike Squadron (Μοίρα Κρούσης) as a reflection of its new role.
On 15 January 1965 the squadron was partially equipped with the new F-104G
F-104 Starfighter
The Lockheed F-104 Starfighter is a single-engine, high-performance, supersonic interceptor aircraft originally developed for the United States Air Force by Lockheed. One of the Century Series of aircraft, it served with the USAF from 1958 until 1969, and continued with Air National Guard units...
fighters, and the F-104 section moved to the 114th Combat Wing at Tanagra
Tanagra
Tanagra is a town and a municipality north of Athens in Boeotia, Greece. The seat of the municipality is the town Schimatari. It is not far from Thebes, and it was noted in antiquity for the figurines named after it...
, while the remainder of the squadron, still equipped with the F-84F, remained at Araxos. In August, the F-84F-equipped section was designated as the 349 Fighter-Bomber Squadron, before being transferred to Larissa in November 1966. In December, the F-104G-equipped 336 Squadron returned from Tanagra to Araxos, where it remains to this day. The squadron would continue to fly the Starfighter until March 1993, following which the squadron was equipped with the A-7E Corsair (from a batch of 62 handed over by the US Air Force as surplus following the First Gulf War), and established in its present form as the 336 Bomber Squadron on 3 April 1993.