No. 121 Squadron RAF
Encyclopedia
No. 121 Squadron was a Royal Air Force
aircraft squadron that during the Second World War was one of the three Eagle Squadron
s manned by American
volunteers.
on 1 January 1918 as a day bomber squadron to operate the Airco DH.9
. The squadron was equipped with Airco DH.4s for training, but due to delays with the DH.9 and the end of the war approaching, the squadron was disbanded on the 17 August 1918 without going operational.
The squadron was reformed on 14 May 1941 as No. 121 (Eagle) Squadron at RAF Kirton-in-Lindsey, the second of three Eagle Squadron
s manned by American volunteers. Equipped with the Hawker Hurricane
, the squadron then converted to the Supermarine Spitfire
and moved south to RAF North Weald to begin operations on channel sweeps and Rhubarb operations. On 15 November 1941 the squadron claimed its first enemy aircraft destroyed. The squadron then upgraded to cannon-armed Spitfire VBs and carried out offensive operations over the channel and providing bomber escorts.
to be with the other Eagle squadrons, the squadron was transferred to the USAAF
as the 335th Fighter Squadron
and officially disbanded as a RAF unit on the 29 September 1942. The new squadron became part of the 4th Fighter Group of the Eighth 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...
aircraft squadron that during the Second World War was one of the three Eagle Squadron
Eagle squadron
The Eagle Squadrons were 3 fighter squadrons of the Royal Air Force formed during World War II with volunteer pilots from the United States...
s manned by American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
volunteers.
In World War I
No. 121 Squadron Royal Flying Corps (Royal Air Force from the 1 April 1918) was formed at NarboroughRAF Narborough
RAF Narborough was a military aerodrome in Norfolk operated in the First World War. It opened on 28 May 1915, originally as a Royal Naval Air Station for RNAS Great Yarmouth tasked with defending against Zeppelin raids. The airfield covered a site, including of buildings - making it the largest...
on 1 January 1918 as a day bomber squadron to operate the Airco DH.9
Airco DH.9
The Airco DH.9 - also known after 1920 as the de Havilland DH.9 - was a British bomber used in the First World War...
. The squadron was equipped with Airco DH.4s for training, but due to delays with the DH.9 and the end of the war approaching, the squadron was disbanded on the 17 August 1918 without going operational.
In World War II
Eagle squadron
The Eagle Squadrons were 3 fighter squadrons of the Royal Air Force formed during World War II with volunteer pilots from the United States...
s manned by American volunteers. Equipped with the Hawker 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...
, the squadron then converted to the Supermarine 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...
and moved south to RAF North Weald to begin operations on channel sweeps and Rhubarb operations. On 15 November 1941 the squadron claimed its first enemy aircraft destroyed. The squadron then upgraded to cannon-armed Spitfire VBs and carried out offensive operations over the channel and providing bomber escorts.
To the USAAF
In September 1942, the squadron moved to RAF DebdenRAF Debden
RAF Debden is a former RAF airfield in England. The field is located 3 miles SE of Saffron Walden and approximately 1 mile north of the village of Debden in North Essex.-RAF Fighter Command:...
to be with the other Eagle squadrons, the squadron was transferred to the USAAF
United States Army Air Forces
The United States Army Air Forces was the military aviation arm of the United States of America during and immediately after World War II, and the direct predecessor of the United States Air Force....
as the 335th Fighter Squadron
335th Fighter Squadron
The 335th Fighter Squadron ' is a United States Air Force unit. It is assigned to the 4th Operations Group and stationed at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, North Carolina....
and officially disbanded as a RAF unit on the 29 September 1942. The new squadron became part of the 4th Fighter Group of the Eighth Air Force
Eighth Air Force
The Eighth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Global Strike Command . It is headquartered at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana....
.
Aircraft operated
| Dates | Aircraft | Variant | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 1918 - Aug 1918 | Airco DH.4 | ||
| May 1941 - Jul 1941 | Hawker 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.I | |
| Jul 1941 - Nov 1941 | Hawker 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.IIb | |
| Oct 1941 - Nov 1941 | Supermarine 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.IIa | |
| Nov 1941 - Sep 1942 | Supermarine 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.Vb |
See also
- List of Royal Air Force aircraft squadrons
- 335th Fighter Squadron335th Fighter SquadronThe 335th Fighter Squadron ' is a United States Air Force unit. It is assigned to the 4th Operations Group and stationed at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, North Carolina....
- Eagle Squadrons
External links
- No 121 - 125 Squadron Histories
- RAF Eagle Squadron (historic video)