No. 241 Squadron RAF
Encyclopedia
No. 241 Squadron is a former squadron
of the Royal Air Force
(RAF) formed during the First World War.
flight
s operating at the RNAS seaplane
station at the Isle of Portland
(HMS Serepta) and their airfield at Chickerell; Flight numbers 416, 417 and 513. They continued to fly patrols over the English Channel hunting submarines until the end of the war. The squadron was disbanded the following year, on 18 June 1919.
The squadron was reformed in the Second World War. A flight of No. 614 Squadron RAF
was redesignated as 241 Squadron on 25 September 1940 at Inverness
.
The squadron initially operated the Westland Lysander
. To this were added some Blackburn Roc
naval dive bombers and some Curtiss Tomahawks. In April 1942, the squadron moved to North Africa
with Hawker Hurricanes were it flew reconnaissance
and ground attack during the Tunisian campaign.
The Hurricanes were replaced with Spitfires in December 1943. The squadron operated various reconnaissance and ground attack duties in Italy until the end of the war. The squadron was disbanded on 14 August 1945, when it was no longer needed for intense use.
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...
of the 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...
(RAF) formed during the First World War.
History
No. 241 Squadron was formed in August 1918 from the former Royal Naval Air ServiceRoyal Naval Air Service
The Royal Naval Air Service or RNAS was the air arm of the Royal Navy until near the end of the First World War, when it merged with the British Army's Royal Flying Corps to form a new service , the Royal Air Force...
flight
Flight
Flight is the process by which an object moves either through an atmosphere or beyond it by generating lift or propulsive thrust, or aerostatically using buoyancy, or by simple ballistic movement....
s operating at the RNAS seaplane
Seaplane
A seaplane is a fixed-wing aircraft capable of taking off and landing on water. Seaplanes that can also take off and land on airfields are a subclass called amphibian aircraft...
station at the Isle of Portland
Isle of Portland
The Isle of Portland is a limestone tied island, long by wide, in the English Channel. Portland is south of the resort of Weymouth, forming the southernmost point of the county of Dorset, England. A tombolo over which runs the A354 road connects it to Chesil Beach and the mainland. Portland and...
(HMS Serepta) and their airfield at Chickerell; Flight numbers 416, 417 and 513. They continued to fly patrols over the English Channel hunting submarines until the end of the war. The squadron was disbanded the following year, on 18 June 1919.
The squadron was reformed in the Second World War. A flight of No. 614 Squadron RAF
No. 614 Squadron RAF
614 Squadron was originally formed on 1 June 1937 as an army co-opeation squadron unit of the Auxiliary Air Force. It served during the Second World War first in this role and later as a bomber squadron...
was redesignated as 241 Squadron on 25 September 1940 at Inverness
Inverness
Inverness is a city in the Scottish Highlands. It is the administrative centre for the Highland council area, and is regarded as the capital of the Highlands of Scotland...
.
The squadron initially operated the Westland Lysander
Westland Lysander
The Westland Lysander was a British army co-operation and liaison aircraft produced by Westland Aircraft used immediately before and during the Second World War...
. To this were added some Blackburn Roc
Blackburn Roc
|-See also:-References:NotesBibliography* Brew, Alec. The Turret Fighters: Defiant and Roc. Ramsbury, Marlborough, Wiltshire, UK: Crowood Press, 2002. ISBN 1-86126-497-6....
naval dive bombers and some Curtiss Tomahawks. In April 1942, the squadron moved to North Africa
North Africa
North Africa or Northern Africa is the northernmost region of the African continent, linked by the Sahara to Sub-Saharan Africa. Geopolitically, the United Nations definition of Northern Africa includes eight countries or territories; Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, South Sudan, Sudan, Tunisia, and...
with Hawker Hurricanes were it flew reconnaissance
Reconnaissance
Reconnaissance is the military term for exploring beyond the area occupied by friendly forces to gain information about enemy forces or features of the environment....
and ground attack during the Tunisian campaign.
The Hurricanes were replaced with Spitfires in December 1943. The squadron operated various reconnaissance and ground attack duties in Italy until the end of the war. The squadron was disbanded on 14 August 1945, when it was no longer needed for intense use.