No. 178 Squadron RAF
Encyclopedia
No. 178 Squadron RAF was a Royal Air Force
Squadron that was a bomber unit based in Egypt
, Libya
and Italy
in World War II
.
Formation in World War II
The Squadron was equipped with Liberators at Shandur, Egypt on 15 January 1943 and then moved to Libya
, then Italy
from March 1944.
at Fayid, Egypt. It was disbanded upon renumbering as No. 70 Squadron RAF on 15 April 1946.
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...
Squadron that was a bomber unit based in Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
, Libya
Libya
Libya is an African country in the Maghreb region of North Africa bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Sudan to the southeast, Chad and Niger to the south, and Algeria and Tunisia to the west....
and Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
Formation in World War IIWorld War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
The Squadron was equipped with Liberators at Shandur, Egypt on 15 January 1943 and then moved to LibyaLibya
Libya is an African country in the Maghreb region of North Africa bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Sudan to the southeast, Chad and Niger to the south, and Algeria and Tunisia to the west....
, then Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
from March 1944.
Postwar
In November 1945 the Liberators were replaced by LancastersAvro Lancaster
The Avro Lancaster is a British four-engined Second World War heavy bomber made initially by Avro for the Royal Air Force . It first saw active service in 1942, and together with the Handley Page Halifax it was one of the main heavy bombers of the RAF, the RCAF, and squadrons from other...
at Fayid, Egypt. It was disbanded upon renumbering as No. 70 Squadron RAF on 15 April 1946.
Aircraft operated
| From | To | Aircraft | Variant |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 1943 | Dec 1943 | Consolidated B-24 Liberator | II |
| May 1943 | Sep 1943 | Handley Page Halifax Handley Page Halifax The Handley Page Halifax was one of the British front-line, four-engined heavy bombers of the Royal Air Force during the Second World War. A contemporary of the famous Avro Lancaster, the Halifax remained in service until the end of the war, performing a variety of duties in addition to bombing... |
II |
| Sep 1943 | Jul 1944 | Consolidated B-24 Liberator | III |
| Jan 1944 | Jan 1946 | Consolidated B-24 Liberator | VI |
| Nov 1945 | Apr 1946 | Avro Lancaster Avro Lancaster The Avro Lancaster is a British four-engined Second World War heavy bomber made initially by Avro for the Royal Air Force . It first saw active service in 1942, and together with the Handley Page Halifax it was one of the main heavy bombers of the RAF, the RCAF, and squadrons from other... |
III |