No. 34 Squadron, Finnish Air Force
Encyclopedia
No. 34 Squadron renamed No. 34 Fighter Squadron (Finnish: Hävittäjälentolaivue 34 or HLe.Lv.34 on 14 February 1944) was a fighter
squadron of the Finnish Air Force
during World War II
. The squadron was part of Flying Regiment 3
.
The pilots of the No. 34 Squadron achieved 345 confirmed kills, all with Bf-109Gs. The unit lost 30 aircraft (13 in air combat, 5 to anti-aircraft fire, 7 in accidents and 5 due to technical faults). 12 pilots were listed as dead or missing, one was captured. Three pilots of the No. 34 Squadron was awarded the Mannerheim Cross
.
In December 1944 No. 34 Squadron became No. 33 Squadron.
The unit had an operational strength of 16 Messerschmitt Bf 109
G-2s. It was later re-equipped with Bf 109G-6s. The unit had also one captured Hawker Hurricane
Mk.IIA in its possession, but it never flew any operational sorties.
Fighter aircraft
A fighter aircraft is a military aircraft designed primarily for air-to-air combat with other aircraft, as opposed to a bomber, which is designed primarily to attack ground targets...
squadron of the Finnish Air Force
Finnish Air Force
The Finnish Air Force is one of the branches of the Finnish Defence Forces. Its peacetime tasks are airspace surveillance, identification flights, and production of readiness formations for wartime conditions...
during 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...
. The squadron was part of Flying Regiment 3
Flying Regiment 3, Finnish Air Force
Flying Regiment 3 was a fighter aircraft regiment of the Finnish Air Force. The regiment took part in the Continuation War and the Lapland War.-Continuation War:*No. 24 Squadron: fighter squadron*No. 26 Squadron: fighter squadron...
.
The pilots of the No. 34 Squadron achieved 345 confirmed kills, all with Bf-109Gs. The unit lost 30 aircraft (13 in air combat, 5 to anti-aircraft fire, 7 in accidents and 5 due to technical faults). 12 pilots were listed as dead or missing, one was captured. Three pilots of the No. 34 Squadron was awarded the Mannerheim Cross
Mannerheim Cross
The Mannerheim Cross of Liberty is the highest Finnish military decoration. The medal was introduced after the Winter War and named after Field Marshal Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim...
.
In December 1944 No. 34 Squadron became No. 33 Squadron.
Continuation War
- 1st Flight (1. Lentue)
- 2nd Flight (2. Lentue)
- 3rd Flight (3. Lentue)
The unit had an operational strength of 16 Messerschmitt Bf 109
Messerschmitt Bf 109
The Messerschmitt Bf 109, often called Me 109, was a German World War II fighter aircraft designed by Willy Messerschmitt and Robert Lusser during the early to mid 1930s...
G-2s. It was later re-equipped with Bf 109G-6s. The unit had also one captured 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.IIA in its possession, but it never flew any operational sorties.