335th Bomber Squadron (HAF)

Infobox Military Unit
unit_name= 335th Bomber Squadron
335 Μοίρα Βομβαρδισμού


caption= The badge of 338 Bomber Sq.
dates= 7 October, 1941-
country= flag|Greece
branch= Hellenic Air Force
type=
role= Bomber
size=
command_structure= 116th Combat Wing
current_commander=
garrison= Araxos Air BaseThe 335th Bomber Squadron ( _el. 335 Μοίρα Βομβαρδισμού, 335 MB), callsign "Tigers", is the oldest squadron currently in service with the Hellenic Air Force. [http://www.haf.gr/en/structure/units/ata/units/116pm.asp#335 "335 Bomber Squadron", Hellenic Air Force website] ] It is currently based at Araxos Air Base in the Peloponnese, and equipped with the A-7 Corsair.

History

Foundation and World War II

In April 1941, the German "Wehrmacht" overran Greece. The Greek government under King George II fled to Allied-controlled Egypt, were it began to establish expatriate Greek Armed Forces. These were formed out of personnel that had been evacuated from Greece or fled to the Middle East during the Occupation, and were equipped and organised along British lines, coming under British command.

The squadron was formed as the 335th Royal Hellenic Pursuit Squadron (335 Βασιλική Ελληνική Μοίρα Διώξεως, 335 Β.Ε.Μ.Δ.), designated within the British Royal Air Force as No 335 (Greek) Squadron, on 10 October 1941 at Aqir airfield in Palestine."The Desert Squadrons", p. 51] Its first commander was Squadron Leader Xenophon Varvaressos, and the personnel was provided out of a core of Greek pilots that were undergoing training in Iraq, augmented by others who had fled from Greece. Initially it was equipped with Hurricane Mk I aircraft, and employed while training on defensive duties until January 1942. Subsequently the squadron was transferred to El Daba in Egypt, where it was declared as fully operational on 12 February 1942. ["The Desert Squadrons", p. 52] The squadron began operations over the Western Desert, where it operated continuously until late 1942, participating in convoy protection, bomber escort and ground attack roles. Between June and September 1942, it was re-equipped with Hurricane IIBs. [http://www.rafweb.org/Sqn330-352.htm RAF Squadron Histories] ] Under Squadron Leader Ioannis Kellas, the squadron participated in the air operations of the Second Battle of El Alamein; on 28 October 1942, the second anniversary of the Italian invasion of Greece, the squadron organized a strafing attack on the Italian XX Corps headquarters, an operation that was a huge morale booster for the expatriate Greeks. ["The Desert Squadrons", p. 53] In the aftermath of the Allied victory, the squadron returned to shipping protection duties, while being outfitted with the newer Spitfire Mk Vb and Vc aircraft from December 1943 onwards. ["The Desert Squadrons", p. 54] 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. ["The Desert Squadrons", p. 75]

In November the Greek squadrons returned to liberated Greece, where they were engaged in operations against the remaining German garrisons in the Aegean islands and Crete. On 31 July 1945, the squadron was disbanded from the RAF and transferred to Greek control.

Post-war history

Following the hand-over, the squadron was deployed to Sedes Air Base near Thessaloniki. From there, after the outbreak of the Greek Civil War, the squadron participated in operations against the Communist guerrillas. In June 1947 it was equipped with Spitfires Mk IX and XVI, which were retained until October 1953, when the squadron, now based at Elefsis, was equipped with jet aircraft: the US-made F-84 Thunderjet fighter-bombers and RT-33A reconnaissance aircraft. The redesignated 335th Fighter-Bomber Squadron (335 Μοίρα Διώξεως-Βομβαρδισμού) came under the 111 Combat Wing at Nea Anchialos until September 1957, when it redeployed to 110 Combat Wing at Larissa, where it was equipped with F-84F jets.

In November 1960, the squadron was transferred to Tanagra and assigned to ground strike duties as the 335th Strike Squadron (335 Μοίρα Κρούσης), where it remained until its transfer to Araxos in June 1977. In May 1965 the squadron was equipped with the F-104G, and would continue flying the Starfighters until May 1992. In December 1987 the squadron received 10 RF-104 aircraft and formed a separate Photoreconnaissance Flight. These aircraft remained in service until the typoe was decommissioned in May 1992.

On 3 April 1993, the squadron was established in its current form as the 335 Bomber Squadron, flying the A-7E Corsair, from a batch of 62 aircraft handed over by the US Air Force as surplus following the First Gulf War.

References

Sources

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* [http://www.haf.gr/en/structure/units/ata/units/116pm.asp#335 335 Bomber Squadron | Hellenic Air Force website]
* [http://www.rafweb.org/Sqn330-352.htm Air of Authority - A History of RAF Organisation: No 330 - 352 Squadron Histories]

External links

* [http://www.rafweb.org/SqnMark331-360.htm#335 335 Squadron markings in British service]
* [http://www.335sq.gr/ Unofficial homepage of 335 Sq.]