No. 312 Squadron RAF

Infobox Military Unit
unit_name =No. 312 Squadron RAF


caption =
country =United Kingdom
branch =Royal Air Force
command_structure =
equipment =
garrison =
garrison_label =Base
motto =NON MULTI SED MULTA
dates =1940-1946
battle_honours =

No. 312 Squadron RAF was a Czechoslovakian-manned fighter squadron of the Royal Air Force during the Second World War.

It was first formed at Duxford in July 1940, equipped with Hurricane I fighters and crewed mostly by escaped Czechslovakian pilots. Its first victory was a Junkers Ju 88 above Liverpool by Alois Vašátko, Denys Gillam and Josef Stehlík on 8 October 1940. [ [http://www.south-lancs-aviation.bravepages.com/ju88.htm] ] It transitioned to Hurricane IIs in May 1941, and to Spitfires in October. It operated the Spitfires from the west of England during 1942 mainly operating coastal patrols and shipping reconnaissance flights. In September 1943 it joined the 2nd Tactical Air Force as a fighter-bomber unit with the Spitfire IX. The squadron operated over France softening up targets in preparation for the invasion and then supporting the landings.Orbis 1985, page 4092] In July 1944 the squadron moved to RAF Coltishall and operated daytime bomber escort flight over continental Europe. Following the end of the war the squadron moved to Prague in August 1945 before being disbanded on transfer to the Czechoslovakian air force in February 1946.

Among other major operations, it flew in cover of the Operation Jubilee raids on Dieppe in 1943, losing one aircraft.

Aircraft operated

[Jefford 1988, page 85]

Aircraft of this squadron used a unit code letters DU.

References

* [http://www.rafcommands.com/Fighter/312F.html No. 312 (Czechoslovak) Squadron RAF movement and equipment history]
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*cite book |last= |first= |authorlink= |coauthors= |title= The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft (Part Work 1982-1985)|year= 1985|publisher= Orbis Publishing|location= |issn=