No. 305 Polish Bomber Squadron

No. 305 (Ziemia Wielkopolska) Polish Bomber Squadron
305 Squadron logo
Active	29 August 1940 - 6 January 1947
Country	United Kingdom
Allegiance	Poland
Branch	Royal Air Force
Role	Bomber Squadron
Part of	RAF Bomber Command Second Tactical Air Force
Commanders
Notable commanders	Bolesław Orliński
Insignia
Squadron Codes	SM (Aug 1940 - Jan 1947)

No. 305 Polish Bomber Squadron "Ziemia Wielpolska" ("Land of Greater Poland") (Polish: 305 Dywizjon Bombowy "Ziemi Wielkopolskiej im. Marszałka Józefa Piłsudskiego") was a Polish World War II bomber unit.

History

The last of the Polish bomber squadrons, 305 Squadron was formed at RAF Bramcote, Warwickshire on 29 August 1940. It was initially equipped with the somewhat obsolete Fairey Battle aircraft, but was requipped in November 1940 with twin-engine Vickers Wellington heavy bombers. The unit began operational flying in April 1941. Its first mission was bombing of petrol and fuel storage tanks at Rotterdam in the night from 25 to 26 April 1941.^[1] Between June 1941 and August 1943 the Squadron was based at RAF Ingham.

In August 1943, the Squadron was moved to RAF Swanton Morley and thereafter ceased its affiliation with RAF Bomber Command; instead, it was absorbed into the freshly formed Second Tactical Air Force, a specialized arm of the RAF that was centred on tactical air strikes on vital enemy targets (such as bridges, supply trains, etc.) on the Continent.

During this period, 305 Squadron was transferred to No. 2 Group RAF^[2] and converted briefly to North American Mitchell medium bombers before adopting the De Havilland Mosquito FB.VI, the aircraft that the Squadron operated for the remainder of the European campaign. Through 1944, the 305 was stationed at RAF Lasham in England and then briefly at RAF Hartford Bridge before moving to the Epinoy airfield in France in November 1944. The squadron flew its last action exactly four years after their first, in the night from 25 to 26 April 1945.^[1] After the hostilities ended, the Squadron continued to operate in Germany as part of the occupation forces and, after a brief return to England, was finally disbanded formally on 6 January 1947 at RAF Faldingworth, having already given up its aircraft on 25 November 1946.^[1]

Aircraft operated

From	To	Aircraft	Version
September 1940	November 1940	Fairey Battle	Mk.I
November 1940	July 1941	Vickers Wellington	Mk.Ic
July 1941	August 1942	Vickers Wellington	Mk.II
August 1942	May 1943	Vickers Wellington	Mk.IV
May 1943	September 1943	Vickers Wellington	Mk.X
September 1943	October 1943	North American Mitchell	Mk.II
December 1943	November 1946	de Havilland Mosquito	FB.VI

^[1][2]

Related content

• Polish Air Forces in Great Britain
• Polish contribution to World War II

References

Notes

1. ^ ^{a b c d} Moyes 1976, p. 227.
2. ^ ^{a b} Halley 1988, p. 358.

Bibliography

• Halley, James J. The Squadrons of the Royal Air Force & Commonwealth, 1918-1988. Tonbridge, Kent, UK: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd., 1988. ISBN 0-85130-164-9.
• Jefford, Wing Commander C.G., MBE, BA, RAF (Retd). RAF Squadrons, a Comprehensive Record of the Movement and Equipment of all RAF Squadrons and their Antecedents since 1912. Shrewsbury: Airlife Publishing, 2001. ISBN 1-84037-141-2.
• Moyes, Philip J.R. Bomber Squadrons of the RAF and their Aircraft. London: Macdonald and Jane's (Publishers) Ltd., 1964 (new edition 1974). ISBN 0-354-01027-1.
• Zieliński, Józef. 305 Dywizjon Bombowy Ziemi Wielkopolskiej I Lidzkiej. Dom Wydawniczy Bellona. ISBN 83-1109-813-1. (In Polish)

External links

• No. 305 Squadron Operations Record Books
• 305 Squadron Living History Group
• Photo Gallery of 305 Squadron