No. 130 Squadron RAF
Encyclopedia
No. 130 Squadron of the Royal Air Force
was a Second World War and Cold war
fighter squadron, and later a strategic missile squadron.
. Based at Wyton
it soon moved to RAF Hucknall as a training unit to convert pilots and observers on to the Airco DH.9
. With enough crews available for duties in France the squadron was disbanded on 4 July 1918.
The squadron was formed again on the 16 June 1941, as 130 (Punjab) Squadron following a donation of a squadron of Supermarine Spitfire
s by the state of Punjab. Based at Portreath it operated shipping patrols in the south west approaches to England. With the long summer nights it soon became active on fighter sweeps over northern France, it would fly to bases in the south-east of England in the morning to carry out operations and return to Cornwall at night. When winter approached it returned to coastal patrols until March 1943 when it moved North to Scotland. Having rested it was soon moved back to RAF West Malling
in Kent to resume operations over France, this only lasted a month and it was moved North again as it lacked experienced pilots. It was disbanded on 13 February 1944 at RAF Scorton
.
To maintain the tradition of a Punjab squadron 186 Squadron
at RAF Lympne
was re-numbered as on 5 April 1944. Like before the squadron was equipped with Spitfires, it operated daily bomber escort sorties and being close to the English Channel
also took on a role in air-sea rescue, both searching for survivors and escorting rescue aircraft. In June 1944 the squadron provided cover of the Normandy beaches and the shipping using the Mulberry harbours.
In August 1944 the squadron moved to RAF Tangmere
and re-equipped with the more powerful Griffon-engined Spitfire XIV. The new Spitfires were used the increased performance to operate Diver sorties, the interception of V-1 flying bombs. As the war progressed in mainland Europe the squadron started to operate ground-attack sorties over France and in October moved to Belgium to carry on the same role, it returned to England in May 1945.
After it moved to RAF Odiham
in 1946 it became part of one of the first Wings to operate the de Havilland Vampire
jet fighter. On the 31 January 1947 the squadron was disbanded when it was re-numbered as 72 Squadron
.
In 1953 the squadron was formed again with Vampires as part of the British forces in Germany to give air defence cover to the British sector equipped with the North American Sabre. The Sabres were an interim equipment until it could equip with the new Hawker Hunter
fighter in 1956. The squadron was disbanded at RAF Bruggen
on 30 April 1957.
The squadron reformed for the last time on 1 December 1959 at RAF Polebrook
as one of 20 Strategic Missile (SM) squadrons associated with Project Emily
. The squadron was equipped with three Thor
Intermediate range ballistic missiles.
In October 1962, during the Cuban missile crisis
, the squadron was kept at full readiness, with the missiles aimed at strategic targets in the USSR. The squadron was disbanded with the termination of the Thor Program in the United Kingdom in August 1963.
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...
was a Second World War and Cold war
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
fighter squadron, and later a strategic missile squadron.
History
The squadron was first formed on 1 March 1918 as part of the Royal Flying CorpsRoyal Flying Corps
The Royal Flying Corps was the over-land air arm of the British military during most of the First World War. During the early part of the war, the RFC's responsibilities were centred on support of the British Army, via artillery co-operation and photographic reconnaissance...
. Based at Wyton
RAF Wyton
RAF Wyton is a Royal Air Force station near St. Ives, Cambridgeshire, England.In terms of organisation RAF Wyton is now part of the combined station RAF Brampton Wyton Henlow, a merger of Wyton with two previously separate bases, RAF Brampton and RAF Henlow. Wyton is the largest of the three. It...
it soon moved to RAF Hucknall as a training unit to convert pilots and observers on to the Airco DH.9
Airco DH.9
The Airco DH.9 - also known after 1920 as the de Havilland DH.9 - was a British bomber used in the First World War...
. With enough crews available for duties in France the squadron was disbanded on 4 July 1918.
The squadron was formed again on the 16 June 1941, as 130 (Punjab) Squadron following a donation of a squadron of Supermarine Spitfire
Supermarine Spitfire
The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was used by the Royal Air Force and many other Allied countries throughout the Second World War. The Spitfire continued to be used as a front line fighter and in secondary roles into the 1950s...
s by the state of Punjab. Based at Portreath it operated shipping patrols in the south west approaches to England. With the long summer nights it soon became active on fighter sweeps over northern France, it would fly to bases in the south-east of England in the morning to carry out operations and return to Cornwall at night. When winter approached it returned to coastal patrols until March 1943 when it moved North to Scotland. Having rested it was soon moved back to RAF West Malling
RAF West Malling
RAF West Malling was a Royal Air Force station near West Malling in Kent, England.Originally used as a landing area during the first World War, the site opened as a private landing ground and in 1930, then known as Kingshill, home to the Maidstone School of Flying, before being renamed West Malling...
in Kent to resume operations over France, this only lasted a month and it was moved North again as it lacked experienced pilots. It was disbanded on 13 February 1944 at RAF Scorton
RAF Scorton
RAF Scorton was a satellite station of RAF Catterick during World War II. It was located near the village of Scorton in North Yorkshire, England...
.
To maintain the tradition of a Punjab squadron 186 Squadron
No. 186 Squadron RAF
No. 186 Squadron of the Royal Air Force was formed on 1 April 1918 at East Retford, providing night pilot training for home defence and on the Western front. On 31 December 1918 it was reformed as an operational shipboard unit aboard...
at RAF Lympne
RAF Lympne
RAF Lympne was a Royal Air Force station used during the First and Second World Wars. It opened in 1916 by the Royal Flying Corps as an acceptance point for aircraft being delivered to, and returned from, France. It was later designated as a First Class Landing Ground...
was re-numbered as on 5 April 1944. Like before the squadron was equipped with Spitfires, it operated daily bomber escort sorties and being close to the English Channel
English Channel
The English Channel , often referred to simply as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates southern England from northern France, and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic. It is about long and varies in width from at its widest to in the Strait of Dover...
also took on a role in air-sea rescue, both searching for survivors and escorting rescue aircraft. In June 1944 the squadron provided cover of the Normandy beaches and the shipping using the Mulberry harbours.
In August 1944 the squadron moved to RAF Tangmere
RAF Tangmere
RAF Tangmere was a Royal Air Force station famous for its role in the Battle of Britain, located at Tangmere village about 3 miles east of Chichester in West Sussex, England. American RAF pilot Billy Fiske died at Tangmere and was the first American aviator to die during World War II...
and re-equipped with the more powerful Griffon-engined Spitfire XIV. The new Spitfires were used the increased performance to operate Diver sorties, the interception of V-1 flying bombs. As the war progressed in mainland Europe the squadron started to operate ground-attack sorties over France and in October moved to Belgium to carry on the same role, it returned to England in May 1945.
After it moved to RAF Odiham
RAF Odiham
RAF Odiham is a Royal Air Force station situated a little to the south of the historic small village of Odiham in Hampshire, England. It is the home of the Royal Air Force's heavy lift helicopter, the Chinook HC2, HC2A and HC3...
in 1946 it became part of one of the first Wings to operate the de Havilland Vampire
De Havilland Vampire
The de Havilland DH.100 Vampire was a British jet-engine fighter commissioned by the Royal Air Force during the Second World War. Following the Gloster Meteor, it was the second jet fighter to enter service with the RAF. Although it arrived too late to see combat during the war, the Vampire served...
jet fighter. On the 31 January 1947 the squadron was disbanded when it was re-numbered as 72 Squadron
No. 72 Squadron RAF
No. 72 Squadron Royal Air Force started its service life supporting the army during World War I on operations in Middle East and afterwards was quickly disbanded. In its second incarnation the squadron was a real fighter unit, transitioning from Gloster Gladiator biplanes to Gloster Javelin...
.
In 1953 the squadron was formed again with Vampires as part of the British forces in Germany to give air defence cover to the British sector equipped with the North American Sabre. The Sabres were an interim equipment until it could equip with the new Hawker Hunter
Hawker Hunter
The Hawker Hunter is a subsonic British jet aircraft developed in the 1950s. The single-seat Hunter entered service as a manoeuvrable fighter aircraft, and later operated in fighter-bomber and reconnaissance roles in numerous conflicts. Two-seat variants remained in use for training and secondary...
fighter in 1956. The squadron was disbanded at RAF Bruggen
RAF Bruggen
The former Royal Air Force Station Brüggen, more commonly known as RAF Brüggen, in Germany was a major station of the Royal Air Force until 15 June 2001. It was situated next to the village of Elmpt, approximately west of Düsseldorf near the German-Netherlands border. The base was named after...
on 30 April 1957.
The squadron reformed for the last time on 1 December 1959 at RAF Polebrook
RAF Polebrook
RAF Polebrook is a former World War II airfield located 3.5 miles east-south-east of Oundle, at Polebrook, Northamptonshire, UK. The airfield was built on Rothschild estate land starting in August 1940....
as one of 20 Strategic Missile (SM) squadrons associated with Project Emily
Project Emily
Project Emily was the deployment of American-built PGM-17 Thor Intermediate-range ballistic missiles in the United Kingdom between 1959 and 1963....
. The squadron was equipped with three Thor
PGM-17 Thor
Thor was the first operational ballistic missile of the U.S. Air Force . Named after the Norse god of thunder, it was deployed in the United Kingdom between 1959 and September 1963 as an intermediate range ballistic missile with thermonuclear warheads. Thor was in height and in diameter. It was...
Intermediate range ballistic missiles.
In October 1962, during the Cuban missile crisis
Cuban Missile Crisis
The Cuban Missile Crisis was a confrontation among the Soviet Union, Cuba and the United States in October 1962, during the Cold War...
, the squadron was kept at full readiness, with the missiles aimed at strategic targets in the USSR. The squadron was disbanded with the termination of the Thor Program in the United Kingdom in August 1963.
Aircraft operated
| From | To | Aircraft | Version |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1918 | 1918 | Airco DH.9 Airco DH.9 The Airco DH.9 - also known after 1920 as the de Havilland DH.9 - was a British bomber used in the First World War... |
|
| 1941 | 1941 | Supermarine Spitfire Supermarine Spitfire The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was used by the Royal Air Force and many other Allied countries throughout the Second World War. The Spitfire continued to be used as a front line fighter and in secondary roles into the 1950s... |
IIA |
| 1941 | 1944 | Supermarine Spitfire | VA and VB |
| 1944 | 1945 | Supermarine Spitfire | XIV |
| 1945 | 1946 | Supermarine Spitfire | IX |
| 1946 | 1947 | de Havilland Vampire De Havilland Vampire The de Havilland DH.100 Vampire was a British jet-engine fighter commissioned by the Royal Air Force during the Second World War. Following the Gloster Meteor, it was the second jet fighter to enter service with the RAF. Although it arrived too late to see combat during the war, the Vampire served... |
F1 |
| 1953 | 1956 | North American Sabre | F4 |
| 1956 | 1957 | Hawker Hunter Hawker Hunter The Hawker Hunter is a subsonic British jet aircraft developed in the 1950s. The single-seat Hunter entered service as a manoeuvrable fighter aircraft, and later operated in fighter-bomber and reconnaissance roles in numerous conflicts. Two-seat variants remained in use for training and secondary... |
F4 |
| 1959 | 1963 | Thor PGM-17 Thor Thor was the first operational ballistic missile of the U.S. Air Force . Named after the Norse god of thunder, it was deployed in the United Kingdom between 1959 and September 1963 as an intermediate range ballistic missile with thermonuclear warheads. Thor was in height and in diameter. It was... IRBM |