No. 692 Squadron RAF
Encyclopedia
No. 692 Squadron RAF was a light bomber squadron of the Royal Air Force
during the Second World War.
, Huntingdonshire
as a light bomber unit, equipped with Mosquito Mk.IV
bombers, as part of the Light Night Striking Force of No. 8 Group RAF
in Bomber Command
. It re-equipped with Mosquito Mk.XVI bombers from March 1944 and by June 1944 the squadron had completely switched over to the newer variant.
It was the first squadron to carry 4,000 lb bombs in Mosquitos, used in an attack on Düsseldorf
. The squadron was also the first Mosquito unit to carry out minelaying operations. Most operations were at low level, including one mission when the squadron dropped 4,000 lb bombs into the mouth of tunnels in the Ardennes.
At the end of the war the squadron was disbanded on 20 September 1945 at RAF Gransden Lodge, Cambridgeshire
.
The squadron had carried out 3,237 operational sorties (though one source claims a far lower number of sorties, 1,457) for the loss of 17 aircraft.
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...
during the Second World War.
History
The squadron was formed on 1 January 1944 at RAF GraveleyRAF Graveley
- 35 Sqn RAF :The first Squadron to move to Graveley was 35 Sqn RAF in August 1942 using the Handley Page Halifax it became a pathfinder unit, forming part of No. 8 Group...
, Huntingdonshire
Huntingdonshire
Huntingdonshire is a local government district of Cambridgeshire, covering the area around Huntingdon. Traditionally it is a county in its own right...
as a light bomber unit, equipped with Mosquito Mk.IV
De Havilland Mosquito
The de Havilland DH.98 Mosquito was a British multi-role combat aircraft that served during the Second World War and the postwar era. It was known affectionately as the "Mossie" to its crews and was also nicknamed "The Wooden Wonder"...
bombers, as part of the Light Night Striking Force of No. 8 Group RAF
No. 8 Group RAF
No. 8 Group RAF was a Royal Air Force group which existed during the final year of World War I and during World War II.-Formation in World War II:...
in Bomber Command
RAF Bomber Command
RAF Bomber Command controlled the RAF's bomber forces from 1936 to 1968. During World War II the command destroyed a significant proportion of Nazi Germany's industries and many German cities, and in the 1960s stood at the peak of its postwar military power with the V bombers and a supplemental...
. It re-equipped with Mosquito Mk.XVI bombers from March 1944 and by June 1944 the squadron had completely switched over to the newer variant.
It was the first squadron to carry 4,000 lb bombs in Mosquitos, used in an attack on Düsseldorf
Düsseldorf
Düsseldorf is the capital city of the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia and centre of the Rhine-Ruhr metropolitan region.Düsseldorf is an important international business and financial centre and renowned for its fashion and trade fairs. Located centrally within the European Megalopolis, the...
. The squadron was also the first Mosquito unit to carry out minelaying operations. Most operations were at low level, including one mission when the squadron dropped 4,000 lb bombs into the mouth of tunnels in the Ardennes.
At the end of the war the squadron was disbanded on 20 September 1945 at RAF Gransden Lodge, Cambridgeshire
Cambridgeshire
Cambridgeshire is a county in England, bordering Lincolnshire to the north, Norfolk to the northeast, Suffolk to the east, Essex and Hertfordshire to the south, and Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire to the west...
.
The squadron had carried out 3,237 operational sorties (though one source claims a far lower number of sorties, 1,457) for the loss of 17 aircraft.
Aircraft operated
| From | To | Aircraft | Variant |
|---|---|---|---|
| January 1944 | June 1944 | de Havilland Mosquito De Havilland Mosquito The de Havilland DH.98 Mosquito was a British multi-role combat aircraft that served during the Second World War and the postwar era. It was known affectionately as the "Mossie" to its crews and was also nicknamed "The Wooden Wonder"... |
Mk.IV |
| March 1944 | September 1945 | de Havilland Mosquito | Mk.XIV |
Commanding officers
| From | To | Name |
|---|---|---|
| January 1944 | March 1944 | W/Cdr. Wing Commander (rank) Wing commander is a commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many other Commonwealth countries... W.G. Lockhart, DSO Distinguished Service Order The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September... , DFC Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom) The Distinguished Flying Cross is a military decoration awarded to personnel of the United Kingdom's Royal Air Force and other services, and formerly to officers of other Commonwealth countries, for "an act or acts of valour, courage or devotion to duty whilst flying in active operations against... |
| March 1944 | July 1944 | W/Cdr. S.D. Watts, DFC (RNZAF Royal New Zealand Air Force The Royal New Zealand Air Force is the air arm of the New Zealand Defence Force... ) |
| July 1944 | September 1945 | W/Cdr. J. Northrop, DFC, AFC Air Force Cross (United Kingdom) The Air Force Cross is a military decoration awarded to personnel of the United Kingdom Armed Forces, and formerly also to officers of the other Commonwealth countries, for "an act or acts of valour, courage or devotion to duty whilst flying, though not in active operations against the enemy"... |
Squadron bases
| From | To | Name | Remark |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 January 1944 | 4 June 1944 | RAF Graveley RAF Graveley - 35 Sqn RAF :The first Squadron to move to Graveley was 35 Sqn RAF in August 1942 using the Handley Page Halifax it became a pathfinder unit, forming part of No. 8 Group... , Huntingdonshire Huntingdonshire Huntingdonshire is a local government district of Cambridgeshire, covering the area around Huntingdon. Traditionally it is a county in its own right... |
Formed here |
| 4 June 1944 | 20 September 1945 | RAF Gransden Lodge, Cambridgeshire Cambridgeshire Cambridgeshire is a county in England, bordering Lincolnshire to the north, Norfolk to the northeast, Suffolk to the east, Essex and Hertfordshire to the south, and Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire to the west... |
Disbanded here |