History No. 15 Squadron RAF

1 history

1.1 world war i
1.2 interwar 1919–1939
1.3 world war ii
1.4 cold war service
1.5 service nuclear force
1.6 desert storm onwards

history
world war i

no. 15 squadron first formed @ farnborough airfield on 1 march 1915 royal flying corps training unit, commanded major philip joubert de la ferté. equipped royal aircraft factory b.e.2cs, supplemented few bristol scouts, , moved france on 22 december 1915, undertaking reconnaissance role in support of army. operated in support of iv corps during battle of somme in summer 1916, suffering heavy losses both ground fire , german fighter aircraft. praised douglas haig work in support of fifth army in ancre salient in january 1917.

it again heavily committed action in support of offensive @ arras in spring 1917. re-equipped royal aircraft factory r.e.8 in june 1917, retaining harry tate (a rhyming-slang term aircraft) until end of first world war. great tank attack @ battle of cambrai, no.15 squadron specially tasked checking camouflaging of troops, guns , dumps assembled before attack.

the squadron moved united kingdom in february 1919, , disbanded @ fowlmere on 31 december year.

one of officers began career in squadron during era future air marshal sir charles steele.

interwar 1919–1939

it reformed on 20 march 1924 @ martlesham heath part of aeroplane , armament experimental establishment, carrying out test flying of bomber aircraft. no. 15 again reformed in 1934 @ raf abingdon light bomber squadron equipped hawker hart. commanding officer of day, squadron leader t w elmhirst, dfc, instigated squadron s tradition of writing squadron number in roman numerals. received hawker hinds temporary replacement harts before re-equipping fairey battle monoplanes in 1938.

world war ii

coat of arms of macrobert.

still equipped fairey battle light bombers, squadron flew france in september 1939 part of no. 71 wing, advanced air striking force. after returning uk, following year re-equipped first bristol blenheims , again vickers wellingtons before becoming 1 of first short stirling bomber squadrons. 1 famous stirling donated lady macrobert in memory of 3 sons killed in raf service , named macrobert s reply. in 1943, squadron converted avro lancasters.

cold war service

in 1947, lancasters replaced avro lincolns, before squadron adopted nuclear strike role boeing washingtons in 1951.

xv squadron re-equipped english electric canberra b.2 bomber in june 1953, whilst @ raf coningsby, lincolnshire, later moving raf cottesmore, rutland , raf honington, suffolk. canberra used in combat in suez crisis , dropped bombs in eighteen days of conflict. squadron disbanded in july 1957.

on 1 september 1958 reformed second handley page victor squadron, stationed @ raf cottesmore. in 1962, 1 of many squadrons ready action during cuban missile crisis. deploying raf tengah in 1963, on hand show of force deter indonesia during indonesia-malaysia confrontation. following this, disbanded on 31 october 1964 upon withdrawal overseas detachment.

service nuclear force

blackburn buccaneer s2b of no.15 squadron in 1977

in 1970 squadron reformed blackburn buccaneer s.2b @ raf honington, shortly afterwards moving raf laarbruch in germany. 1971 task @ raf laarbruch, assigned saceur, support of army in european land battle, first in conventional role, , later in tactical nuclear delivery role, if required. raf planning staff expected squadron s twelve buccaneer s2b aircraft suffer attrition of 1 third strength, leaving sufficient survivors, held in reserve conventional phase, deliver squadron s allocation of eighteen we.177 nuclear bombs.

in 1983 squadron s twelve buccaneer s2s exchanged twelve tornado gr.1s, use in similar role 1984 squadron subsequently became first panavia tornado gr.1 squadron in germany. tornados able carry 2 we.177 nuclear bombs, , raf staff expected there enough survivors of conventional war phase deliver increased stock of eighteen bombs. squadron s nuclear delivery role assigned saceur continued @ strength until 1991, when disbanded.

desert storm onwards

deployed bahrain during build-up operation desert storm, squadron given specific brief knock out iraqi air force bases bombing runways. on second mission, ultra-low-level daylight mission against ar rumaylah airfield squadron leader pablo mason leading flight of 4 tornados, number 2 crew of john peters , navigator john nichol shot down , became pows. mason (along many other raf tornado crews) flew total of 24 bombing missions in desert storm, ultra-low-level daylight, medium-level night bombing and, on 2 february 1991, first-ever buccaneer/tornado attack using laser-guided bombs. during conflict (14 february), aircraft crewed xv squadron personnel shot down, resulting in loss of flt lt stephen hicks , capture of flt lt rupert clark.

in 1992 no.45 (reserve) squadron, tornado weapons conversion unit based @ raf honington changed shadow identity no.15 (reserve) squadron, remaining @ raf honington until 1993 assigned saceur in role had performed when based @ raf laarbruch. squadron s equipment of twenty-six aircraft , thirty-nine we.177 nuclear bombs unusually large. relocation raf lossiemouth in 1994 brought reassignment saclant in maritime strike role, armed variety of conventional weapons , eighteen we.177 nuclear bombs.

the squadron disbanded on 31 march 2017 in preparation retirement of tornado gr4 in 2019. squadron aircraft , crews absorbed front-line squadrons @ raf marham carry out refresher training when required. squadron completed final operational flying on 17 march 2017.