Men of No.182 Squadron,
Hurn, May 1944 (Front)
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Aircraft - Locations - Group and Duty - Books
No.182 Squadron was a ground attack squadron that helped support the D-Day landings before moving to Europe and following the advancing armies into Germany.
The squadron was formed on 25 August 1942 at Martlesham Heath. Hurricanes arrived in September, but after a period of training were replaced with Typhoons. These were used on a single bombing mission, an attack on targets in Belgium on 3 January 1943, before the squadron began a period of tactical training with the army.
Operations resumed in April, with the squadron flying low-level defensive patrols and intruder missions over occupied France. In the summer of 1943 the squadron joined Second Tactical Air Force, and continued its intruder missions. In December V-1 sites were added to the target list, while German communications became the focus of attention in the period before D-Day.
The squadron provided part of the force of forty Typhoons that took part in a set piece attack on the HQ of Panzer Group West at the Chateau of La Caine on 10 June 1944. Eight days after D-Day the squadron began to operate from airstrips within the beachhead, returning to Hurn overnight. A more permanent move to France was made early in July, and the squadron provided close support to the army during the Battle of Normandy and the period of the breakout.
In September the squadron moved to bases in Belgium and the Netherlands, and for the rest of the war it flew armed reconnaissance missions over Germany, attacking enemy transports and airfields, moving to its first German base in April 1945. The squadron was disbanded on 30 September 1945.
Aircraft
September-October 1942: Hawker Hurricane I and Hurricane X
September-October 1942: Hawker Typhoon IA
October 1942-September 1945: Hawker Typhoon IB
Location
August-December 1942: Martlesham Heath
December 1942-January 1943: Sawbridgworth
January 1943: Snailwell
January 1943: Sawbridgworth
January-March 1943: Martlesham Heath
March 1943: Middle Wallop
March 1943: Zeals
March-April 1943: Middle Wallop
April 1943: Fairlop
April-June 1943: Lasham
June-July 1943: Appledram
July-September 1943: New Romney
September 1943: Wigtown
September-October 1943: New Romney
October-December 1943: Merston
December 1943-January 1944: Odiham
January 1944: Eastchurch
January-April 1944: Merston
April-June 1944: Hurn
June 1944: B.6 Coulombs
June-July 1944: Holmsley South
July-August 1944: B.6 Coulombs
August-September 1944: B.30 Creton
September 1944: B.48 Amiens/ Glisy
September 1944: B.58 Melsbroek
September 1944-January 1945: B.78 Eindhoven
January-February 1945: B.86 Helmond
February 1945: Warmwell
February-April 1945: B.86 Helmond
April 1945: B.106 Enschede
April 1945: B.108 Rheine
April-May 1945: B.120 Langenhagen
May 1945: B.156 Luneburg
May-July 1945: B.158 Lubeck
July-August 1945: B.160 Kastrup
August 1945: Warmwell
August-September 1945: B.160 Kastrup
September 1945: B.166 Flensburg
September 1945: B.164 Schleswig
Squadron Codes: XM
Duty
1942-1945: Ground Attack squadron
Part of:
6 June 1944: No.124 Wing; No.83 Group; Second Tactical Air Force; Allied Expeditionary Air Force
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