Dab solver - No. 248 Squadron RAF

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On 10 May 1944, six Mosquitos of 248 Squadron, including two Tsetse aircraft, were ordered to attack the [[Japanese submarine I-29|Japanese submarine I-29]], carrying a cargo of rubber, tungsten, gold bullion and 25 Japanese senior naval officers, off Cape Peñas in northern Spain.  The I-29 had a heavy escort, including two destroyers and two torpedo boats, together with air cover of eight Ju-88s. 248 Squadron claimed to have shot down three Ju-88s (one by the six-pounder gun of one of the Tsetses) and damaged I-29. In fact, only one Ju-88 was shot down and I-29 was undamaged.^ref^ref On 25 March 1944, six 248 Squadron Mosquitos, including two Tsetses, attacked and sunk the German submarine [[German submarine U-976|U-976]] off [[Saint Nazaire]].^ref During June 1944, the squadron was heavily deployed in support of [[Operation Overlord]], the Allied invasion of [[Normandy]], flying 274 sorties that month.^ref The squadron damaged [[German submarine U-212|U-212]] on 6 June,^ref sank [[German submarine U-821|U-821]] in conjunction with a [[...|Liberator]] bomber of [[No. 206 Squadron RAF|206 Squadron]] on 10 June and damaged another U-boat, [[...|U-155]] off [[Lorient]] on 23 June.^ref

In September 1944 the Squadron left Cornwall for  in Scotland, operating as part of the Banff Strike Wing, flying anti-submarine and anti-shipping operations off the coast of Norway.  It continued these operations until the end of the war in Europe. It moved to [[RAF Chivenor]] in July 1946, and was renamed [[No. 36 Squadron RAF|36 Squadron]] on 30 September 1946.^ref^ref

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{{Infobox military unit|
|unit_name= No. 248 Squadron RAF
|image=
|caption=
|dates= August 1918 - 6 March 1919<br>30 October 1939 - 30 September 1946
|country= {{flagicon|UK}} [[United Kingdom]] 
|allegiance=
|branch= [[Image:Ensign of the Royal Air Force.svg|23px]] [[Royal Air Force]]
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|current_commander=
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|patron=
|motto=[[French language|French]]: ''Il faut en finir''<br>("It is necessary to make an end of it")
|colors=
|colors_label=
|march=
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|equipment=
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|identification_symbol= A demi-sword in bend partly withdrawn from the scabbard.<ref name="raf"/>
|identification_symbol_label= Squadron Badge heraldry
|identification_symbol_2= '''WR''' (Oct 1939 - Oct 1943)<br> '''DM''' (Oct 1943 - 1945)
|identification_symbol_2_label= Squadron Codes
}}
'''No. 248 Squadron''' was a [[squadron (aviation)|squadron]] of the [[Royal Air Force]], active immediately after World War I, and again during World War II.

==Service history==
===First World War===
248 Squadron RAF was formed at [[Hornsea Mere]] in the [[East Riding of Yorkshire]] in August 1918 by merging the seaplane flights based at Hornsea Mere (No. 404, 405 and 453 Flights). The new squadron was equipped with [[Short 184]] and [[Fairey Hamble Baby]] [[floatplane]]s, and was employed in flying anti-submarine patrols off the Yorkshire coast until the end of the [[First World War]] in November 1918. It disbanded on 6 March 1919.<ref name="Rawl coast p179">Rawlings 1982, p. 179.</ref><ref name="raf">[http://www.raf.mod.uk/history/248squadron.cfm "248 Squadron"]. ''Royal Air Force''. Retrieved 30 August 2012.</ref>

===Second World War===
The Squadron remained disbanded until after the outbreak of the Second World War, reforming at [[RAF Hendon]] as a [[Night Fighter]] squadron. It received its first aircraft, [[Bristol Blenheim]] IFs, a fighter modification of the twin engined light bomber in December that year. The squadron was still working up when it was transferred to [[Coastal Command]] in February 1940, swapping its Blenheim IFs for slightly more modern Blenheim IVFs and moving to [[North Coates]] in [[Lincolnshire]]. It transferred back to [[RAF Fighter Command|Fighter Command]] on 22 April 1940, flying fighter patrols over the [[North Sea]] from [[RAF Dyce]], [[Aberdeen]] and [[RAF Montrose]], and returning to Coastal Command control on 20 June.<ref name="Rawl coast p179"/><ref name="raf"/>

The squadron moved to [[RAF Sumburgh]] in the [[Shetland Islands]] on 31 July 1940, flying reconnaissance and anti-shipping missions off the coast of [[Norway]] until it returned to Dyce in January 1941, adding convoy escort to its reconnaissance missions, with a detachment based at [[RAF Wick]] in [[Caithness]]. In June 1941 the squadron transferred to [[RAF Bircham Newton]] in [[Norfolk]], where it re-equipped with the [[Bristol Beaufighter]] in July, flying its first missions with the new aircraft on 14 August. It carried out convoy escort missions and strikes against shipping off the Dutch coast from Bircham Newton, while a detachment from the squadron was sent to [[Cornwall]] to carry out long-range fighter patrols over the [[Western Approaches]] between September and December that year. The squadron moved back to Dyce again in February 1942, flying patrols and escorting strikes by [[Bristol Beaufort]] torpedo bombers off Norway.<ref name="Rawl coast p179"/><ref name="Halley80p248-9">Halley 1980, pp. 248–249.</ref><ref name="raf"/>

[[File:RAF Mosquito with Molins gun WWII IWM CH 14114.jpg|thumb|right|<center>[[de Havilland Mosquito|Mosquito FB Mark XVIII]], NT225 O, of No. 248 Squadron RAF Special Detachment based at [[RAF Portreath]], Cornwall, banking away from the camera while in flight, showing the [[Ordnance QF 6 pounder#Molins gun|57mm Molins gun]] mounted underneath the nose</center>]]
In July 1942, the squadron deployed to [[Malta]], flying long-range fighter support for the Malta Convoy [[Operation Pedestal]], attacking airfileds on [[Sardinia]] and a convoy off [[Corfu]] before it returned to the UK, leaving its aircraft behind.<ref name="Rawl coast p179"/><ref name="Halley80p248-9"/><ref name="raf"/> Once back in the UK and with a fresh set of Beaufighters, the Squadron was tasked with carrying out fighter patrols over the Western Approaches and [[Bay of Biscay]] as part of No. 19 Group RAF from [[RAF Talbenny]] in Cornwall. Together with fellow Beaufighter squadron [[No. 235 Squadron RAF|No. 235]], 248 had the particular role of opposing German [[Junkers Ju 88]] fighters that were attacking Allied anti-submarine aircraft over the Bay of Biscay, with repeated combats taking place though the spring and summer of 1943, with the Squadron receiving Beaufighter Xs in June 1943, adding anti-shipping strikes to its missions and operating a detachment from [[Gibraltar]].<ref name="Rawl coast p179"/><ref name="Halley80p248-9"/><ref name="Goss p17">Goss 1997, p. 17.</ref>

In December 1943, the Squadron started to receive [[de Havilland Mosquito]] FB VI fighter-bombers, flying its final missions on the Beaufighter in January 1944 and its first patrols on the Mosquito in February that year. In March its Mosquito FB.VIs were supplemented by a detachment of ex-[[No. 618 Squadron RAF|618 Squadron]] Mosquito FB.XVIIIs (nicknamed ''Tsetse''), equipped with a 6-pounder (57 mm) cannon. The squadron used the ''Tsetse''s to attack shipping, and in particular German submarines, while the more conventional Mosquito FB.VIs provided fighter cover.<ref name="Rawl coast p179"/>

On 10 May 1944, six Mosquitos of 248 Squadron, including two ''Tsetse'' aircraft, were ordered to attack the [[Japanese submarine I-29|Japanese submarine ''I-29'']], carrying a cargo of rubber, tungsten, gold bullion and 25 Japanese senior naval officers, off Cape Peñas in northern Spain.  The ''I-29'' had a heavy escort, including two destroyers and two torpedo boats, together with air cover of eight Ju-88s. 248 Squadron claimed to have shot down three Ju-88s (one by the six-pounder gun of one of the ''Tsetses'') and damaged ''I-29''. In fact, only one Ju-88 was shot down and ''I-29'' was undamaged.<ref name="Goss p153-4">Goss 1997, pp. 153–154.</ref><ref name="Blair p539">Blair 2000, p. 539.</ref> On 25 March 1944, six 248 Squadron Mosquitos, including two ''Tsetses'', attacked and sunk the German submarine [[German submarine U-976|''U-976'']] off [[Saint Nazaire]].<ref name="Blair p507">Blair 2000, p. 507.</ref> During June 1944, the squadron was heavily deployed in support of [[Operation Overlord]], the Allied invasion of [[Normandy]], flying 274 sorties that month.<ref name="Rawl coast p179"/> The squadron damaged [[German submarine U-212|''U-212'']] on 6 June,<ref name="Blair p584">Blair 2000, p. 584.</ref> sank [[German submarine U-821|''U-821'']] in conjunction with a [[Consolidated B-24 Liberator|Liberator]] bomber of [[No. 206 Squadron RAF|206 Squadron]] on 10 June and damaged another U-boat, [[German submarine U-155 (1941)|''U-155'']] off [[Lorient]] on 23 June.<ref name="Blair p557">Blair 2000, p. 557.</ref>

In September 1944 the Squadron left Cornwall for <<link:0>> in Scotland, operating as part of the Banff Strike Wing, flying anti-submarine and anti-shipping operations off the coast of Norway.  It continued these operations until the end of the war in Europe. It moved to [[RAF Chivenor]] in July 1946, and was renamed [[No. 36 Squadron RAF|36 Squadron]] on 30 September 1946.<ref name="Rawl coast p179"/><ref name="raf"/>

==References==
;Notes;
{{Reflist}}
;Bibliography
{{refbegin}}
* Blair, Clay. ''Hitler's U-Boat War: The Hunted 1942–1945''. New York: Modern Library, 2000. ISBN 0-679-64033-9.
* Goss, Chris. ''Bloody Biscay: The History of V Gruppe/Kampfgeschwader 40''. Manchester, UK: Crécy Publishing Limited, 2001. ISBN 0-947554-87-4.
* Halley, James J. ''The Squadrons of the Royal Air Force''. Tonbridge, Kent, UK: Air-Britain (Historians), 1980. ISBN 0-85130-083-9.
* 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., [[Order of the British Empire|MBE]],BA,RAF (Retd). ''RAF Squadrons, a Comprehensive Record of the Movement and Equipment of all RAF Squadrons and their Antecedents since 1912''. Shrewsbury, Shropshire, UK: Airlife Publishing, 2001. ISBN 1-84037-141-2.
* Rawlings, John D.R. ''Coastal, Support and Special Squadrons of the RAF and their Aircraft''. London: Jane's Publishing Company, 1982. ISBN 0-7106-0187-5.
* Rawlings, John D.R. ''Fighter Squadrons of the RAF and their Aircraft''. London: Macdonald and Jane's (Publishers) Ltd., 1969 (new edition 1976, reprinted 1978). ISBN 0-354-01028-X.
* Robinson, Anthony. ''RAF Fighter Squadrons in the Battle of Britain''. London: Arms and Armour Press Ltd., 1987 (Reprinted in 1999 by Brockhampton Press, ISBN 1-86019-907-0.)
{{refend}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|No. 248 Squadron RAF}}
* [http://www.raf.mod.uk/history/248squadron.cfm Squadron history]
* [http://www.rafweb.org/Sqn246-250.htm Squadron Histories of Nos. 246-250]

[[Category:Military units and formations established in 1918]]
[[Category:Royal Air Force aircraft squadrons|248 Squadron]]
[[Category:Battle of Britain]]
[[Category:1918 establishments in the United Kingdom]]

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Dab solver - No. 248 Squadron RAF

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