No. 515 Squadron RAF was a squadron of the

Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and ...

formed during the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. It ushered in

Electronic countermeasures An electronic countermeasure (ECM) is an electrical or electronic device designed to trick or deceive radar, sonar, or other detection systems, like infrared (IR) or lasers. It may be used both offensively and defensively to deny targeting info ...

(ECM) warfare, jamming enemy radar installations from October 1942 as the only such squadron in the RAF initially. Later in the war 515 Sqn was joined by other squadrons as part of

No. 100 Group RAF No. 100 (Bomber Support) Group was a special duties group within RAF Bomber Command. The group was formed on 11 November 1943 to consolidate the increasingly complex business of electronic warfare and countermeasures in one organisation. The g ...

. The squadron disbanded after VE day, when the need for such a specialised squadron had reduced.

History

Fighter Command

The squadron was formed from Defiant Flight, also known as Special Duties Flight – an

electronic countermeasures An electronic countermeasure (ECM) is an electrical or electronic device designed to trick or deceive radar, sonar, or other detection systems, like infrared (IR) or lasers. It may be used both offensively and defensively to deny targeting info ...

s unit equipped with the Boulton Paul Defiant Mk.II – at

RAF Northolt ("Ready to carry or to fight") , pushpin_map = Greater London , pushpin_label = RAF Northolt , pushpin_map_caption = Shown within Greater London , coordinates = , type = Royal Air Force station , code = , site_area = , height = , owners ...

on 1 October 1942, It moved to

RAF Heston Heston Aerodrome was an airfield located to the west of London, England, operational between 1929 and 1947. It was situated on the border of the Heston and Cranford areas of Hounslow, Middlesex. In September 1938, the British Prime Minister, Ne ...

later that month. As part of 11 Group, 515 Sqn performed

radar jamming Radar jamming and deception is a form of electronic countermeasures that intentionally sends out radio frequency signals to interfere with the operation of radar by saturating its receiver with noise or false information. Concepts that blanket the ...

duties, using ''

Moonshine Moonshine is high-proof liquor that is usually produced illegally. The name was derived from a tradition of creating the alcohol during the nighttime, thereby avoiding detection. In the first decades of the 21st century, commercial dist ...

'' and ''

Mandrel A mandrel, mandril, or arbor is a gently tapered cylinder against which material can be forged or shaped (e.g., a ring mandrel - also called a triblet - used by jewelers to increase the diameter of a wedding ring), or a flanged or tapered or ...

'' equipment. From May 1943, 515 Sqn re-equipped with the Bristol Beaufighter Mk.IIF.

Bomber Command

The squadron transferred to

in December 1943 as part of Bomber Command, and moved to

RAF Little Snoring Royal Air Force Little Snoring or more simply RAF Little Snoring is a former Royal Air Force station located north of the Norfolk village of Little Snoring. The airfield remains open for general aviation use as Little Snoring Airfield.Moyes 19 ...

Norfolk Norfolk () is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in East Anglia in England. It borders Lincolnshire to the north-west, Cambridgeshire to the west and south-west, and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the No ...

. There they re-equipped with de Havilland Mosquito Mk.VIs in March 1944, and operated these for the remainder of the war. At the time of its disbandment on 10 June 1945, 515 squadron had carried out 1,366 operational sorties with the Mosquito with a loss of 21 aircraft, with most of its aircrew transferring to

No. 627 Squadron RAF No. 627 Squadron was a Royal Air Force Mosquito aircraft pathfinder bomber squadron that operated during the Second World War. History The squadron was formed on 12 November 1943 at RAF Oakington from part of 139 Squadron. It was equipped with ...

. T

''Moonshine''

''Moonshine'' was the code-name for ARI TR1427, (Airborne Radio Installation Transmitter Receiver), a British airborne spoofer/jammer installed in the 20 modified Boulton Paul Defiants of No. 515 Squadron RAF to defeat Freya radar and was developed at the Telecommunications Research Establishment (TRE).

''Mandrel''

''Mandrel'' was the code-name for a jammer deployed against Freya and

Würzburg Würzburg (; Main-Franconian: ) is a city in the region of Franconia in the north of the German state of Bavaria. Würzburg is the administrative seat of the ''Regierungsbezirk'' Lower Franconia. It spans the banks of the Main River. Würzburg is ...

radars used by aircraft of 515 sqn and 100 Group. Developed at the TRE, ''Mandrel'' was also built in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

as AN/APT-3.

Aircraft operated

Squadron bases

Commanding officers

References

Notes

Bibliography

* * * * * * *

External links

Squadron history 1 on MOD site

* ttp://www.515sqn.org/ unofficial website for no. 515 Sqn {{DEFAULTSORT:No. 515 Squadron Raf 515 Aircraft squadrons of the Royal Air Force in World War II Electronic warfare units and formations Military units and formations established in 1942 Military units and formations disestablished in 1945