Number 5 (Army Co-operation) Squadron (although His Majesty the King awarded No. V (Army Cooperation) Squadron) was a

squadron Squadron may refer to: * Squadron (army), a military unit of cavalry, tanks, or equivalent subdivided into troops or tank companies * Squadron (aviation), a military unit that consists of three or four flights with a total of 12 to 24 aircraft, ...

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) an ...

. It most recently operated the Raytheon Sentinel R1 Airborne STand-Off Radar (ASTOR) aircraft from

RAF Waddington Royal Air Force Waddington otherwise known as RAF Waddington is a Royal Air Force (RAF) station located beside the village of Waddington, south of Lincoln, Lincolnshire in England. The station is the RAF's Intelligence Surveillance Target ...

Lincolnshire Lincolnshire (abbreviated Lincs.) is a Counties of England, county in the East Midlands of England, with a long coastline on the North Sea to the east. It borders Norfolk to the south-east, Cambridgeshire to the south, Rutland to the south-we ...

, between April 2004 until March 2021. First formed in July 1913, the squadron served throughout the First World War, holding the distinction of gaining the first loss and kill for the Royal Flying Corps. No. V Squadron relocated to

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

in 1920 where it remained during the Second World War. During the Cold War, No. 5 (Fighter) Squadron flew the

English Electric Lightning The English Electric Lightning is a British fighter aircraft that served as an interceptor during the 1960s, the 1970s and into the late 1980s. It was capable of a top speed of above Mach 2. The Lightning was designed, developed, and manufa ...

and

Panavia Tornado F3 The Panavia Tornado Air Defence Variant (ADV) was a long-range, twin-engine interceptor version of the swing-wing Panavia Tornado. The aircraft's first flight was on 27 October 1979, and it entered service with the Royal Air Force (RAF) in 198 ...

History

Formation to First World War

No. 5 Squadron of the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) was formed at Farnborough,

Hampshire Hampshire (, ; abbreviated to Hants) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in western South East England on the coast of the English Channel. Home to two major English cities on its south coast, Southampton and Portsmouth, Hampshire ...

, on 26 July 1913,Lewis 1959, p.14. from members of No. 3 Squadron. Following the outbreak of the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, No. V Squadron deployed to France on 15 August 1914, equipped with a variety of aircraft types to implement

reconnaissance In military operations, reconnaissance or scouting is the exploration of an area by military forces to obtain information about enemy forces, terrain, and other activities. Examples of reconnaissance include patrolling by troops (skirmisher ...

for the British Expeditionary Force (BEF). It flew its first missions on 21 August and on the next day, an

Avro 504 The Avro 504 was a First World War biplane aircraft made by the Avro aircraft company and under licence by others. Production during the war totalled 8,970 and continued for almost 20 years, making it the most-produced aircraft of any kind tha ...

of No. 5 Squadron was the first British aircraft to be shot down, its crew of pilot Second Lieutenant Vincent Waterfall and navigator

Lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations. The meaning of lieutenant differs in different militaries (see comparative military ranks), but it is often ...

Charles George Gordon Bayly being killed over Belgium.Jackson 1990 p.56 On 24 August, No. V Squadron became the first unit in the RFC to shoot down an enemy aircraft with gunfire when Lt. Wilson and Lt. Rabagliati shot down a

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) ** Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...

Etrich Taube The Etrich ''Taube'', also known by the names of the various later manufacturers who built versions of the type, such as the Rumpler ''Taube'', was a pre-World War I monoplane aircraft. It was the first military aeroplane to be mass-produced in ...

near

Le Cateau-Cambrésis Le Cateau-Cambrésis (, before 1977: ''Le Cateau'') is a commune in the Nord department in northern France. The term Cambrésis indicates that it lies in the county of that name which fell to the Prince-Bishop of Cambrai. Le Cateau station has ...

. From 24 March until 7 April 1917 the squadron was based at

La Gorgue La Gorgue is a town in northern France. It is a commune in the Nord department. The population of La Gorgue in 2019 was 5,639.Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.2, specialising as observers for

artillery Artillery is a class of heavy military ranged weapons that launch munitions far beyond the range and power of infantry firearms. Early artillery development focused on the ability to breach defensive walls and fortifications during siege ...

, re-equipping with the Royal Aircraft Factory R.E.8 in May 1917, and working closely with the Canadian Corps, through to the end of the war and into 1919, when it moved into Germany as part of the Army of Occupation.Ashworth 1989, pp. 34–35. (Its association with the Canadian Corps led to the incorporation of a

maple leaf The maple leaf is the characteristic leaf of the maple tree. It is the most widely recognized national symbol of Canada. History of use in Canada By the early 1700s, the maple leaf had been adopted as an emblem by the French Canadians along th ...

in the squadron's badge when it was approved in June 1937).Ashworth 1989, p.34.

Interwar years

No. V Squadron returned to the UK in September 1919 before disbanding on 20 January 1920. The squadron was reformed at

Quetta Quetta (; ur, ; ; ps, کوټه‎) is the tenth most populous city in Pakistan with a population of over 1.1 million. It is situated in south-west of the country close to the International border with Afghanistan. It is the capital of ...

(now part of

Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 243 million people, and has the world's second-lar ...

) on 1 April 1920, when No. 48 Squadron was renumbered. There it continued working in Army Air Cooperation for operations on the North West Frontier. Upon reformation the unit was equipped with the Bristol F.2B which were flown up until 1931. In May 1931, No. 5 Squadron began to convert to the Westland Wapiti Mk.IIa.

Second World War

At the outbreak of war in September 1939, No. 5 Squadron were based at Fort Sandeman, still equipped with the Westland Wapiti biplane. The squadron became a light bomber unit when it converted to the

Hawker Hart The Hawker Hart is a British two-seater biplane light bomber aircraft that saw service with the Royal Air Force (RAF). It was designed during the 1920s by Sydney Camm and manufactured by Hawker Aircraft. The Hart was a prominent British aircra ...

in June 1940. No. 5 Squadron further converted to the

Hawker Audax The Hawker Hart is a British two-seater biplane light bomber aircraft that saw service with the Royal Air Force (RAF). It was designed during the 1920s by Sydney Camm and manufactured by Hawker Aircraft. The Hart was a prominent British aircra ...

in February 1941, using it as a fighter. In December 1941, the squadron relocated to RAF Dum Dum,

Calcutta Kolkata (, or , ; also known as Calcutta , List of renamed places in India#West Bengal, the official name until 2001) is the Capital city, capital of the Indian States and union territories of India, state of West Bengal, on the eastern ba ...

, and began to receive their first monoplane – the American-built Curtiss Mohawk Mk.IV. Posted to RAF Dinjan,

Assam Assam (; ) is a state in northeastern India, south of the eastern Himalayas along the Brahmaputra and Barak River valleys. Assam covers an area of . The state is bordered by Bhutan and Arunachal Pradesh to the north; Nagaland and Manipur ...

, in May 1942, No. V Squadron became tasked with escorting

Bristol Blenheim The Bristol Blenheim is a British light bomber aircraft designed and built by the Bristol Aeroplane Company (Bristol) which was used extensively in the first two years of the Second World War, with examples still being used as trainers until ...

bombers over north west

Burma Myanmar, ; UK pronunciations: US pronunciations incl. . Note: Wikipedia's IPA conventions require indicating /r/ even in British English although only some British English speakers pronounce r at the end of syllables. As John Wells explai ...

. The Mohawks were replaced by Hawker Hurricane Mk.IIcs and Mk.IIds in June 1943 while the squadron was based at RAF Kharagpur. In September 1944, No. 5 Squadron converted to the Republic Thunderbolt Mk.I and Mk.II. In May 1945, No. V Squadron was withdrawn from the front line in preparation for the liberation of Malaya from Japanese occupation, however this was never carried out due to the Japanese Empire surrendering on 15 August 1945.

Cold War

Remaining in India, No. 5 Squadron converted to Hawker Tempest F.2 in February 1946, but disbanded on 1 August 1947 due to the Partition of India.Ashworth 1989, p.356. On 11 February 1949, the squadron reformed at

RAF Pembrey Pembrey Sands Air Weapons Range is a Ministry of Defence air weapons range located near the village of Pembrey, Carmarthenshire, northwest of Burry Port and south of Carmarthen, Wales. Adjacent to the weapons range site was a Royal Air Force s ...

in Wales for target-towing duties when No. 595 Squadron RAF, No. 595 Squadron was renumbered, however the squadron was shortly disbanded on 25 September 1951. The squadron was reformed at Wunstorf Air Base, RAF Wunsdorf, West Germany, on 1 March 1952, and were equipped with the de Havilland Vampire, de Havilland Vampire F.5. No. V Squadron converted over to the de Havilland Venom, de Havilland Venom FB.1 in December 1952. The 1957 Defence White Paper saw the disbandment of No. 5 Squadron on 12 October 1957 while operating the Venom FB.5. On 20 January 1959, the squadron was reformed as a night fighter unit at RAF Laarbruch, West Germany, flying the Gloster Meteor, Gloster Meteor NF.11. No. 5 Squadron began converting to the delta winged Gloster Javelin, Gloster Javelin FAW.5 in January 1960. When No. 33 Squadron RAF, No. 33 Squadron was disbanded on 17 December 1962, No. V Squadron was allocated the former unit's Javelin FAW.9, along with crew members. No. 5 Squadron itself was disbanded on 7 October 1965 at RAF Geilenkirchen.

Lightning and Tornado (1965–2003)

The squadron reformed as No V (AC) Squadron at RAF Binbrook,

, on 8 October 1965 with the

interceptor. However, upon reformation the unit did not initially operate a Lightning, with the squadron first flying Hawker Hunter, Hawker Hunter T.7A ''WV318'' fitted with Lightning instruments. No V (AC) Squadron's first Lightning arrived on 19 November, when Lightning T.5 ''XS451'' was delivered to RAF Binbrook. The squadron's first single seat Lightnings arrived on 10 December 1965, when Lightning F.3s ''XR755'' and ''XR756'' were delivered. No. V (AC) Squadron received their first production Lightning F.6 on 3 January 1967, with the arrival of ''XS694''. Between 6 and 25 October 1967, the squadron deployed to RAF Luqa, Malta, with nine Lightning F.6s and a single Lighting T.5 for an Air Defence Exercise (ADEX) against Avro Vulcan, Avro Vulcan B.2s of No. 50 Squadron RAF, No. 50 Squadron. No 5 (AC) Squadron deployed to RAF Luqa once again between 1 and 8 August 1968 for Exercise Nimble. Notably, over Christmas 1969, V(AC) Squadron deployed on reinforcement Exercise Ultimacy to RAF Tengah, Singapore using in flight refuelling and stopping only once en route at RAF Masirah in Oman. Long-distance route proving with the new overwing tanks had taken place previously in 1968 with a limited non stop deployment to RAF Muharraq in Bahrain. In 1970, the squadron received a pair of Lightning F.1As (''XM181'' and ''XM183''), which were used as targets for the Lightning F.6s due to them being lighter and more nimble (these were later replaced with Lightning F.3s). On 8 September 1970, the squadron lost Lightning F.6 ''XS894'' when it crashed near Flamborough Head, Yorkshire, killing the pilot USAF Capt. William Schaffner. No. V (F) Squadron deployed two Lighting F.3s, seven Lightning F.6s and a single two-seat T.5 to RAF Luqa between 18 November and 13 December 1974, as part of Exercise Sunfinder alongside Avro Shackleton, Avro Shackleton AEW.2s of No. 8 Squadron RAF, No. 8 Squadron and English Electric Canberra, English Electric Canberra B.2s of No. 85 Squadron RAF, No. 85 Squadron. Between 5 April and 7 May 1976, the squadron deployed to RAF Luqa with ten Lightning F.6s for an APC. No V (AC) Squadron's last APC deployment to RAF Luqa was between 31 March and 5 May 1977. In November 1987, No. V (AC) Squadron put up a nine-ship of Lightning F.6s to mark the type's impending withdrawal after 22 years of service. The last Lightnings were withdrawn by December 1987, with the squadron relocating to RAF Coningsby in preparation for the Panavia Tornado ADV, Panavia Tornado F.3. No V (AC) Squadron received their first Tornado F.3 in January 1988. In August 1990, V (AC) Squadron was the first RAF squadron (accompanied by RAF No. 29 Squadron, No. 29 (F) Squadron) to be deployed as part the UK's contribution to the Gulf War, with the first six Tornado F.3s arriving on 11 August at King Abdulaziz Air Base, Dhahran Airfield, Saudi Arabia. Between 1993 and 1995, the squadron helped enforce the no-fly zone over Bosnia and Herzegovina as part of Operation Deny Flight. No V (AC) Squadron disbanded on 30 September 2002, with personnel being reassigned to other units.

Sentinel R1 (2004–2021)

RAF Sentinel R1 aircraft at RAF Akrotiri MOD 45165218

The squadron reformed on 1 April 2004 as No. 5 (Army Co-operation) Squadron at

. The first production Raytheon Sentinel R1 made its maiden flight on 26 May 2004. The ASTOR system officially entered service with the No. 5 (AC) Squadron on 1 December 2008. The fifth and last Sentinel to be delivered to the squadron was ''ZJ694'' in February 2009. Full Operating Capability was achieved at the end of 2010. The new radar-equipped aircraft provides battlefield and ground surveillance for the British Army in a similar role to the American Northrop Grumman E-8 Joint STARS aircraft. August 2013. In 2011, Sentinels from No. V (AC) Squadron participated in operations over Libya as part of Operation Ellamy, which were later described as pivotal by RAF Air Chief Marshal Stephen Dalton, Sir Stephen Dalton. Between 2009 and 2011, No. V (AC) Squadron also briefly operated four Beechcraft Super King Air, Hawker Beechcraft Shadow R.1, based on the Beechcraft King Air 350. The first Shadow R.1 (''ZZ416'') was delivered to the squadron in May 2009. These were transferred over to the newly reformed No. 14 Squadron RAF, No. 14 Squadron in October 2011. On 25 January 2013, a Sentinel R1 deployed to Léopold Sédar Senghor International Airport, Dakar-Ouakam Air Base, Senegal, to assist with France's Operation Serval in Mali. Over the course of a four-month long detachment, Sentinels flew a total of 697 hours across 66 sorties. On 18 May 2014, the squadron deployed a Sentinel to Kotoka International Airport, Ghana, in order to assist with searching for Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping, 223 schoolgirls who had been kidnapped by Boko Haram in Nigeria. In September 2014, the squadron temporarily relocated to RAF Cranwell along with No. 14 Squadron due to the resurfacing of RAF Waddington's runway which took over a year to complete. No. 5 (AC) Squadron sent a single Sentinel R.1 to Exercise Red Flag 15–1 at Nellis Air Force Base, Nellis AFB, Nevada, between 26 January and 13 February 2015. On 26 March 2015, No. 5 (AC) Squadron deployed two Sentinel R1s to RAF Akrotiri, Cyprus, in support of Operation Shader. In July 2017, Sentinel R.1 ''ZJ693'' was withdrawn from use, with the remaining four Sentinels being given an out of service date (OSD) of 2021. In February 2020, the OSD was confirmed by the Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom), Ministry of Defence as March 2021. On 25 February 2021, ''ZJ694'' carried out No. V (AC) Squadron's last Sentinel R.1 operational sortie. Across the Sentinel's 14 years of service, the squadron flew 32,000 hours across 4,870 sorties. The squadron was subsequently disbanded on 31 March 2021.

Aircraft operated

Aircraft operated by No. 5 Squadron include: * Avro 500, Avro Type E (July 1913–July 1914) * Farman MF.7, Farman MF.7 Longhorn (July 1913–July 1914) * Farman HF.20 (July 1913–July 1914) * Farman MF.7, Farman MF.7 Longhorn (July 1913–Mar 1915) * Royal Aircraft Factory S.E.2a (Jan 1914–Mar 1914) * Sopwith Three-seater (Feb 1914–Aug 1914) * Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.2#B.E.1, Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.1 (1914–Aug 1914) * Sopwith Tabloid (June 1914–Aug 1914) *

(July 1914–Aug 1915) * Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.8 (Aug 1914–Sep 1914) * Farman HF.20, Farman HF.27 (Sep 1914–Sep 1914) * Bristol Scout (Sep 1914–Oct 1914; 1915–Mar 1915) * Martinsyde S.1 (Jan 1915–Aug 1915) * Voisin III, Voisin LA (Feb 1915–Mar 1915) * Blériot XI, Blériot Parasol (Mar 1915–May 1915) * Vickers F.B.5 (Mar 1915–Jan 1916) * Caudron G.3 (Apr 1915–May 1915) * Airco DH.2 (July 1915–Aug 1915; Jan 1916–May 1916) * Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.2c (Aug 1915–Apr 1917) * Royal Aircraft Factory F.E.8 (Dec 1915–May 1916) * Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.2d (June 1916–June 1917) * Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.2e (Jan 1917–June 1917) * Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.2f (Jan 1917–June 1917) * Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.2g (Jan 1917–June 1917) * Royal Aircraft Factory R.E.8 (May 1917–Mar 1918) * Bristol F.2B (Mar 1919–Sep 1919; Apr 1920–May 1931) * Westland Wapiti Mk.IIa (May 1931–June 1940) *

(June 1940–Feb 1941) *

(Feb 1941–Sep 1942) * Curtiss Mohawk Mk.IV (Dec 1941–June 1943) * Hawker Hurricane Mk.IIc (June 1943–Sep 1944) * Hawker Hurricane Mk.IId (June 1943–Sep 1944) * Republic Thunderbolt Mk.I (Sep 1944–Feb 1946) * Republic Thunderbolt Mk.II (Sep 1944–Feb 1946) * Hawker Tempest F.2 (Mar 1946–Aug 1947) * Supermarine Spitfire, Supermarine Spitfire LF.16e (Feb 1949–Feb 1951) * Miles Martinet, Miles Martinet TT.1 (Feb 1949–Feb 1951) * Airspeed Oxford, Airspeed Oxford T.1 (Feb 1949–Feb 1951) * Bristol Beaufighter, Bristol Beaufighter TT.10 (Feb 1949–Feb 1951) * de Havilland Vampire, de Havilland Vampire F.3 (Aug 1950–Sep 1951) * de Havilland Vampire FB.5 (Mar 1952–Dec 1952) * de Havilland Venom, de Havilland Venom FB.1 (Dec 1952–July 1955) * de Havilland Venom FB.4 (July 1955–Oct 1957) * Gloster Meteor, Gloster Meteor NF.11 (Jan 1959–Aug 1960) * Gloster Javelin, Gloster Javelin FAW.5 (Jan 1960–Nov 1962) * Gloster Javelin FAW.9 (Nov 1962–Oct 1965) * Hawker Hunter, Hawker Hunter T.7A (Oct 1965–196?) * English Electric Lightning, English Electric Lightning T.5 (Nov 1965–1987) * English Electric Lightning F.3 (Dec 1965–Jan 1967; Oct 1972–Sep 1987) * English Electric Lightning F.6 (Dec 1966–Dec 1987) * English Electric Lightning F.1A (June 1970–Sep 1972) *

(Jan 1988–Sep 2002) * Raytheon Sentinel R1 (2006–March 2021) * Beechcraft Super King Air, Hawker Beechcraft Shadow R1 (May 2009–Oct 2011)

References

Notes

Bibliography

* Ashworth, Chris. ''Encyclopedia of Modern Royal Air Force Squadrons''. Wellingborough, UK:PSL, 1989. . * Bartlett, S/Ldr C.P.O., Distinguished Service Cross (United Kingdom), DSC. ''Bomber Pilot, 1916–18''. Shepperton, Surrey, UK: Ian Allan, 1974. . * Bartlett, S/Ldr C.P.O., Distinguished Service Cross (United Kingdom), DSC. ''In the Teeth of the Wind (The Story of a Naval Pilot on the Western Front, 1916–1918)''. London: Leo Cooper, 1994. . * Halley, James J. ''The Squadrons of the Royal Air Force & Commonwealth, 1918–1988''. Tonbridge, Kent, UK: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd., 1988. . * Jackson, A. J. ''Avro Aircraft since 1908''. London:Putnam, Second edition, 1990. . * Jefford, C.G. ''RAF Squadrons, a Comprehensive Record of the Movement and Equipment of all RAF Squadrons and their Antecedents since 1912''. Shrewsbury: Airlife Publishing, 2001. . * Lewis, Peter. ''Squadron Histories: R.F.C, R.N.A.S and R.A.F., 1912–59''. London: Putnam, 1959. * Moxon, Oliver. ''Bitter Monsoon: The Memoirs of a Fighter Pilot''. London: Robert Hale, 1955. (Being the Memoirs of Stephan James, Burma 1944). * Rawlings, John D.R. ''Coastal, Support and Special Squadrons of the RAF and their Aircraft''. London: Jane's Publishing Company Ltd., 1982. . * 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). . * Louis Strange, Strange, L.A. ''Recollections of an Airman''. London: Greenhill Books, 1989. . (Reprint of the original edition of 1933, with new material added). * Yoxall, John
"No. 5 Squadron: A History of the "Fighting Fifth": Part 1"
''Flight International, Flight'', Vol. 72, No. 2543, 18 October 1957. pp. 618–623. * Yoxall, John
"No. 5 Squadron: A History of the "Fighting Fifth": Part 2"
''Flight International, Flight'', Vol. 72, No. 2544, 25 October 1957. pp. 642–646. * Yoxall, John
"No. 5 Squadron: A History of the "Fighting Fifth": Part 3"
''Flight International, Flight'', Vol. 72, No. 2546, 8 November 1957. pp. 745–746.

External links

RAF – 5 Squadron
{{DEFAULTSORT:No. 5 Squadron Raf Military units and formations established in 1913 Royal Air Force aircraft squadrons, 005 Squadron Royal Flying Corps squadrons, 005 Squadron 1913 establishments in the United Kingdom Military units and formations disestablished in 1947 Military units and formations established in 1949 Military units and formations disestablished in 1957 Military units and formations established in 1959 Military units and formations disestablished in 2003 Military units and formations established in 2004