No. 515 Squadron RAF was a squadron of the
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the Air force, air and space force of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. It was formed towards the end of the World War I, First World War on 1 April 1918, on the merger of t ...
formed during the
Second World War
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
. It ushered in
Electronic countermeasures
An electronic countermeasure (ECM) is an electrical or electronic device designed to countermeasure, trick or deceive radar, sonar, or other detection systems, like infrared (IR) or lasers. It may be used both offensively and defensively to deny ...
(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 ...
. The squadron disbanded after
VE day
Victory in Europe Day is the day celebrating the formal acceptance by the Allies of World War II of Germany's unconditional surrender of its armed forces on Tuesday, 8 May 1945; it marked the official surrender of all German military operations ...
, 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 countermeasure, trick or deceive radar, sonar, or other detection systems, like infrared (IR) or lasers. It may be used both offensively and defensively to deny ...
s unit equipped with the
Boulton Paul Defiant Mk.II – at
RAF Northolt
Royal Air Force Northolt or more simply RAF Northolt is a Royal Air Force List of Royal Air Force stations, station in South Ruislip, from Uxbridge in the London Borough of Hillingdon, western Greater London, England, approximately north of ...
on 1 October 1942, It moved to
RAF Heston later that month. As part of
11 Group, 515 Sqn performed
radar jamming
Radar jamming and deception is a form of electronic countermeasures (ECMs) 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 blan ...
duties, using ''
Moonshine
Moonshine is alcohol proof, high-proof liquor, traditionally made or distributed alcohol law, illegally. The name was derived from a tradition of distilling the alcohol (drug), alcohol at night to avoid detection. In the first decades of the ...
'' and ''
Mandrel
A mandrel, mandril, or arbor is a tapered tool against which material can be forged, pressed, stretched or shaped (e.g., a ring mandrel - also called a triblet - used by jewellers to increase the diameter of a wedding ring), or a flanged or t ...
'' equipment.
From May 1943, 515 Sqn re-equipped with the
Bristol Beaufighter Mk.IIF.
Bomber Command
The squadron transferred to
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 ...
in December 1943 as part of
Bomber Command
Bomber Command is an organisational military unit, generally subordinate to the air force of a country. The best known were in Britain and the United States. A Bomber Command is generally used for strategic bombing (although at times, e.g. during t ...
, and moved to
RAF Little Snoring in
Norfolk
Norfolk ( ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in England, located in East Anglia and officially part of the East of England region. It borders Lincolnshire and The Wash to the north-west, the North Sea to the north and eas ...
. 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.
T
''Moonshine''
''Moonshine'', developed at the
Telecommunications Research Establishment
The Telecommunications Research Establishment (TRE) was the main United Kingdom research and development organisation for radio navigation, radar, infra-red detection for heat seeking missiles, and related work for the Royal Air Force (RAF) ...
(TRE), 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.
''Mandrel''
''Mandrel'', developed at the TRE and also built in the United States as AN/APT-3, was the code-name for a jammer deployed against
Freya and
Würzburg
Würzburg (; Main-Franconian: ) is, after Nuremberg and Fürth, the Franconia#Towns and cities, third-largest city in Franconia located in the north of Bavaria. Würzburg is the administrative seat of the Regierungsbezirk Lower Franconia. It sp ...
radars used by aircraft of 515 sqn and 100 Group.
Aircraft operated
Squadron bases
Commanding officers
See also
*
List of Royal Air Force aircraft squadrons
Squadrons are the main form of flying unit of the Royal Air Force (RAF). These include Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS) squadrons incorporated into the RAF when it was formed on 1 April 1918, during the First World ...
*
Boulton Paul Defiant
The Boulton Paul Defiant is a British interceptor aircraft that served with the Royal Air Force (RAF) during World War II. The Defiant was designed and built by Boulton Paul Aircraft as a "turret fighter" to meet the RAF requirement for day and ...
Operational history
*
Freya radar, the German early-warning radar that was jammed using "Moonshine" and "Mandrel"
*
List of World War II electronic warfare equipment
This is a list of World War II electronic warfare equipment and code words and tactics derived directly from the use of electronic equipment.
This list includes many examples of radar, radar jammers, and radar detectors, often used by night f ...
References
Notes
Bibliography
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External links
Squadron history 1 on MOD site*
ttp://www.515sqn.org/ unofficial website for no. 515 Sqn
{{DEFAULTSORT:No. 515 Squadron Raf
515
__NOTOC__
Year 515 ( DXV) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Florentius and Anthemius (or, less frequently, year 1268 ''Ab urbe condita''). The denominatio ...
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