No. 176 Squadron RAF was a Royal Air Force Squadron that was a night defence unit based in India in World War II.

No. 176 Squadron RAF
Active	15 Jan 1943 – 1 Jun 1946
Country	United Kingdom
Branch	Royal Air Force
Motto(s)	Latin: Nocte custodimus (We keep the night watch)
Insignia
Squadron Badge	A dagger in front of a crescent moon

History

Formation in World War II

The squadron was formed at Dum Dum, India on 15 January 1943 from a detachment of No. 89 Squadron RAF, flying radar-equipped Bristol Beaufighter night fighters in defence of Calcutta.[1] That night, it flew its first operational sorties, with Flight Sergeant Arthur Pring shooting down three Japanese Mitsubishi Ki-21 bombers in four minutes, becoming an air ace.[2][lower-alpha 1] On the night of 19/20 January, another of 176's aircraft intercepted three more Ki-21s, claiming two destroyed and one damaged, but itself being shot down by return fire from the bombers. In fact, only one of the Ki-21s was shot down. The losses of four bombers in a few days caused Japanese night attacks on Calcutta to be suspended.[4] Detachments of the squadron were then based at Chittagong Burma, Ratmalana Ceylon, Baigachi and Mingaladon where the Beaufighters were replaced with Mosquitos in June 1945. The squadron disbanded on 1 June 1946.

Aircraft operated

Notes

References

• Shores, Christopher (2005). Air War for Burma: The Allied Air Forces Fight Back in South-East Asia 1942–1945. London: Grub Street. ISBN 1-904010-95-4.

External links

• History of No.'s 176–180 Squadrons at RAF Web
• 176 Squadron history on the official RAF website