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Motto:
AKE
AKE KIA KAHA (Forever and Ever be Strong)
Service:
Formed in
April 1940 form the New Zealand Wellington Flight and served in 3 Group
until the end of the war.
Aircraft:
Squadron
Identity
Code
Letters(s):
AA, JN
Stations:
Feltwell
, Mildenhall , Newmarket and Mepal
Operational
Performance:
Raids flown
3 Group
Wellingtons - 291 bombing, 24 minelaying, 4 leaflet, 1 photoreconnaissance.
3 Group
Stirlings - 103 bombing, 107 minelaying
3 Group
Lancasters - 190 bombing, 18 minelaying, 1 leaflet
Totals:
584 bombing, 149 minelaying, 5 leaflet, 1 photo reconaissance.
Sorties
and
Losses
3 Group
Wellingtons - 2540 sorties, 74 aircraft lost (2.9 percent)
3 Group
Stirlings - 1736 sorties, 72 aircraft lost (4.1 percent)
3 Group
Lancasters - 3741 sorties, 47 aircraft lost (1.3 percent)
Totals :
8017 sorties, 193 aircraft lost (2.4 percent)
An additional
8 Lancasters were destroyed in crashes.
Points
of
Interest:
The first
and only New Zealand squadron in Bomber Command.
Victoria
Cross: Sergeant J.A. Ward, Munster, 7/8 July 1941. Sgt. Ward was killed
in action on a raid to Hamburg on15/16 September 1941.
Carried
out the fourth highest bombing raids of all heavy Bomber Command squadrons.
Suffered
second highest casualties in Bomber Command.
Believed
to have dropped the third greatest tonnage of bombs (21600 tons) in Bomber
Command.
Dropped
2344 mines, most likely representing the second highest in Bomber Command. |
75 (NZ) Squadron...RAF Mepal
