Supermarine Spitfire. European Users, part eight. Greek Spitfires.

 

During World War 2, two Hellenic squadrons serving under Royal Air Force's (RAF) command were formed. These were Nos. 335 and 336 Squadrons plus one famous ace, Ioannis Agorastos 'John' Plagis (or Plagis) who was born in southern Rhodesia to Greek parents, achieved ace status flying the Spitfire with No. 185 and No. 126 (Persian Gulf) Squadrons. Flying the Spitfire he took part in the aerial Battle of Malta, Operation Overlord and the subsequent campaigns up to Operation Market Garden when he was shot down but with lights wounds only. After that, he and his squadron transitioned to the North American Mustang Mk. III (the RAF equivalent to the P-51B/C).

The Greek squadrons, were, as stated above, Nos. 335 and 366:

• No. 335 (Greek) Squadron RAF: This veteran unit of the North African Campaign, began to transition from the Hawker Hurricane Mk. IIc to the Supermarine Spitfire Mk. V in December 1943. Operating from Libya, they were assigned to shipping protection off the Libyan coast as the Allies advanced through Italy. In September 1944 they were rebased to Italy, after the squadron was fully converted and trained to the usage of the Spitfire.
  Operating from Savoia, Nuova and Biferno airfields, the squadron flew offensive sweeps over Albania and Yugoslavia. 
  In November 1944 the squadron was rebased to Hassani Air Base, in Greek soil, as the Germans retreated. From there they flew fighter sweeps over Crete and the remaining German positions in the Aegean Sea. 
• No. 336 (Greek) Squadron: This unit received its first Spitfire Mk. Vc in October 1943. They had transitioned from the Hawker Hurricane Mk. IIc and, in November 1943 they took part in various aerial raids against Crete, which turned to be very dangerous due to the German anti-air defences and the presence of the Luftwaffe. By March 1944 they were fully converted to the Spitfire and in early September they were moved to Italy, where, operating from Nuova and Grottaglie, carried out raids over Yugoslavia. 
  In November 1944, together with No. 335 Squadron, they were rebased to Hassani Air Base, where they carried out operations against Crete and the German garrisons in the Aegean Sea until the end of the war.

After World War 2, on 25th April 1946 both Greek squadrons were officially transferred to the Royal Hellenic Air Force and renamed to Mira 335 and Mira 336 ('Mira' means 'Squadron' in Greek). 

They were based at the Air Bases of Sedes (Thessaloniki - Mira 335) and Araxos (Peloponnese - Mira 336). During 1947 and 1948 the Greek Government bought a total of 109 Spitfire Mk. IX from RAF's stocks. During the Greek Civil War they were widely employed against communist guerrillas. 

Mira 335 operated the Spitfire Mk. V from April to December 1946 and then both the Spitfire Mk. IX and XVI from December 1946 to October 1953.

Mira 336 operated the Mk. V also from April to December 1946 and then the Mk. IX from December 1946 to August 1949, when they were replaced with the Curtiss SB2C Helldiver shortly after this conversion the Greek Civil War ended with victory of the governmental forces, after Yugoslavia ceased to support Greek Communist Partisans.

Two more units were formed by the Royal Hellenic Air Force. One squadron - Mira 337, which operated a mixture of Mk. IX and Mk. XVI from March 1947 to June 1952. This unit operated from Elefsis, in Athens. 
The other unit was the Scholi Aeroporias (Flying School) which operated the Spitfire Mk. XVI as advanced trainers from 1948 until September 1953.

It is stated that a single Spitfire PR.XI was also delivered to Greece in May 1947, together with three PR.XIII, but they were in reality the Vicker Wellington GR.XIII.

Sources:

1st AJ-Press - Monografie Lotnicze 40 - Supermarine Spitfire Part 3 (translated)

2nd https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Plagis

3rd https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/335th_Squadron_(HAF)

4th https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/336th_Bomber_Squadron

5th http://www.historyofwar.org/air/units/RAF/335_wwII.html

6th http://www.historyofwar.org/air/units/RAF/336_wwII.html

7th https://www.haf.gr/en/history/historical-aircraft/

8th https://www.f-16.net/units_article318.html

9th https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/337th_Squadron_(HAF)

Bristol Blenheim, part three, various foreign users

 

The Bristol Blenheim was a British light bomber designed and built by Bristol Aeroplane Company. It was extensively used during the first half of the Second World War by the Royal Air Force (RAF) but also by many foreign users like:

• Independent State of Croatia: After the Axis invasion of Yugoslavia in April 1941 many Blenheim Mk.Is were captured by the Germans who passed them to the Air Force of the Independent State of Croatia (known by its Croatian acronym of 'ZNDH'. The exact number is confuse, some sources claim it was up to 20 bombers, others claim it was just 8. Anyway, they were used inside the borders of the old Kingdom of Yugoslavia in anti-partisan operations until 1944. Many of these Blenheims (some of them built under license in Yugoslavia) survived the war and one flew to Austria after the collapse of the Independent State of Croatia in May 1945.
• Free France: One flight of the, back then, newly founded 'Groupe Mixte de Combat No1' (No1 Mixed Combat Group) which was founded at RAF Odiham, Hampshire in August 1940 was initially equipped with Blenheims to see action in the Territory of Chad (which declared itself in favor of Free France shortly after the Fall of France in June 1940). This unit was later merged with the Blenheim-equipped 'Escadron Topic' (Topic Squadron) based at Maidugur, in the British Colony of Nigeria. Together they formed the 'Groupe Réservé de Bombardement' (Reserve Bombing Group) at Fort Lamy, in Chad in December 1940. This unit saw little action and was disbanded shortly later in March 1941, but they formed the basis of 'Groupe Lorraine' (Lorraine Group) which operated together with RAF's No.1430 Flight with elements supporting from No.47 Squadron in December 1941.
  After flying the Blenheim Mk.IV and Mk.V the unit was called back into the United Kingdom in October 1942 to be reformed into the No.342 Squadron. There, they replaced their Blenheims with Handley Page Halifaxes and were assigned to the RAF's Bomber Command.
  Another Free French units equipped with the Blenheims were 'Groupe Bretagne', the Free French Flying School at Bangui, in Equatorial Africa and 'Groupe de Chasse No.1 'Alsace''. Most of these Blenheim didn't serve in the frontlines and were kept in active acting as trainers or transports until 1944 or even 1945.
• Germany: One damaged Blenheim Mk.IV was captured by the German during the Battle of France in May-June 1940. It was later repaired, tested and used as a special training aircraft until 1942. 
• Greece: Before the beginning of the Second World War Greece showed interest on the Blenheim but eventually they decided against ordering it. However, in late 1939, after the war had started, they ordered 12 Blenheim Mk.IV which were shipped in early 1940 and assigned to 32. Mira (No. 32 Squadron) of the Royal Hellenic Air Force (RHAF).
  They saw action on 1st November 1940 during the Greco-Italian War and, on the 27th one of them was shot down by Italian anti-air fire. Due to the intensive use of the Blenheim and the lack of spares, by January 1941 32. Mira was reduced to just 4 operational Blenheims. To compensate for the losses, on the following months six additional Blenheim Mk.Is were supplied, though increased fighter presence in the area quickly reduced their numbers. When Germany invaded Greece in April 1941,  every Greek bombing squadron was rebased from Tanagra to Eleusis, close to Athens. There, most of the surviving Blenheims were destroyed on strafing attacks by the Luftwaffe. 
  When Greece fell, some RHAF personnel managed to escape to Egypt, where they fought under RAF's command. One of them was No.13 (Hellenic) Squadron which was, from January 1942 equipped with the Avro Anson and was part of the No.201 Group.  This squadron was quickly re-equipped with the Blenheim Mk.IV and Mk.V later and was used in the maritime and anti-submarine patrol role, specially in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. They were re-equipped with Martin Baltimore bombers in October 1943.
• Italy: The Italian Regia Aeronautica (Royal Italian Air Force) managed to capture two Blenheims. One of them belonged to the No.40 Squadron RAF which landed in error at the island of Pantelleria (the pilot had mistaken it for Malta) on 13th September 1940. This machine was sent to Guidonia (Regia Aeronautica's testing center) to be tested. One more was captured in Yugoslavia when the Axis invaded in April 1941. 
  Apparently, two more were seized in Italian East Africa, but these were soon recaptured when that territory fell into British hands. 
  One captured Blenheim Mk.IV appears in the 1942 Italian film 'Un Pilota Ritorna' (A Pilot Returns) directed by Roberto Rosellini.

Sources:

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bristol_Blenheim

2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Bristol_Blenheim_operators

3. Hall Park Books - Warpaint 26 - Bristol Blenheim

4. Osprey Publishing - Combat Aircraft 5 - Blenheim Squadrons of World War 2

Avro Anson, part Seven, Franco-Greek Users

The Avro Anson was a British twin-engine multi-role airplane that, with more than 11.000 exemplars manufactured, was widely used by many countries.
France was among those users when the Free French Air Force took the delivery of eight Anson Mk.I in May 1943. They were delivered to French West Africa and were followed in December 1944 by nine more. All of them were assigned to Groupe Artois (Artois Squadron) which was formed in August 1942 and operated from Pointe Noire, in French Equatorial Africa. This squadron, which was committed to coastal defence duties, was initially equipped with Westland Lysanders until the Ansons replaced them.
After the War, the Armée de l'Air (French Air Force) set up many training units (named with the acronym B.E. which stand for 'Base École' - Basic School) which had the Anson as the main operating aircraft.

• BE.710: The most important of these units. It was the French Military Academy at Salon-de-Provence, close to Marseille. By 1949 this unit had 31 Ansons on its rows. 
• BE.702: It was another training unit which was formed in Avord, central France, for multi-engine conversion and had detachments at Cazaux, South-Western France. 
• BE.703 was the radio-training school.
• BE.705: This unit was the basic training school. It was located at Cognac, close to the French Atlantic coast. In 1949 it was transferred to Marrakech, in the French Protectorate in Morocco, and became BE.709.
• BE.706: AKA E.M.N.E. (sorry but we couldn't find what this acronym means) this unit trained navigators and bombardiers at Cazaux. By 1949 it had 31 Ansons, 11 Miles Martinet, 35 Vickers Wellington T.Mark.X and 40 miscellaneous types on strength.

There were also some colonial units under French command which used the Anson Mk.I. Most of them were Escadrille de Police et Securité (AKA Escadrille d'Outre Mer - Overseas Squadrons) which operated mainly in French Africa and Madagascar.

The French Navy's Air Arm ('Aeronautique Navale' or 'Aeronavale') employed the Anson too for both communications and training. In 1946 an initial batch of 20 Ansons was delivered with a few more arriving later and being supplemented by surplus aircraft coming from the Armée de l'Air. In 1947 there was one communications unit at Querqueville, in Normandy, and two training squadrons, 50S and 52S with this last one having also the duty of giving officer cadets from the Ecole Navale at Lanvéoc, in Brittany, air experience flights, as part of their training. In October 1948 52S was renamed as 56S and used Ansons to train non-pilot aircrew including radar training. After having been temporarily based in many different locations, it was based in Agadir, French Protectorate of Morocco. 

One final French Anson was permanently based in the United Kingdom and was used by the French Naval Attache in London during late 1945-1946.

Another important user of the Anson was Greece. The Royal Hellenic Air Force received 12 Anson Mk.I during May-June 1939 and were used as communications aircraft during the Greco-Italian War of 1940-1941. During the German Invasion of Greece, five of them escaped to Egypt where they were repainted in Royal Air Force's colours.

After the War, four RAF Ansons Mk.XII were loaned to the Royal Hellenic Air Force between 1945-1946 and formed the Royal Hellenic Air Force's Communications Squadron with base at Maleme airfield, in Crete. Thirty-six additional ex-RAF Anson Mk.I were sold to the Greeks in 1946-1947.

Sources:

1. Hall Park Books - Warpaint 53 - Avro Anson

2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avro_Anson

3. http://britishaviation-ptp.com/avro652_3.html

Martin Baltimore, part four

The Martin Baltimore Mk.V saw service with many foreign countries. That way, the Baltimore equipped a wing from the Italian Co-Belligerent Air Force, the so-called Stormo Baltimore. They used them for around six-months and mainly operated over Greece and Yugoslavia during 1944-1945 provinding supplies for the partisans operating there.
It also served with the Free France's Air Force as, together with Douglas A-24 Dauntless, it equipped one of their squadrons, the GB I/17 "Picardie" which was based in Syria from 1943 to 1945.
It played a key role when serving with the Royal Hellenic Air Force when, from early 1943, the 13th Light Bomber Squadron received the Baltimore which employed them in various types of missions. In May 1944 they were rebased to southern Italy where, as part of the allied Balkan Air Force, they performed operations in the Balkans, in Yugoslavia and Albania mainly. In November 1944 the axis troops began to retreat from Greece and the squadron was transferred to Hassani Airfield, in Athens, where they took part in operations against the remaining axis forces mainly in Crete and the Aegean isles. Later they took part in the Greek Civil War for a brief period as they were retired in April 1946.
It saw also service with the Turkish Air Force as 72 of them were sold to the neutral Turkey in August 1944 in order to form and equip their first bomber regiment.

Sources:
1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Baltimore
2. AJ Press - Mongrafie Lotnicze 97 - Martin Baltimore (translated)
3. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/13th_Light_Bomber_Squadron
4. http://www.americancombatplanes.com/a23_1.html