THE HISTORY OF 213 SQN RAF
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Motto: Irritatus lacessit crabro - 'The hornet attacks when roused' Crest: A hornet. No 213 Squadron was formed on
1 April 1918 at Bergues, from No 13 (Naval) Squadron RNAS. The squadron
flew at that time Sopwith Camels, mounting fighter patrols and escorting
bombers and reconnaissance aircraft from the Dirkirk airfields. The
squadron derived its Hornet and motto for the squadron badge, after
overhearing a Belgian general refer to the squadron's defense of his
trenches, "Like angry hornets attacking the enemy aircraft."
The Hornet became affectionately known as "Crabro," latin
for hornet. The squadron's official motto became, "Irritatus Lacessit
Crabro" (The Hornet Attacks When Roused). The squadron operated
from Dunkirk until the end of the war. It returned to the UK in March
1919 and was disbanded on 31 December 1919.
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Click on the crest to see the squadron's battle honours |
Sopwith Camel
No 213 was reformed at Northolt on 8th March 1937, equipped with Gloster Gaunlets and quickly moved to Yorkshire in July of that year.
Gloster Gaunlet
January 1938 saw the squadron re-equipping with its most famous aircraft - the Hawker Hurricane, in this case, Mk 1s. At the beginning of W.W.II, the squadron was flying fighter patrols and in May 1940 sent a detachment to France for a few days to assist the BEF. The whole squadron was moved south in June and spent the first half of the Battle of Britain based in the Southwest of England, before moving to RAF Tangmere early in September.
A Hawker Hurricane Mk 1 in 213 Squadron markings, circa 1940
After the battle, the squadron spend early 1941 resting in Scotland before being posted to Egypt in May. They flew and fought in the Syrian campaign before re-equipping with the Hurricane Mk IIc in March 1942 and fighting over North Africa, culminating in El Alamein. The Hurricanes finished their days flying convoy protection and combat air patrols until February 1944.
A Junkers JU87D-1/Trop S7+LL Stuka, captured from 3/StG 3 early in 1943 and used as a odd job transport aircraft by the squadron after being recoded as AK-?
The Squadron was moved to RAF Idku was then re-equipped with a number of Supermarine Spitfires - mostly Mk V and Mk XIs, and operated these aircraft for a whole............3 months. It was then suddenly re-equipped again with Mustangs (see below), and flew these in Italy and the Balkans until the end of the war.
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Supermarine Spitfire |
North American Mustang |
Post war, the squadron operated in Italy, Palestine and Cyprus until the end of 1946 when it was re-equipped with Hawker Tempest F Mk IV fighter-bombers. The squadron continued to operate in the Canal Zone and East Africa, but the harsh conditions took the told on the squadrons aircraft. So it was with some relief in December 1949 that the squadron once again changed aircraft, this time joining the jet age in the form of the De Havilland Vampire Mk V. The squadron continued to use Vampires (a mixture of FB MkV and Mk. IXs) in the Canal Zone in a ground attack role until the squadron was disbanded on 22nd September 1954.
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213 Sqn Hawker Tempest |
De Havilland Vampire |
However, The squadron was not to remain in limbo for long and was reformed at RAF Ahlhorn, West Germany on 22 July 1955, as a night fighter and light bomber squadron. The squadron was equipped with the English Electric Canberra B(I)6 (in fact, the squadron was the only one so equipped) as part of a tactical nuclear strike force, able to perform both conventional and nuclear missions.
English Electric Canberra
However, by the end of the sixties, the RAF had decided to replace the Canberra in the strike role with Phantoms and Buccaneers that had been acquired from the Royal Navy when the RN had gone over to Harriers. Unfortunately, 213 Squadron has not slated to receive either type of aircraft so on the 31st December 1969 at 14:00 hrs, the last elements of the squadron marched out of No 2 hangar at Royal Air Force, Bruggen, West Germany and the Squadron passed into the pages of history.