Second World War No. 112 Squadron RAF

a flight lieutenant standing curtiss kittyhawk mk @ sidi heneish, egypt, april 1942

the squadron re-formed 16 may 1939, on board aircraft carrier hms argus service in egypt. based @ raf helwan @ helwan, cairo governorate. on 26 may, b flight detached , sent sudan. squadron did not receive aircraft, obsolescent gloster gladiator biplane fighters, until june. after italy entered war on 10 june 1940, squadron in action, defending egypt italian bombers. b flight became part of no. 14 squadron raf on 30 june.

in january 1941, squadron joined allied forces in battle of greece, providing air cover , offensive support on albania. later took part in dogfights part of air defence of athens area. defeat of allied campaign on greek mainland, 112 sqn withdrew crete , egypt, rejoined north african campaign, supporting eighth army. of remainder of war, squadron part of no. 239 wing, no. 3 squadron raaf, no. 250 squadron raf, no. 260 squadron raf , no. 450 squadron raaf.

north american mustangs of 112 squadron loaded 500-lb gp bombs, taxi runway @ cervia, italy, before taking off in support of operation olive spring offensive in po valley eighth army. mark iii leads mark iv

during july 1941, squadron 1 of first in world become operational curtiss tomahawk, used fighter , fighter-bomber. inspired unusually large air inlet on p-40, squadron copied shark s mouth logo painted on german messerschmitt bf 110s of zerstörergeschwader 76 earlier in war. (this practice later followed p-40 units in other parts of world, including flying tigers, american volunteers serving chinese air force.) in december, tomahawks replaced improved p-40 kittyhawk, squadron used remainder of time desert air force, fighter bomber.

the squadron had many personnel air forces of poland, australia, canada , new zealand. member british ace neville duke (later prominent test pilot). of 1942, commanded highest-scoring australian ace of world war ii, clive caldwell, first empire air training scheme graduate command british unit. succeeded billy drake, highest-scoring raf p-40 pilot , second-highest-scoring british commonwealth p-40 pilot, behind caldwell. later in war, increasing number of south african pilots joined unit.

after invasion of sicily on 10 july 1943, squadron moved island , onto italian mainland in september. in june 1944, kittyhawks replaced north american mustang mark iii , february 1945, mustang mk ivs. squadron remained in italy @ lavariano part of occupying forces, until disbanding on 30 december 1946 @ treviso. end of war 206 air victories had been claimed squadron , 62 destroyed on ground.