No. 464 Squadron RAAF

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No. 464 Squadron Mosquito aircraft setting out on a mission over France in August 1944

No. 464 Squadron RAAF was a Royal Australian Air Force squadron during World War II. The Squadron was formed on 1 September 1942 in the United Kingdom, under the Empire Air Training Scheme. No. 464 Squadron was initially equipped with Lockheed Ventura light bombers and participated in its first operation on 6 December. The Squadron conducted raids over France during 1943 and was reequipped with superior de Havilland Mosquito aircraft in July.

In early 1944 No. 464 Squadron concentrated on attacking V-1 flying bomb launch sites and gained a reputation for highly accurate bombing. This reputation lead it to be selected for Operation Jericho. In this mission aircraft from the Squadron formed part of the force which breached the walls of a Gestapo prison at Amiens, France on February 18, 1944 allowing members of the French Resistance to escape. From June 1944 the Squadron attacked transport and communications targets to support the Allied invasion of Europe. The Squadron also participated in a number of precision attacks on Gestapo targets in occupied Europe.

No. 464 Squadron moved from England to France in February 1945 and continued day and night bombing missions until the end of the war. Following the German surrender a No. 464 Squadron aircraft carried German Colonel General Alfred Jodl to Berlin. No. 464 Squadron RAAF was disbanded at Melsbroek, Belgium on 27 September 1945.

[edit] Aircraft operated

• Lockheed Ventura (September 1942 - July 1943)
• de Havilland Mosquito (July 1943 - September 1945)

[edit] References

• Steve Eather (1995) Flying Squadrons of the Australian Defence Force. Aerospace Publications. ISBN 1875671153 Pages 124-125.
• RAAF Museum 464 Squadron

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