Description
97 (Straits Settlements) Squadron was reformed in February 1941 as the second unit in 5 Group to receive the new Avro Manchester, a type already displaying serviceability issues during its brief spell with 207 Squadron. The aircraft’s Achilles Heel was the engine, the Rolls Royce Vulture, which was subject to overheating and bearing failures resulting in lengthy periods of grounding.
The squadron managed to participate in only thirty-three bombing and three mining operations, before, in January 1942, it became the second in Bomber Command to receive the Avro Lancaster, the type born out of the failure of the Manchester. Lancaster operations began in March, and on the 17th of April, six crews joined six others from 44 (Rhodesia) Squadron to carry out Operation Margin, the audacious daylight attack on the M.A.N diesel engine factory at Augsburg, deep inside southern Germany.
Thereafter, the squadron continued to conduct operations under the banner of 5 Group until being transferred to the Path Finder Force in April 1943. Its year-long successful service with 8 Group saw the squadron participate in the Ruhr offensive, the series against Hamburg under Operation Gomorrah, the attack on the secret weapons establishment at Peenemunde and nineteen major raids on Berlin during the winter offensive of 1943/44. In April 1944, 97 and 83 Squadrons were lent back to 5 Group for the remainder of the war to act as the group's heavy target marking force, a role it performed with great skill. 97 Squadron took part in the final operation of the bombing war, on the 25th of April 1945.
Details
Publisher - Aviation Books Limited
Language - English
Perfect Bound
Contributors
By author
Chris Ward
Kevin Bender
Published Date - 2026-05-13
ISBN - 9781915335869
Dimensions - 27.9 x 21.6 x 2.6 cm
Page Count - 463
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