No. 164 Squadron (RAF): Second World War

Aircraft - Locations - Group and Duty - Books

No.164 'Argentine-British' Squadron was a fighter-bomber squadron that served from the UK until after the D-Day landings when it moved to Europe to support the advancing armies.

The squadron reformed on 6 April 1942 at Peterhead as a Spitfire fighter squadron, becoming operational in May 1942. In January 1943 the squadron moved to South Wales, where it converted to the Hurricane fighter-bomber and began to train as a ground attack unit.

Ground attack operations began in June 1943, with a mix of attacks on enemy shipping and coastal targets. The Hurricanes were replaced with rocket-armed Typhoons in March 1944, and the new aircraft were used for attacks on enemy communications, radar and transport in the period before D-Day.

The squadron supported the D-Day landings from bases in southern England, then moved to Normandy in July, using its rockets against German tanks. On 18 August it took part in a four-squadron attack on German armour at Chambois, during the battle of the Falais pocket, helping to destroy a force of around 100 armoured vehicles. The squadron then supported 21st Army Group during the advance across northern France in Belgium.

On 1 January 1945 Nos.183 and 164 Squadrons were caught up in the aftermath of Operation Bodenplatte, the last major Luftwaffe operation of the war. They were coming in to land at the US base at Asch, but their Typhoons werre mistaken for Fw 190s and they were attacked by the Americans. One pilot was killed, one aircraft lost and two damaged in the resulting skirmish.

After reaching Belgium the squadron concentrated on armed reconnaissance missions, attacking German transport and tanks. It moved to its first German base in April 1945 and returned to the UK at the end of the war. Once back in the UK it received No.453 Squadron's Spitfires, before being renumbered as No.63 Squadron on 31 August 1946.

Aircraft
April-September 1942: Supermarine Spitfire VA
September 1942-January 1943: Supermarine Spitfire VB
February-May 1943: Hawker Hurricane IID
May 1943-March 1944: Hawker Hurricane IV
January 1944-June 1945: Hawker Typhoon IB
June 1945-August 1946: Supermarine Spitfire IXE
July 1946-August 1946: Supermarine Spitfire XVIE

Location
April-May 1942: Peterhead
May-September 1942: Skeabrae
September-October 1942: Peterhead
October 1942: Tangmere
October 1942-January 1943: Peterhead
January-February 1943: Fairwood Common
February-June 1943: Middle Wallop
June-August 1943: Warmwell
August-September 1943: Manston
September 1943-January 1944: Fairlop
January 1944: Twinwood Farm
January-February 1944: Fairlop
February-March 1944: Twinwood Farm
March 1944: Acklington
March-April 1944: Thorney Island
April 1944: Llanbedr
April-June 1944: Thorney Island
June 1944: Funtington
June-July 1944: Hurn
July 1944: B.8 Sommervieu
July-September 1944: B.7 Martragny
September 1944: B.23 Morainville
September 1944: B.35 Baromesnil
September-October 1944: B.53 Merville
October-November 1944: B.67 Ursel
November-December 1944: B.77 Gilze-Rijen
December 1944: Fairwood Common
December 1944-January 1945: B.77 Gilze-Rijen
January 1945: A.84 Chievres
January-March 1945: B.77 Gilze-Rijen
March-April 1945: B.91 Kluis
April-May 1945: B.103 Plantlunne
May-June 1945: B.116 Wunstorf
June-November 1945: Turnhouse
November 1945-January 1946: Fairwood Common
January-March 1946: Turnhouse
March-April 1946: Tangmere
April-August 1946: Middle Wallop

Squadron Codes: FJ

Duty
1942-1944: Fighter-bomber squadron, UK
1944-1945: Fighter-bomber squadron, Northern Europe

Part of
6 June 1944: No.136 Wing; No.84 Group; Second Tactical Air Force; Allied Expeditionary Air Force

Books

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How to cite this article: Rickard, J (6 January 2011), No. 164 Squadron (RAF): Second World War, http://www.historyofwar.org/air/units/RAF/164_wwII.html

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