No. 198 Squadron RAF

No. 198 Squadron RAF
Unit name	No. 198 Squadron RAF
Country	United Kingdom
Branch	Royal Air Force
Role	Fighter aircraft

No. 198 Squadron RAF was a Royal Air Force squadron formed during the First World War and reformed for service in the Second World War, serving in both fighter and ground-attack roles. The unit flew a succession of types including night fighters and fighter-bombers and participated in major campaigns from the Western Front era through the Normandy landings and the advance into Nazi Germany. It was associated with several prominent commanders and operated from bases across the United Kingdom, France, and Germany.

History

Formed in 1917 during the later stages of the First World War amid reorganisation of Royal Flying Corps units, the squadron was disbanded after the Armistice and reformed in 1939 as tensions rose before the Second World War. During the early years of the 1939–1945 conflict the unit transitioned from home defence duties to offensive operations supporting RAF Fighter Command and later Second Tactical Air Force operations in the European theatre of World War II. It converted to ground-attack work to support Operation Overlord and the subsequent Allied breakout, providing close air support to formations such as the British Second Army and cooperating with elements of the United States Army Air Forces. Following the end of hostilities the squadron continued flying in the occupation period before final disbandment and postwar reorganisations that matched wider Royal Air Force reductions.

Aircraft operated

Throughout its existence the squadron flew a sequence of types reflecting evolving roles and technology. Early rotary and biplane types were succeeded by monoplane fighters such as the Hawker Hurricane, then the squadron operated twin-engined night and intruder types including the Bristol Beaufighter and the de Havilland Mosquito. For low-level interdiction and close support it flew adaptations of the Hawker Typhoon and later fighter-bomber marks associated with Second Tactical Air Force doctrine. Postwar equipment changes followed broader RAF modernisation that included piston-engined and early jet types in other units.

Battle honours and operations

The squadron earned battle honours for operations connected to the Battle of Britain period air defence preparations, the Dieppe Raid, the D-Day landings and the Battle of the Bulge support phase, as well as interdiction missions during the Allied advance from Paris to the Rhine. It conducted night intruder operations over occupied France and provided close air support during the Operation Market Garden timeframe and subsequent operations into Western Germany. The unit was noted for anti-shipping strikes against coastal convoys and for armed reconnaissance disrupting Wehrmacht movements.

Commanders and personnel

Commanding officers included a succession of RAF leaders drawn from Royal Flying Corps veterans and prewar RAF cadres, some of whom later held staff appointments at Air Ministry level or commanded wings within Second Tactical Air Force. The squadron produced decorated aircrew who received honours such as the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Distinguished Service Order, and the Air Force Cross during service in both world wars. Pilots and navigators often operated in combined-arms contexts with units from the British Army and the Royal Navy during joint operations.

Squadron bases and movements

Bases utilised by the squadron ranged from coastal stations in East Anglia used for convoy patrols to forward airfields in Normandy and liberated Western Europe established after the D-Day landings. Home stations included well-known RAF airfields that featured in the interwar and wartime order of battle, while continental detachments operated from Advanced Landing Grounds constructed by Royal Engineers and Allied engineering units. Postwar movements reflected occupation duties in Germany and drawdown to peacetime establishments.

Insignia and traditions

The squadron badge and motto, reflecting its strike and night-fighting heritage, followed Royal Air Force heraldic conventions and appeared on aircraft noses and flying clothing. Traditions included squadron bars, flight-specific insignia, and reunion associations that linked veterans with commemorations at sites such as Imperial War Museum exhibitions and national remembrance events. Wartime camouflage and marking schemes conformed to directives from the Air Ministry and operational practice within Fighter Command and Second Tactical Air Force.

Category:Royal Air Force squadrons Category:Military units and formations of the United Kingdom in World War II