| 335th Squadron | |
|---|---|
| 335 Μοίρα | |
 The badge of 335 Sq. | |
| Active | 7 October 1941–Present |
| Country |  Greece |
| Branch | Hellenic Air Force |
| Role | Multirole |
| Part of | 116th Combat Wing |
| Garrison/HQ | Araxos Air Base |
| Aircraft flown | |
| Bomber | F-16 Block 52+ |
The335th Squadron (Greek:335 Μοίρα, 335 M),callsign "Tigers", is the oldestsquadron in service with theHellenic Air Force formed on the 10th of October 1941 atAqir airfield inPalestine as a unit in exile.[1] It is based atAraxos Air Base in thePeloponnese, forming part of the116th Combat Wing. Until March 2008, the squadron was equipped with theA-7H Corsair, and is operating with 30 newly purchasedF-16 Block 52+ aircraft.[2]
DuringWorld War II it served under theRoyal Air Force as a unit in exile operating in the middle east. Participating in convoy protection, bomber escort, and ground attack roles. Significant battles which the squadron was involved with include theSecond Battle of El Alamein, and theItalian campaign. In November the Greek squadrons returned to liberated Greece, where they were engaged in operations against the remaining German garrisons in the Aegean islands and Crete. On 31 July 1945, the squadron was disbanded from the RAF and transferred to Greek control. The motto of the 335th Squadron:Αίεν Υψικρατείν ("Always dominate the Heights") is now the official motto of the Hellenic Air Force.
Following the hand-over, the squadron was deployed to Sedes Air Base nearThessaloniki. From there, after the outbreak of theGreek Civil War, the squadron participated in operations against the Communist guerrillas withSpitfire Mk Vbs and a small number of capturedMesserschmitt Bf 109 G-6s. In June 1947 it was equipped with Spitfires Mk IX and XVI, which were retained until October 1953, when the squadron, now based atElefsis, was equipped with jet aircraft: theUS-madeF-84 Thunderjetfighter-bombers andRT-33A reconnaissance aircraft. On 3 April 1993, the squadron was established as the335th Bomber Squadron (335 Μοίρα Βομβαρδισμού), flying the A-7H Corsair, from a batch of 62 aircraft handed over by the US Air Force as surplus following theFirst Gulf War. The squadron operated the aircraft until 2008, when it began receiving new F-16 Block 52+Advanced aircraft. Converted to a multirole squadron, it became operational with the type in February 2010.
| No. 335 (Greek) Squadron RAF | |
|---|---|
 The unofficial Squadron Badge of No. 335 (Greek) Squadron RAF | |
| Active | 10 October 1941 – 31 July 1945 |
| Country |  United Kingdom |
| Allegiance |  Greece |
| Branch |  Royal Air Force |
| Role | Fighter squadron |
| Part of | RAF Fighter Command |
| Mottos | Αίεν Υψικρατείν ("Always dominate the Heights") |
| Insignia | |
| Squadron Code | FG (Oct 1941 – Jul 1946) |
In April 1941, the GermanWehrmachtoverran Greece. The Greek government under KingGeorge II fled to Allied-controlledEgypt, where it began to establishexpatriate Greek Armed Forces. These were formed out of personnel that had been evacuated from Greece or fled to the Middle East during the Occupation, and were equipped and organised along British lines, coming under British command. They had also been formed from Greeks who migrated to Egypt or were born in Egypt before the War.
_Squadron_RAF_Palestine_WWII_WWII_IWM_large.jpg)
The squadron was formed as the335th Royal Hellenic Pursuit Squadron (335 Βασιλική Ελληνική Μοίρα Διώξεως, 335 Β.Ε.Μ.Δ.), designated within the BritishRoyal Air Force asNo 335 (Greek) Squadron, on 10 October 1941 atAqir airfield inPalestine.[3][4] Its first commander wasSquadron Leader Xenophon Varvaressos,[4][5] and the personnel was provided from a core of Greek pilots who were undergoing training in Iraq, augmented by others who had fled from Greece.[1] Initially it was equipped withHurricane Mk I aircraft, and employed while training in defensive duties until January 1942. Subsequently, the squadron was transferred to El Daba in Egypt, where it was declared as fully operational on 12 February 1942.[6] The squadron began operations over theWestern Desert, where it operated continuously until late 1942, participating in convoy protection, bomber escort and ground attack roles. Between June and September 1942, it was re-equipped with Hurricane IIBs.[7] Under Squadron LeaderIoannis Kellas, the squadron participated in the air operations of theSecond Battle of El Alamein; on 28 October 1942, the second anniversary of theItalian invasion of Greece, the squadron organized astrafing attack on the ItalianXX Corps headquarters, an operation that was a huge morale booster for the expatriate Greeks.[1][8]
In the aftermath of the Allied victory, the squadron returned to shipping protection duties, while being outfitted with the newerSpitfire Mk Vb and Vc aircraft from December 1943 onwards.[9] On 15 September, the squadron was moved along with itssister unit to theItalian theatre, from where it carried out operations primarily over occupiedYugoslavia.[10]
In November the Greek squadrons returned to liberated Greece, where they were engaged in operations against the remaining German garrisons in the Aegean islands andCrete. On 31 July 1945, the squadron was disbanded from the RAF and transferred to Greek control.[7] The motto of the 335 SquadronΑίεν Υψικρατείν ("Always dominate the Heights") is now the official motto of the Hellenic Air Force.
Following the hand-over, the squadron was deployed to Sedes Air Base nearThessaloniki. From there, after the outbreak of theGreek Civil War, the squadron participated in operations against the Communist guerrillas. In June 1947 it was equipped with Spitfires Mk IX and XVI, which were retained until October 1953, when the squadron, now based atElefsis, was equipped with jet aircraft: theUS-madeF-84 Thunderjetfighter-bombers andRT-33A reconnaissance aircraft.[1] The redesignated335th Fighter-Bomber Squadron (335 Μοίρα Διώξεως-Βομβαρδισμού) came under the111th Combat Wing atNea Anchialos until September 1957, when it redeployed to110th Combat Wing atLarissa, where it was equipped withF-84F jets.[1]
In November 1960, the squadron was transferred toTanagra and assigned to ground strike duties as the335th Strike Squadron (335 Μοίρα Κρούσης), where it remained until its transfer to Araxos in June 1977. In May 1965 the squadron was equipped with theF-104G, and would continue flying the Starfighters until May 1992.[1] In December 1987 the squadron received 10 RF-104 aircraft and formed a separate Photoreconnaissance Flight. These aircraft remained in service until the type was decommissioned in May 1992.
On 3 April 1993, the squadron was established as the335th Bomber Squadron (335 Μοίρα Βομβαρδισμού), flying the A-7H Corsair, from a batch of 62 aircraft handed over by the US Air Force as surplus following theFirst Gulf War.[1] The squadron operated the aircraft until 2008, when it began receiving new F-16 Block 52+Advanced aircraft. Converted to a multirole squadron, it became operational with the type in February 2010.
 Hellenic Air Force flying squadrons | ||||||
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| Historical |
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| Currently active | |||||||
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| Inactive |
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| Australian Flying Corps units attached to the RAF during the First World War | |||||||
| Article XV (Commonwealth) air force units attached to the RAF during the Second World War |
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| Squadrons formed from non-Commonwealth personnel during the Second World War | |||||||
| Royal Auxiliary Air Force |
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| Fleet Air Arm of the RAF (1924–1939) | |||||||
| Volunteer Gliding Squadrons (VGS) |
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