| No. IX (B) Squadron RAF | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Active |
|
| Country |  United Kingdom |
| Branch |  Royal Air Force |
| Type | Flying squadron |
| Role | |
| Part of | Combat Air Force |
| Station | RAF Lossiemouth |
| Mottos | Per noctem volamus (Latin for 'We fly through the night') |
| Aircraft | Eurofighter Typhoon FGR4 |
| Commanders | |
| Current commander | Wing Commander C M Pearson |
| Notable commanders | Major Hugh Dowding |
| Insignia | |
| Roundel |  |
| Tail codes | KA (Feb 1939 – Sep 1939) WS (Sep 1939 – Apr 1951) AA–AZ (Aug 1986 – Mar 2019) WS (May 2019 – present) |
Number 9 Squadron (also known asNo. IX (Bomber) Squadron orNo. IX (B) Squadron) is the oldest dedicatedbomber squadron of theRoyal Air Force.[1] Formed in December 1914, it saw service throughout theFirst World War, including at theSomme andPasschendaele. During theSecond World War, No. IX (B) Squadron was one of twoAvro Lancaster units specialising in heavy precision bombing (the other wasNo. 617 Squadron) and sank the battleshipTirpitz on 12 November 1944 inOperation Catechism.[2] Between 1962 and April 1982, the squadron flew theAvro Vulcan B.2 as part of theV-Force. In June 1982, it became the first front-line squadron in the world to operate thePanavia Tornado GR1. In May 1998, No. IX (B) Squadron received the RAF's first Tornado GR4, which it operated until re-equipping with theEurofighter Typhoon FGR4 at its present home station ofRAF Lossiemouth on 1 April 2019 as an Aggressor Squadron.[3] On 3 July 2024, while deployed on NATO operations in the Black Sea region, IX (B) Squadron were officially certified as a Multi-Role Combat Ready Squadron.[4]
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No. IX (B) Squadron was formed on 8 December 1914 atSaint-Omer in France, the first outside of the UK, from a detachment of theRoyal Flying Corps (RFC) Headquarters Wireless Flight.[5] Known asNo. 9 (Wireless) Squadron, it was tasked with developing the use of radio forreconnaissance missions throughartillery spotting.[6] This lasted until 22 March 1915 when the squadron was disbanded and had its equipment dispersed amongstNo. 2 Squadron,No. 5 Squadron,No. 6 Squadron andNo. 16 Squadron.[7][8]
The squadron reformed atBrooklands in Surrey on 1 April 1915, under the command ofMajorHugh Dowding (later commander ofRAF Fighter Command during theBattle of Britain) as a radio-training squadron, flying theFarman MF.7,Blériot XI andRoyal Aircraft Factory B.E.2.[9] The squadron moved toDover in Kent on 23 July, re-equipping with theRoyal Aircraft Factory B.E.8a,Avro 504 and a singleMartinsyde S.1,[9] before returning to Saint-Omer on 12 December as an army co-operation squadron.[10] Moving toBertangles on 24 December, No. 9 Squadron commenced bombing missions on 17 January 1916 with the B.E.2c.[11] It flew reconnaissance and artillery spotting missions during theBattle of the Somme in 1916, assisting the British Army'sXIII Corps on the first day.[12] It later operated during theSecond Battle of Arras in 1917.[9]
It re-equipped with theRoyal Aircraft Factory R.E.8 in May 1917, using them for artillery spotting and contact patrols during theBattle of Passchendaele, during which it suffered 57 casualties, and carrying out short range tactical bombing operations in response to theGerman spring offensive in March 1918.[13] While it started to receiveBristol Fighters in July 1918, it did not completely discard the R.E.8 until after the end of the war. No. 9 Squadron returned to the UK in August 1919, arriving atCastle Bromwich where it remained until disbanding on 31 December 1919.[6][8][9]
The squadron's life as a bomber unit began on 1 April 1924, reforming atRAF Upavon in Wiltshire, quickly moving toRAF Manston in Kent, flying theVickers Vimy.[14] Less than a year later, the squadron re-equipped with theVickers Virginia heavy bomber, occasionally supplemented byVickers Victoria transports, which it retained until this was replaced by theHandley Page Heyford in 1936.[15]
On 31 January 1939, No. IX (B) Squadron became the third RAF squadron to receive the modernVickers Wellingtonmonoplane, when their first Wellington arrived atRAF Stradishall in Suffolk – reaching full strength by April.[8][16][17]
TheSecond World War began with the unit being one of the few equipped with modern aircraft, the Vickers Wellington bomber, flying out ofRAF Honington in Suffolk; the Wellington later gave way to the Avro Lancaster in September 1942 upon the squadron's move toRAF Waddington in Lincolnshire, with which the unit would complete its most famous sorties.[9]
On 4 September 1939, the squadron's Wellington aircraft and crews were the first to hit the enemy; the first to get into adogfight; possibly the first to shoot down an enemy aircraft; the first to be shot down by one; and towards the end of the war, the first to hit theGerman battleshipTirpitz with theTallboy 12,000-pound bomb, an achievement by the crew of an Avro Lancaster on her 102nd operation with the squadron.[18]
No. IX (B) Squadron fought withRAF Bomber Command in Europe throughout the Second World War; took part in all the major raids and large battles; and pioneered and proved new tactics and equipment. It also produced several of the leading figures inThe Great Escape, such asLes 'Cookie' Long, as well as Colditz inmates – including the legendary 'Medium Sized Man'Flight LieutenantDominic Bruce originator of the famous 'tea chest' escape. They became one of the two specialised squadrons attacking precision targets with the Tallboy bomb, and led the final main force raid, onBerchtesgaden in Germany on 25 April 1945.[18]
ThebattleshipTirpitz had been moved intoa fjord inNorthern Norway where she threatened theArctic convoys and was too far north to be attacked by air from the UK. She had already been damaged by aRoyal Navymidget submarine attack and a second attack from carrier born aircraft of theFleet Air Arm. Both attacks however had failed to sink her. The task was given to No. IX (B) Squadron andNo. 617 Squadrons who, operating from a base inRussia, attackedTirpitz withTallboy bombs which damaged her so extensively that she was sent toTromsø to be used as a floating battery. This fjord was in range of bombers operating from Scotland. There in October from a base in Scotland she was attacked again. Finally on 12 November 1944, the two squadrons attackedTirpitz. The first bombs missed their target, but following aircraft scored three direct hits in quick succession causing the ship to capsize. All three RAF attacks onTirpitz were led byWing Commander J. B. "Willy" Tait. Both squadrons claim that it was their bombs that actually sankTirpitz, however it was theTallboy bomb dropped from No. IX (B) Squadron LancasterWS-Y (LM220) piloted byFlying Officer Dougie Tweddle to which the sinking of the warship is attributed.[19] Tweddle was awarded theDistinguished Flying Cross for his part in the operations againstTirpitz.[20]
Due to the sinking ofTirpitz having been attributed to the squadron, an intense rivalry developed between No. 617 (the junior squadron in terms of RAF squadron seniority) and No. IX (B) Squadron after the sinking of the warship. TheTirpitzbulkhead that was presented to Bomber Command by theRoyal Norwegian Air Force, in commemoration of friendship and co-operation during the Second World War was of particular interest with both squadrons "owning" the bulkhead at various times until 2002, when the bulkhead was presented to theRAF Museum at Hendon.[19]
On 25 April 1945, No. IX (B) Squadron flew their last operational mission of the war when they, along with No. 617 Squadron,attacked Obersalzberg – targeting theBerghof,Eagle's Nest (residences ofAdolf Hitler) and the localSS barracks.[21] Seventeen Lancasters of No. IX (B) Squadron participated, with eleven bombing the primary target and one bombing a local bridge.[18] With theend of the war in Europe, No. IX (B) Squadron was assigned to the'Tiger Force', which was composed of multiple Bomber Command squadrons, with the intention of striking theJapanese Empire.[5] However, due to theAtomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945, the war was brought to an end before this could be carried out, although No. IX Squadron was deployed toIndia to carry out aerial survey work until April 1946.[6]
After the War, the Lancaster was replaced by theAvro Lincoln until 1952, when the squadron re-equipped withEnglish Electric Canberra B.2 jet-bombers. They were used during three months of operations in Malaya in 1956 and during theSuez Crisis.[9] No. IX (B) Squadron was disbanded on 13 July 1961.[5]
Reforming on 1 March 1962 atRAF Coningsby in Lincolnshire, No. IX (B) Squadron converted to theAvro Vulcan B.2 and became part of theV-Force of RAF Bomber Command.[6] Their Vulcans were equipped in late 1966 withWE.177 nuclear bombs atRAF Cottesmore in the low-level penetration role and assigned to NATO'sSupreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR), before spending six years in the same role 1969–74 atRAF Akrotiri, Cyprus, as part of theNear East Air Force Wing where the squadron formed part of the UK's commitment toCentral Treaty Organization. Between 1975 and 1982 the squadron was based at RAF Waddington, again assigned to SACEUR, and still equipped with WE.177 in the low-level penetration role, before disbanding in April 1982.[22][23]
No. IX (B) Squadron began to form at RAF Honington in Suffolk in early 1982 under Wing Commander P. J. Gooding, with the squadron receiving its firstPanavia Tornado GR1 on 6 January.[24] The first IX (B) Squadron Tornado sortie was made from Honington on 6 April.[25] The squadron was officially reformed on 1 June, becoming the world's first operational Tornado squadron. The squadron was again equipped with WE.177, handed down from theVulcan force. The squadron was officially declared combat ready to SACEUR in January 1983.[26] No. IX (B) Squadron suffered the RAF's first Tornado loss on 27 September 1983, when Tornado GR1ZA586 suffered complete electrical failure causing the pilotSquadron Leader. M. Stephens to orderejection.[27] The navigator,Flight Lieutenant N. Nickles, safely ejected from the aircraft however Stephens failed to eject and was lost in the crash.[28]
During their time at RAF Honington, the squadron featured in the RAF recruitment filmTornado, produced in 1985 by theCentral Office of Information. The film features a training exercise in which Tornado crews prepare and execute a strike on a coastalsurface-to-air missile site.[29][30] On 1 October 1986, No. IX (B) Squadron moved toRAF Brüggen as part ofRAF Germany, becoming the fourth Tornado squadron to be based there.[31]
In the build up to theFirst Gulf War in 1990, personnel of No. IX (B) Squadron were deployed toTabuk Air Base andDhahran Airfield inSaudi Arabia, as well asMuharraq Airfield inBahrain. As part ofOperation Granby, crews from these bases flew their first sorties on 17 January 1991 to gainair superiority over Iraqi airspace.[32] Initial bombing raids were focused on Iraqi air bases with the Tornado using unguided 1000lb bombs andJP233 submunition delivery systems to knock out runways. On 20 January, the squadron lost Tornado GR1ZD893 near Tabuk when its control column failed to respond properly shortly after takeoff. Afterjettisoning their external stores, the crew attempted two landings to no avail, forcing the crew to eject.[33] Over the course of the campaign, No. IX (B) Squadron flew two-hundred sorties dropping three-hundred 1000lb bombs.[6] The squadron suffered no loses in combat throughout the conflict, only losingZD893 outside of combat.[34]
In the aftermath of Operation Granby, no-fly zones were set up over Iraq, withOperation Warden beginning in 1991 in the north andOperation Jural in the south in 1992.[35] No. IX (B) Squadron along with other RAF Brüggen-based squadrons, each conducted four month long tours of duty as part of Operation Jural.[36] Returning home to RAF Brüggen after Operation Granby, No. IX (B) Squadron continued to maintain their nuclear delivery role until 1994.[37]
On 11 May 1998, the first Tornado GR4 was delivered to No. IX (B) Squadron at RAF Brüggen.[38] As a result of theStrategic Defence Review in 1998 it was planned decided that in 2001, No. IX (B) Squadron and No. 31 Squadron, would relocate from RAF Brüggen toRAF Marham,Norfolk.[39]
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No. IX (B) Squadron participated in the 1999NATO bombing of Yugoslavia to liberate Kosovo as part of Operation Engadine, the British contribution to NATO's Operation Allied Force. Initial sorties were flown from RAF Brüggen but the squadron later deployed toSolenzara Air Base, Corsica, along with No. 31 Squadron.[40] In 1999, No. IX (B) Squadron became the first operational Tornado GR4 squadron.[9]
Under the command of Wing Commander Derek Watson, the squadron formed part ofOperation Telic, the British involvement in theIraq War, after being deployed in February 2003.[9] No. 2 Squadron, No. IX (B) Squadron,No. 13 Squadron, No. 31 Squadron and No. 617 Squadron contributed to Tornado GR4 Wing 1 based atAli Al Salem Air Base,Kuwait.[41] No. IX (B) Squadron suffered its only loss of the war on 22 March 2003, when a Tornado was shot down by an AmericanPatriot surface-to-air missile system in Kuwait while returning from a mission. The pilot, Flight Lieutenant Kevin Barry Main, andnavigator, Flight Lieutenant David Rhys Williams, were both killed. Immediately after the incident it was claimed that the RAF crew had failed to switch on theiridentification friend or foe system. However a US journalist embedded with theU.S. Army unit operating the Patriot battery said the "army Patriots were mistakenly identifying friendly aircraft as enemy tactical ballistic missiles."[42]
While the Tornado GR4 was capable of carrying theALARManti-radiation missile, No. IX (B) Squadron and No. 31 Squadron specialised in the role, in which they were known as "Pathfinder" squadrons. From 2004 to 2010, The squadron annually deployed in support of Operation Telic.[43]
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No. IX (B) Squadron saw its first tour of duty in Afghanistan, onOperation Herrick atKandahar Airfield in early January 2010, taking over from No. 31 Squadron. The squadron's Tornados flew bothclose air support (CAS) missions in support of ground forces, as well as flying multiple reconnaissance missions using theRaptor andLitening III pods.[44] The squadron handed over their duties to No. 2 (AC) Squadron on 13 April after a three-month deployment. In that time the squadron launched 450 times, amassed nearly 1,600 flying hours and undertook almost forty CAS missions.[45] The penultimate leg of the squadron's journey home was completed aboardHMSAlbion from Santander in Spain, due toair travel disruption after the 2010 Eyjafjallajökull eruption.[46]
In March 2011, No. IX(B) Squadron was the first RAF Tornado squadron to participate inOperation Ellamy, the British involvement inLibyan Civil War.[47] The squadron performed the second-longest ranged attack sorties in the history of the RAF and the first to be launched from the UK mainland since the Second World War, launching from the squadron's home base at RAF Marham and carrying outStorm Shadow cruise missile strikes, hitting targets deep inside Libya. The squadron then deployed forward to continue operations fromGioia del Colle in Southern Italy. After a brief respite from the action, during which it was relieved by No. 2 (AC) Squadron, the squadron was selected to return to Gioia del Colle. Squadron aircrew of No. IX (B) Squadron were inside Libyan airspace on 20 October 2011 when the conflict came to an end with the capture ofColonel Gaddafi byNational Transitional Council fighters. The squadron returned to Marham on 1 November 2011.[48] The squadron was one of only three in the RAF awarded the right to emblazon thebattle honourLibya 2011 on theirsquadron standard.[49]
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No. IX (B) Squadron returned to Kandahar Airfield in Afghanistan as part of Operation Herrick in December 2012, taking over from No. 2 (AC) Squadron. No. IX (B) Squadron was deployed for four months before returning to RAF Marham on 18 March 2013.[50] The squadron participated inExercise Red Flag 14-1 atNellis Air Force Base in the United States between 27 January and 14 February 2014, operating alongside and against units of theUS Air Force,US Navy,US Marine Corps and theRoyal Australian Air Force.[51][52][53]
No. IX (B) Squadron's last deployment to Afghanistan was in June 2014 when they again took over from No. 2 (AC) Squadron before being replaced by No. 31 Squadron in September – the last RAF Tornados to be deployed.[54][55] To celebrate 100 years of No. IX (B) Squadron, Tornado GR4ZA356 was painted in a special commemorative scheme to mark the occasion.[56]
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On 11 August 2014, the British government decided to deploy RAF Tornados from RAF Marham to RAF Akrotiri to help support aid efforts to refugees in the IraqiSinjar Mountains, who were under attack by terrorist organisationIslamic State (IS).[57][58] On 26 September, theUK Parliament voted in favour of airstrikes against IS,[59] with the first strikes occurring on the 30 September.[60] No. IX( B) Squadron contributed to the 1,300 missions conducted by RAF Tornados and theGeneral Atomics MQ-9 Reapers during the first year of action against IS.[61]
On 8 December 2014, squadron members both past and present held a service at Saint-Omer to mark 100 years since No. 9 Squadron was first formed.[62] After Parliament approved strikes in Syria on 2 December 2015, the squadron's aircraft carried attacks the same day onIS owned oil fields inal-Omar, Syria.[63][64]
On 14 April 2018, the squadron's aircrew participated in themissile strikes against Syria in response to the Syrian government's suspectedchemical attack inDouma.[65][66]
On 10 July 2018, nine Tornados of No. IX (B) Squadron and No. 31 Squadron participated in a flypast over London to celebrate the Royal Air Force's 100th anniversary.[67] On 6 November 2018, the RAF unveiled Tornado GR4ZG775 in a special commemorative No. IX (B) Squadron scheme to celebrate the squadron's 37 years of Tornado operations, the first of three Tornado retirement schemes to be made public.[64][68]
On 4 and 5 February 2019, the eight Tornados of No. IX (B) Squadron and No. 31 Squadron that had been deployed to RAF Akrotiri returned home to RAF Marham ahead of the Tornado's retirement on 31 March 2019.[69] The squadrons held a joint parade at Marham on 14 March 2019 to mark the impending disbandment of the Tornado force.[70] Although the parade flypast was the Tornado's last planned sortie in RAF service, both squadrons maintained readiness for operations until the type's out-of-service date of 31 March 2019. The two squadron commanders simultaneously lowered their pennants at 09:31 on the following day, making No. IX(B) Squadron the world's first and the RAF's joint-last operational Tornado squadron.[3][71]
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FourEurofighter Typhoon FGR4 were assigned to No. IX (B) Squadron (Designate) atRAF Lossiemouth in Moray in February 2019,[72] the first appearing in squadron markings on 13 February.[73] No. IX (B) Squadron re-equipped as anaggressor and air defence squadron operating the Typhoon at 09:31 on 1 April 2019, thereby continuing in unbroken service upon Tornado's retirement.[3][74][75] The squadron marked its change of aircraft, role and location with a further parade on 2 May 2019,[76] having formally reformed on 1 April.[77]
On 24 March 2020, due to its participation in Operation Herrick, No. IX (B) Squadron was awarded the battle honour 'Afghanistan 2001–2014' (without the right to emblazon on the squadron standard) by Her MajestyQueen Elizabeth II,[78] To mark the 75th anniversary ofVE Day on 8 May 2020, a pair of No. IX (B) Squadron Typhoons performed a flypast overEdinburgh.[79]
On 16 November 2020, the squadron deployed Typhoons toKonya Air Base inTurkey to conduct training alongside locally basedGeneral Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcons.[80] On 23 April 2021, four Typhoons from No. IX (B) Squadron deployed toMihail Kogălniceanu Air Base,Romania, to carry out enhanced Air Policing on behalf of NATO.[81] In March 2023, No. IX (B) Squadron deployed toÄmari Air Base,Estonia, in support of Operation Azotize, operating in tandem withTLG 71 of theGerman Air Force.[82][83]
Aircraft operated include:[9][24][38][72][84][85]
Thesquadron's badge features a greenbat with wings extended, the bat reflecting the squadron's previousnight-bombing. The badge was approved byKing Edward VIII in November 1936.[86]
The squadron's motto isPer noctem volamus (Latin for 'We fly through the night').[87]
A memorial to members of No. IX (B) Squadron who were killed or went missing during the Second World War is located in the village ofBardney, Lincolnshire. The memorial was unveiled on 19 October 1980 and features an engine propeller from an Avro Lancaster bomber mounted on a brick wall. The wall includes a piece of stone from Norway, reflecting the role of theNorwegian Resistance in the squadron's attack on theTirpitz.[88][89]
A memorial to all who have served on No. IX (B) Squadron was unveiled at theNational Memorial Arboretum in October 2017. The memorial was designed by John Fox, an honorary member of the IX (B) Squadron Association. It takes the form of an pyramid, constructed fromsandstone at its base, polished greengranite in the middle and polished brown granite at its peak.[90]
On 10 November 2024, a three-panelledstained glass window celebrating the history of No. IX (B) Squadron was installed atSt Lawrence Church, Bardney. The window was designed by artist Claire Williamson and features a range of aircraft and emblems relating to the squadron's history.[91]
No. IX (B) Squadron is affiliated to:
As of March 2025, aircraft operated by No. IX (B) Squadron use the following peacetime air traffic controlcall signs within UK airspace:Aggressor, Barron, Batman, Boris, Dracula, Fang, Ivan, Nightwing, Tirpitz andVodka.[95]
No. IX (B) Squadron has received the followingbattle honours. Those marked with an asterisk (*) may be emblazoned on thesquadron standard.[96][97]
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