RAF Hendon

The first Whittle-engined aircraft, DG205/G, flew on 12 June 1943 (later crashing during takeoff on 27 April 1944) and was followed by DG202/G on 24 July. DG202/G was later used for deck handling tests aboard aircraft carrier HMS Pretoria Castle
  • chaotic events of April 25th; the account in the August 1947 Air Reserve Gazette states that by 12.30 10 Gladiators had been destroyed by enemy action – 2 by direct hits and 8 by fire following near misses. In return, Plt Off acNamara did shoot down a He111 in Gladiator N5579 and Flt Lt Mills damaged another Heinkel causing it to crash on its approach to Stavangar airfield. The successive bombing raids reduced the lake to a shambles, and by the evening Sqn Ldr Donaldson led the 5 remaining serviceable Gladiators to a new landing ground at Setnesmoen near Andalsnes, from where they made a few more sorties until destroyed by their pilots due to lack of fuel which ran out on the 27th. Lake Lesjaskog was left pitted with over 130 bomb craters on the ice and littered with thirteen burnt out Gladiators, 2 burnt by the squadron when left unserviceable by German attacks. Over the two days of operations No.263 Squadron had flown 49 sorties, engaging 37 separa te German aircraft, claiming 6 of them destroyed and others damaged. The Squadron lost all of its aircraft, but none in air combat. The squadron personnel returned to England on

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