No. 238 Squadron is a squadron of the Royal Air Force. It was first formed in 1918 by combining number 347, 348 and 349 Flights at RAF Cattewater by the Royal Flying Corps during the First World War. It was reformed for the Second World War, the Berlin Airlift and currently is a Line Training Flight (LTF) squadron based at RAF Cosford, albeit in a non-flying capacity. It is among those officially acknowledged Battle of Britain squadrons.
World War I The squadron was formed at RAF Cattewater (later RAF Mount Batten) in August 1918 by combining number 347, 348 and 349 Flights into the one squadron. All were flying boat flights and the squadron flew anti-submarine patrols until the end of the war, being reduced to a cadre on 15 May 1919. It remained as a storage unit until disbanded on 20 March 1922.
World War II Battle of Britain July 1940 was the beginning of the Kanalkampf phase of the Battle of Britain. The Luftwaffe attacked English Channel convoys in an attempt to draw Fighter Command into combat and deplete its strength, attain air superiority, and ostensibly begin an amphibious invasion of England, codenamed Operation Sea Lion. The 10 July was the official opening of the Battle of Britain.
On 16 May 1940, 238 reformed at RAF Tangmere. On 2 July 1940 the squadron was declared operational and operated the Hawker Hurricane. The squadron commenced operations from RAF Middle Wallop. The following day 238 Squadron experienced its first aerial combat with Flight Lieutenant J.C Kennedy damaged a Junkers Ju 88 from 1(F)/123 [1st staffel, Aufklärungsgruppe 123—Reconnaissance Group 123] on a reconnaissance south of Middle Wallop. The Ju 88 piloted by Leutnant Wachtel suffered minor damage and Kennedy was hit by return-fire. On 13 July the squadron was given credit for two Bf 110s destroyed; one shared amongst four pilots.
Channel convoys On 13 July, Flight Lieutenant J.C Kennedy became the first pilot killed in action. Once again in action with Aufklärungsgruppe 123, this time with 2 staffel, Kennedy shot down Leutnant Weinbauer's Dornier Do 17P over Chesil Beach, killing the crew. Kennedy appears to have suffered battle damage for he crash-landed at RAF Warmwell and was killed. A Do 17M from 4./Aufklärungsgruppe 123 crash-landed back in Caen, France, after being damaged in the same engagement. According to records, three pilots were credited with a shared Do 17; six more claimed two Bf 110s between them but this was marked unconfirmed.
Seven days later, the squadron flew standing combat patrols over convoy Bosom. Sergeant C Parkinson was killed in combat with Messerschmitt Bf 109s from JG 27, while the squadron destroyed a Heinkel He 59 floatplane from Seenotflugkommando 1; all four crew were killed. Parkinson was rescued by HMS Acheron but suffered fatal burns. 238 pilots were credited with two Bf 110s destroyed, one shared between two pilots, one Do 17 destroyed; two shared amongst four pilots and one Bf 110 went unconfirmed. Fighter Command recorded the He 59 as a damage claim, while one more Bf 109 was claimed destroyed, another as unconfirmed, and two pilots submitted a claim for another shared.
On 22 July, further combat patrols enabled 238 Squadron, now led by Squadron Leader Harold Fenton, to destroy two 4(F)/14 aircraft: a Do 17 and Messerschmitt Bf 110 with four crews posted missing in action in exchange for one damaged Hurricane. The squadron accounted for a Bf 109 from I./JG 27 on 26 July patrols. Twenty-four hours later the unit flew as escort for convoy Bacon. The pilots claimed one Junkers Ju 87 Stuka shot down from a 40-strong formation, but could not penetrate the fighter escort further. The Ju 87 came from I/StG 77.
On 1 August Fighter Command's order of battle placed 238 under the operational level command of No. 10 Group RAF, headquartered at Rudloe Manor in Wiltshire. Only three of the 12 squadron Hurricanes were operational. 238 shared Middle Wallop with 152, 604 and 609 Squadrons. 152 could field five of the 10 Supermarine Spitfires available, 604 had five from 11 Bristol Blenheims serviceable, while 609 listed six of its 10 Spitfires combat ready.
On 8 August, a series of naval and air actions occurred around convoy Peewit. In the late morning StG 2, StG 3 and StG 77 from Angers, Caen and St. Malo set out with their V./LG 1 escort, to attack the convoy south of the Isle of Wight, with approximately 30 Bf 109s from II. and III./JG 27 for high cover. From 12:20, Spitfires of 609 Squadron and Hurricanes from 257 and 145 squadrons attacked the German formations, joined later by 238 Squadron. The Ju 87s severely damaged SS Surte, MV Scheldt and SS Omlandia and sank SS Balmaha soon after. SS Tres was sunk by StG 77. SS Empire Crusader, in the lead, was hit by StG 2 and sank several hours later; four ships were sunk and four were damaged in the attacks. Between 20 and 30 RAF fighters attacked the German aircraft and I. and II./StG 2 suffered one damaged Ju 87 each, StG 3 lost three Stukas from I. Gruppe and two damaged. LG 1 lost one Bf 110 and three damaged, JG 27 lost three Bf 109s and two damaged, the three lost pilots coming from II. Gruppe. Three Hurricanes from 238 Squadron were shot down and two pilots were killed by Bf 109s. Squadron Leader H. A. Fenton was wounded while shooting down a He 59 floatplane and rescued by the trawler HMS Basset.
82 Ju 87s from III./StG 1, I./StG 3 and Stab, II./StG 77 were prepared for another operation. Major Walter Sigel led StG 3 to rendezvous with escorts from Bf 110s from II./Zerstörergeschwader 2 (ZG 2, Destroyer Wing 2), LG 1 and Bf 109s from II./JG 27. III./JG 26, II. and III./JG 51 flew a fighter sweep to clear the skies before the attack and engaged Nos. 41, 64 and 65 Squadrons. The ships of Peewit had sailed on and the anti-submarine yachts HMS Wilna, HMS Rion, trawlers HMS Cape Palliser, Kingston Chrysoberyl, Kingston Olivine and Stella Capella were attacked, having been sent to rescue survivors. Cape Palliser and Rion were badly damaged. 152 and 238 squadrons tried to intercept but failed to make contact with the attackers but 152 Squadron met Bf 109s from JG 53 south of Swanage and two Spitfires were damaged and force-landed, the pilots unhurt. II./JG 53 claimed two Spitfires and a Hurricane for no loss. II./JG 53 commanded by Günther Freiherr von Maltzahn flew from Guernsey.
On 11 August the final round of convoy attacks began on Convoys Booty, Agent and Arena. Keith Park, Air Officer Commanding, No. 11 Group RAF identified the convoys and naval base at Isle of Portland as the Germans' main objective for the day. Radar detected a large build-up over the Cherbourg peninsula. He ordered 609 and 1 Squadron up from Warmwell and RAF Tangmere. Six other units from Middle Wallop and Exeter, Tangmere and Warmwell were ordered to readiness. Some 53 fighters were now involved. The German formation approached in strength in the late morning. Around 54 Ju 88s from I., and II./KG 54 were supported by 20 Heinkel He 111s from KG 27. I., and II./ZG 2 provided 61 Bf 110s as escort which were reinforced by 30 Bf 109s from III./JG 2 under the command of Erich Mix. JG 27 provided withdrawal cover. It was the largest raid yet sent against a British target. Within a minute from 10:04, 145, 152, 87, 213 and 238 Squadrons were scrambled to support the two airborne Squadrons.
JG 27 were involved in combat as they covered the raid's withdrawal. JG 27 lost three of its number to 238 and 145 squadrons but the German fighters destroyed three 238 Hurricanes, killing two pilots. 145 suffered two damaged and two destroyed and two pilots killed. The massive dogfight resulted in the loss of 16 Hurricanes with 13 pilots killed and two wounded. A 152 Squadron Spitfire was lost and its pilot drowned. German losses amounted to six Bf 110s, five Ju 88s, one He 111 and six Bf 109s. The number of aircraft lost over the Channel prompted both sides to send forces out to locate survivors. Squadron Leader H A Fenton was wounded after being shot down by a He 59 float plane he was attacking and rescued. The two dead pilots were Flight Lieutenant D E Turner and Flying Officer D C McCaw.
Adlerangriff On 13 August, the main German offensive "" began against Fighter Command airfields. Unaware of the German intent, the controllers directed three full Squadrons and detachments of three others were alerted by 06:15. 238 was moved to cover their own base at RAF Warmwell. A mistake by the Observer Corps allowed KG 2 to slip through the net, but their bombing raid against RAF Hornchurch achieved little. I./KG 54 struck at the Fleet Air Arm (FAA) base at Gosport. ZG 2 was supposed to provide escort during one these attacks, and in a breakdown of communications, arrived over the target without their Ju 88s, which had been ordered to stand down. One ZG 2 Bf 110 was recorded destroyed and two more damaged. 238 pilots claimed one He 111, one Do 17, five Bf 109s destroyed, and one probably destroyed, five Bf 110s destroyed, two probably destroyed and four damaged.
In an afternoon development, I./LG 1 abandoned an attack on Boscombe Down and bombed Southampton instead. 238 Squadron had been detailed to intercept, but the fighter escort was too strong and the bombers were not diverted from their course. Several warehouses were destroyed and a cold storage plant was also knocked out. All fires were under control by dusk. Luftwaffe intelligence had not identified the Southampton Spitfire factory—on the waterfront near the docks—as an important target. Poor intelligence suggested it was a bomber factory. Only later, in September, was it attacked and severely damaged. However, even then the Germans were unaware of the damage inflicted to Spitfire production. The factory would later be broken up and production dispersed.
238 Squadron lost three Hurricanes with another damaged in combat with Bf 109s on 13 August. Sergeant L G Batt survived, Sergeant E W Seaborne was rescued by a destroyed with severe burns. Sergeant H J Marsh was killed and Sergeant R Little was unhurt. 238 moved to St Eval in Cornwall on 14 August. Scarcely six weeks old, and a veteran unit already, the squadron was moved to rest in the quieter South West England. The squadron was considered among those "hard-pressed" units and was removed from the frontline personally by Hugh Dowding. Squadron Leader Fenton commented on the cosmopolitan makeup of the Squadron; "The Poles and Czechs were vital as it turned out. It was amazing how quickly we became real friends. I flew with a Pole on one side and a Czech on the other and was delighted to be so well looked after."
The only action of note of the month came on 21 August when a single Ju 88 dropped six bombs on the airfield, destroying one hangar. 238 scrambled and gave chase but did not catch the intruder. In the afternoon three Ju 88s of Kampfgruppe 806 [coastal reconnaissance group] were intercepted; two were shot down. Maps and charts washed ashore from the wrecks indicated the targets were Newquay and Penzance. Leutnant zur See von Davidson and Mieher were lost with their crews [Luftwaffe coastal airmen sometimes carried Kriegsmarine ranks].