National Experiences - British Commission for Military History

o ya l He l l e n i C air fo r C e (rHaf) d u r i n g wo r l d wa r ii. or g a n i z at i o n a n d op e r at i o n s 139
Fi g u r e 12: No.336 personnel posing in front of a Hurricane with their C.O., Flight
Lieutenant S. Diamantopoulos, in the middle (Archive of the History Museum, HAF 40287).
On May 24, No.13 began operations. Light bombing included bridges, railways and
enemy strongpoints and installations at Pedaso, Civitanova, Fabriano, Fossombrone,
Torre and Chiaravalle. From Biferno, the Squadron, having joined 254 RAF Wing,
undertook light bombing operations in Yugoslavia and Albania, despite heavy antiaircraft
fire over these countries 27 . In total, during its stay in Italy, the Squadron successfully
bombed 6 railway bridges, 9 quays, 7 railway stations, 3 high-way bridges,
4 ammunition depots, 3 factories, 8 military barracks, 7 oil/gas tanks, 5 military
warehouses and 6 enemy columns. On November 4, 1944, the Squadron’s personnel
left from Campomarino heading to Taranto to embark on ships for Piraeus. The
airplanes would arrive later together with the fighters of No 335 and 336.
On September 16, No.335 Hellenic Fighter Squadron was stationed at its new
base at Nuova. The first operation took place on September 19 involving patrolling
roads and transport routes around Split in Yugoslavia. On October 8 th the Squadron
moved to Biferno. In the afternoon of the same day, the first RHAF officers returned
home, landing at Araxos, which had been liberated a few days before. On October
27 E. Kartalamakis, Flying in foreign skies, Athens 1993, pp. 539-540 and History of the Hellenic Air
Force (1941-1944), Ibid, pp. 296-297.