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No. 255 Squadron RAF was a Royal Air Force Squadron formed as an anti-submarine unit in First World War and a night-fighter unit in Second World War. The First World War squadron was formed from former Royal Naval Air Service coastal flights and was responsible for coastal anti-submarine patrols. It was disbanded after the war. During the Second World War the squadron operated as a night fighter unit, at first with the Boulton Paul Defiant and later the Bristol Beaufighter. It served in the United Kingdom from 1940 to 1942 when it moved to operate in North Africa and then Italy, where it remained until the end of the war. It subsequently served in Malta, and then Egypt, before being disbanded in 1946. ==First World War== The squadron was formed at Pembroke, Wales, to manage a number of "Special Duties" flights that had been created for coastal operations against U-boats. On 6 June 1918, these flights were formed as: No. 519 and No. 520 Flights at Pembroke, No. 521 and No. 522 Flights at Anglesey and No. 523 and No. 524 Flights at Luce Bay.〔Sturtivant and Page 1992, p. 443〕 The squadron was equipped with Airco DH.6 aircraft. These single-engine biplanes could carry either a 100 lb bomb or an observer in addition to the pilot, but not both. The sole function of No. 255 Squadron during the war was anti-submarine warfare. Initially, the squadron operated within a zone defined as "10m NW Fishguard to 10m S of Caldey Island",〔TNA : AIR1/485/15/312/269 folio 156.〕 but shortly after its establishment, this was extended to 15 miles south of Caldey Island.〔TNA : AIR1/485/15/312/269 folio 163.〕 The squadron's aircraft did not have wireless telegraphy radio set so were restricted to inshore patrols. On 10 July 1918, a patrol by a No. 255 Squadron aircraft reported sighting a hostile periscope at location 64LYK.〔TNA : AIR1/485/15/312/269 folio 169.〕 The following day a target in the same area was attacked by Short seaplanes from another squadron.〔TNA : AIR1/485/15/312/269, folio 171.〕 No. 255 Squadron's first claimed strike against the enemy occurred on 14 August 1918 when Lieutenant Peebles in a DH.6 attacked a submarine at periscope depth at 09:35 with a 100 lb bomb. This resulted in air bubbles and an oil slick. Peebles returned to Pembroke and was later involved in another attack against the submarine, which resulted in further oil being brought to the surface.〔TNA : AIR1/485/15/312/269 folio 100.〕〔TNA : AIR1/419/15/245/1 folio 518.〕 The Admiralty's assessment at the time classified the result of the strike as "U-boat possibly damaged", giving the decoded position as 51°17'N, 05°04'W.〔TNA : ADM239/26 tab 1292F folio 167.〕 There is no recorded loss of a U-boat in the area. On 15 August 1918, No. 521 and 522 Flights were separated to form No. 244 Squadron.〔 Nos. 523 and 529 Flights formed No. 258 Squadron〔 leaving 255 with only two flights at Pembroke. The squadron was disbanded on 14 January 1919.〔Sturtivant and Page 1992, p. 438〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「No. 255 Squadron RAF」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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