.
LEAFLET RAIDS AND SEAPLANE-BASE PATROLS,
17/18 February to
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GERMANY, OCCUPIED COUNTRIES
81 aircraft to Berlin, Gelsenkirchen, Magdeburg and to airfields in Belgium, Holland and France. 2 Hampdens lost.
8 Hampdens minelaying off Brest.
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4 Blenheims dispatched but lacked cover and returned early.
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.)
83 SQUADRON
SERVICE
In 5 Group at the outbreak of the war and flew Hampdens, Manchesters and Lancasters from Scampton, with a short detachment to Coastal Command at Lossiemouth in February/March 1940. Transferred to 8 Group in August 1942 and flew Pathfinder operations from Wyton until returned to 5 Group for that group's own marker force in April 1944 and flew from Coningsby until the end of the war.
OPERATIONAL PERFORMANCE
Raids Flown
5
Group Hampdens - 205 bombing, 72 minelaying, 6 'night-fighter' over English cities
5
Group Manchesters - 21 bombing, 10 minelaying, 2 leaflet
5
Group Lancasters (May to August 1942) - 26 bombing, 8 minelaying, 1 leaflet
8
Group Lancasters - 167 bombing
5
Group Lancasters (April 1944 to May 1945) - 105 bombing
Total - 524 bombing, 90 minelaying, 6 'night-fighter', 3 leaflet = 623 raids
Sorties and Losses
5
Group Hampdens - 1,987 sorties, 43 aircraft lost (2.2 percent)
5
Group Manchesters - 152 sorties, 9 aircraft lost (5.9 percent)
5
Group Lancasters (May to August 1942) - 262 sorties, 4 aircraft lost (15 percent)
8
Group Lancasters - 1,740 sorties, 56 aircraft lost (3.2 percent)
5
Group Lancasters (April 1944 to May 1945) - 1,380 sorties, 31 aircraft lost (2.2 percent)
Total - 5,521 sorties, 143 aircraft lost (26 percent)
25 Lancasters were destroyed in crashes.
POINTS OF INTEREST
An original squadron on the outbreak of war; 6 Hampdens flew a sweep over the North Sea on the first day of the war.
Victoria Cross: Sergeant John Hannah, Antwerp,
