No. 34 Wing RAF

No. 34 Wing RAF
Country	United Kingdom
Branch	Royal Air Force
Role	Air supremacy
Size	Wing
Aircraft flown
Attack	Hawker Typhoon

No. 34 Wing RAF was a formation of the Royal Air Force during the Second World War. It comprised No. 16 Squadron RAF, No. 69 Squadron RAF and No. 140 Squadron RAF.

Operation Bodenplatte

It was at Brussels-Melsbroek during Operation Bodenplatte, the German aerial attack of 1 January 1945. The Germans hit Melsbroek hard. According to Emil Clade (leading III./JG 27), the anti-aircraft gun positions were not manned, and aircraft were bunched together or in lines, which made perfect targets. The attack caused considerable damage among the units based there and was a great success. The reconnaissance wings lost two entire squadrons worth of machines. No. 69 Squadron RAF lost 11 Vickers Wellingtons and two damaged. Possibly all No. 140 Squadron RAF′s de Havilland Mosquitoes were lost. At least five Supermarine Spitfires from No. 16 Squadron RAF were destroyed. No. 271 Squadron RAF lost at least seven Handley Page Harrow transports "out of action". A further 15 other aircraft were destroyed. 139 Wing reported five North American B-25 Mitchells destroyed and five damaged. Another source states that that 13 Wellingtons were destroyed, as were five Mosquitoes, four Austers and five Avro Ansons from the Tactical Air Forces 2nd Communications Squadron. Three Spitfires were also lost and two damaged.

Post war

Later after the Second World War it formed part of No. 2 Group RAF as part of Second Tactical Air Force in West Germany.

See also

• List of Wings of the Royal Air Force