No. 5 Group RAF

No. 5 Group RAF, commonly abbreviated to 5 Group or 5 Gp, was a Royal Air Force bomber formation associated most closely with the strategic air offensive against Germany and occupied Europe during the Second World War. Re-formed on 1 September 1937, it initially had its headquarters at RAF Mildenhall in Suffolk before moving to St Vincents Hall at Grantham, Lincolnshire, later in the year. During the war its operational identity was strongly associated with the airfields of south Lincolnshire, including RAF Scampton and RAF Swinderby, although its squadrons and supporting units operated across a much wider network. The group entered the war with ten squadrons equipped with Handley Page Hampdens. From the winter of 1940–41 it began converting to the Avro Manchester, and during 1942 the Manchester was progressively replaced by the four-engined Avro Lancaster. The Lancaster gave 5 Group the range, payload and endurance needed for long-distance attacks against industrial, military and transport targets. By the end of the war, the group had expanded to eighteen squadrons: seventeen operating Lancasters and one operating de Havilland Mosquitos. Its composition reflected the wider Commonwealth character of Bomber Command. Australian personnel served both in RAF units and in Article XV squadrons of the Royal Australian Air Force. No. 455 Squadron RAAF was associated with the group from August 1941 to April 1942, while No. 467 Squadron RAAF joined in November 1942 and No. 463 Squadron RAAF in November 1943. The group also included Canadian and New Zealand personnel, particularly in No. 617 Squadron, which was formed in March 1943 from selected aircrew drawn from several Bomber Command units. No. 617 Squadron became the formation's most famous component. Known as the Dambusters after Operation Chastise in May 1943, it was created for a special attack using Barnes Wallis's rotating bouncing bomb against German dams. The squadron later employed precision-marking methods and heavy penetration weapons, including the 12,000-pound Tallboy and the Grand Slam. These missions made 5 Group a prominent test bed for new weapons, bomb-sighting equipment, target-marking procedures and low-level attack tactics. The group also conducted large conventional raids. Its operations included attacks on Cologne, Le Creusot, Genoa, Milan, Peenemünde, Königsberg, Braunschweig, Heilbronn, Dresden and Würzburg, as well as attacks on German naval and transport infrastructure. In the period before D-Day, Air Vice-Marshal Ralph Cochrane promoted low-level marking and more accurate target identification. The return of Pathfinder and Mosquito units in 1944 enabled the group to operate with a comparatively independent approach to marking and precision attack. Among its later operations were attacks on the battleship Tirpitz and the use of Grand Slam bombs against the Schildesche railway viaduct near Bielefeld in March 1945. The group's final heavy-bomber operation of the war targeted an oil refinery at Tønsberg in southern Norway. No. 5 Group RAF was disbanded on 15 December 1945. It is remembered not as a consumer brand but as a historically significant RAF formation whose operational culture combined mass bombing with specialized precision missions.

No. 5 Group RAF was formed on 1 September 1937 as part of the Royal Air Force's expansion before the Second World War. Its first headquarters was at RAF Mildenhall, but it moved to St Vincents Hall at Grantham in October 1937. The group's principal wartime geography was south Lincolnshire, where numerous bomber stations supported its operations. RAF Scampton became particularly associated with the group because of the presence of No. 617 Squadron. At the outbreak of war, the group comprised ten Hampden squadrons. Its aircraft changed as Bomber Command developed: the Hampden was followed by the twin-engined Avro Manchester, which in turn was replaced by the Avro Lancaster from early 1942. The Lancaster became the group's dominant aircraft and supported both mass raids and specialized attacks. On 17 October 1942, Operation Robinson sent approximately 86 Lancasters without fighter escort against the Schneider armaments works at Le Creusot and an associated electrical installation at Montchanin. Later that month, the group attacked Genoa and Milan. In May 1943, No. 617 Squadron carried out Operation Chastise against the Möhne, Eder and Sorpe dams. The squadron had been established specifically for the mission and drew personnel from several Allied air forces. Its success established a lasting association between 5 Group and special-purpose bombing. In June 1943, Operation Bellicose combined attacks on rocket facilities near Lake Constance with an onward operation against the naval base at La Spezia. In August, the group participated in Operation Hydra against the German research centre at Peenemünde. Ralph Cochrane assumed command in February 1943 and became an important proponent of improved bombing accuracy. The group headquarters moved to Morton Hall at RAF Swinderby in November 1943. The formation used the Stabilizing Automatic Bomb Sight and later employed Tallboy, a very large penetration bomb designed by Barnes Wallis. In December 1943, No. 617 Squadron used these capabilities against a V-weapon site at Abbeville, achieving unusually high reported accuracy. During the preparation for the Normandy landings, Cochrane supported low-level target marking. No. 617 Squadron, under Wing Commander Leonard Cheshire, helped test and develop methods using Mosquito and Mustang aircraft. In April 1944, Nos. 83 and 97 Pathfinder Squadrons and No. 627 Squadron, equipped with Mosquitos, returned to the group. Their presence allowed 5 Group to conduct marking and bombing operations with a degree of independence from the standard Pathfinder system. The group's later wartime activity included attacks on the Tirpitz, raids against German cities and transport targets, and the first operational use of Grand Slam against the Schildesche viaduct near Bielefeld on 14 March 1945. The group also attacked targets at Königsberg, Braunschweig, Heilbronn, Dresden, Würzburg and elsewhere. Its final heavy-bomber raid struck an oil refinery at Tønsberg in southern Norway. No. 5 Group RAF was disbanded on 15 December 1945.

• 1945

  Grand Slam attack on Bielefeld

  [1]No. 5 Group RAFen.wikipedia.org

  The group supported the first operational use of Grand Slam against the Schildesche railway viaduct near Bielefeld.

• 1945

  Disbandment

  [1]No. 5 Group RAFen.wikipedia.org

  No. 5 Group RAF was disbanded on 15 December.

• 1943

  Operation Chastise

  [1]No. 5 Group RAFen.wikipedia.org

  No. 617 Squadron attacked the Möhne, Eder and Sorpe dams using Barnes Wallis's bouncing bomb.

• 1943

  Headquarters moves to RAF Swinderby

  [1]No. 5 Group RAFen.wikipedia.org

  Group headquarters moved to Morton Hall at RAF Swinderby in November.

• 1942

  Lancaster conversion

  [1]No. 5 Group RAFen.wikipedia.org

  The group began replacing the Avro Manchester with the four-engined Avro Lancaster.

• 1939

  Entry into the Second World War

  [1]No. 5 Group RAFen.wikipedia.org

  The group began the war with ten squadrons operating Handley Page Hampdens.

• 1937

  Formation and move to Grantham

  [1]No. 5 Group RAFen.wikipedia.org

  No. 5 Group RAF was formed on 1 September at RAF Mildenhall and moved to St Vincents Hall at Grantham in October.

A specialist Bomber Command formation combining large-scale strategic bombing with precision attack, experimental weapons work and independent target-marking techniques.

• Medium bomber

  Handley Page Hampden

  The Hampden was the principal aircraft of the group when war began in 1939. Ten group squadrons operated the type before conversion to newer bombers.

• Heavy bomber

  Avro Manchester

  The Manchester temporarily replaced the Hampden during the winter of 1940–41. Its operational shortcomings and the availability of the Lancaster led to a relatively short period of group service.

• Heavy bomber · 1942

  Avro Lancaster

  The Lancaster became the group's main wartime bomber from 1942 and was used for conventional strategic raids, special missions and the carriage of heavy weapons such as Tallboy and Grand Slam.

• Light bomber and target-marker aircraft

  de Havilland Mosquito

  Mosquitos served in specialist Pathfinder and target-marking roles, supporting the group's effort to improve bombing accuracy and conduct semi-independent operations.

• Specialized aerial bombs

  Tallboy and Grand Slam

  These very large penetration bombs were used against hardened structures, naval targets and major transport infrastructure. Their employment was closely associated with No. 617 Squadron and the group's special-mission role.

• 1945Grand Slam attack on the Schildesche viaduct

  Germany

  Lancasters attacked the strategically important railway viaduct near Bielefeld with Grand Slam bombs.

  Outcome. The operation marked the first operational use of Grand Slam.

  Source
• 1944Tirpitz operations

  Norway

  Group aircraft took part in late-1944 attacks against the German battleship Tirpitz.

  Outcome. The operations contributed to the eventual disabling and destruction of the battleship.

  Source
• 1943Operation Chastise

  Germany

  No. 617 Squadron attacked the Möhne, Edersee and Sorpe dams using specially designed bouncing bombs.

  Outcome. Two dams were breached, making the raid one of the most recognizable special operations of the European air war.

  Source
• 1943Operation Bellicose

  Germany · Italy · Tunisia

  The group conducted a shuttle operation against rocket facilities near Lake Constance and then attacked the naval base at La Spezia via Tunisia.

  Outcome. It is described as the first shuttle raid of the war.

  Source
• 1943Operation Hydra

  Germany

  The group participated in the attack on the German Army research centre at Peenemünde.

  Outcome. The raid formed part of the Allied effort against Germany's long-range weapons research and development.

  Source
• 1942Operation Robinson

  France

  A deep attack by approximately 86 group Lancasters against the Schneider armaments works at Le Creusot and an associated electrical station at Montchanin.

  Outcome. The operation demonstrated the group's ability to conduct long-range attacks without fighter escort.

  Source

• 1943

  Emphasis on specialized precision missionsStrategy

  Background

  The group sought greater accuracy and effectiveness against dams, hardened sites, naval vessels and transport infrastructure.

  Action taken

  It supported specialist units, new target-marking methods, the Stabilizing Automatic Bomb Sight, Tallboy and later Grand Slam.

  Aftermath

  No. 5 Group became particularly associated with precision and special-purpose bombing within Bomber Command.

  Source

• 1942

  Transition to the Avro LancasterGeneration change

  Background

  The group required a more capable four-engined bomber for long-range operations and heavier payloads.

  Action taken

  Squadrons progressively replaced the Avro Manchester with the Avro Lancaster.

  Aftermath

  The Lancaster became the group's dominant aircraft for the remainder of the war.

  Source

1. 1No. 5 Group RAFen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Royal Air Force Historyrafweb.org