1942–45: RAAF 460 Squadron in Bomber Command (AI Study Guide)
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1942–45: RAAF 460 Squadron in Bomber Command
Overview
This paper examines the service of No. 460 Squadron, Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), in RAF Bomber Command during the Second World War, and its ongoing service in the modern RAAF. 460 Squadron has been selected as an exemplar of the role played by Australian squadrons in the war. It achieved an outstanding operational record while enduring one of the highest casualty rates of any squadron in Bomber Command. Formed in 1941 under Article XV of the Empire Air Training Scheme, it was a RAAF-commanded squadron, retaining Australian identity and leadership, but operating as part of RAF Bomber Command.
Operational realities meant that Australians did not serve exclusively in Australian-designated squadrons; they were spread across RAF units, and conversely, non-Australians served within 460 Squadron. Predominantly Australian in personnel, the squadron nonetheless included British, Canadian, and other Dominion aircrew.
Flying Wellingtons, Halifaxes, and Lancasters, 460 Squadron took part in the heaviest strategic bombing campaigns of the war, including the Ruhr, Hamburg, Berlin, and the preparatory bombardments for D-Day. It suffered over 1,000 fatalities, the highest of any Australian bomber squadron. Today, 460 Squadron continues its legacy as an operational unit of the RAAF, re-formed in 2010 as an intelligence squadron within the Air Warfare Centre.
𝐆𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐬𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐓𝐞𝐫𝐦𝐬
𝟏. Article XV squadron: Dominion-manned unit within RAF structure under Empire Air Training Scheme.
𝟐. Main Force: Bomber Command’s massed night offensive striking strategic industrial targets.
𝟑. Pathfinders: Elite marker force locating and illuminating targets for following bomber streams.
𝟒. Window: Chaff strips confusing radar, degrading enemy night-fighter control and flak accuracy.
𝟓. Transportation Plan: Pre-invasion rail and marshalling yard interdiction degrading German mobility.
𝟔. Berlin campaign: Winter 1943–44 series of deep raids testing endurance, navigation, and tactics.
𝟕. G for George: Iconic 460 Squadron Lancaster W4783 preserved as a national memorial exhibit.
𝟖. Loss rate: Proportion of aircraft failing to return per operation, cumulative attrition indicator.
𝟗. Gee/Oboe/H2S: Radio-navigation and radar aids improving routeing, marking, and bomb-aiming accuracy.
𝟏𝟎. Corkscrew: Violent evasive manoeuvre countering radar-guided night-fighter attacks during interceptions.
𝐊𝐞𝐲 𝐏𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐭𝘴
𝟏. Formation and early raids: Herington charts 460 Squadron’s 1942 operational entry with Wellingtons, integrating into Main Force and absorbing Bomber Command procedures as the air offensive expanded across the Ruhr under tightening German defences and evolving British tactics. Vol. III, Chapter 8
𝟐. Tactics and technique: Experiments in bombing—navigation aids, height discipline, and timing—improved concentration; 460 Squadron benefited from theatre-wide refinements documented by Herington, including aiming-point marking and bomb-load optimisation. Vol. III, Chapter 12
𝟑. Pathfinder influence: Although not a Pathfinder unit, 460 Squadron’s success depended on accurate marking; Herington’s account of early Pathfinder raids explains stream management and marking methods enabling effective mass strikes the squadron exploited. Vol. III, Chapter 17
𝟒. Hamburg firestorm: Herington’s Hamburg chapter situates 460 Squadron within the concentrated series of raids combining Window and weather advantages, demonstrating radar deception, marker precision, and the devastating operational impact on German industry and morale. Vol. III, Chapter 22
𝟓. Berlin campaign endurance: Sustained winter operations imposed extreme strain; Herington details routeing, night-fighter opposition, and cumulative attrition during long-distance raids where 460 Squadron repeatedly penetrated deep defences. Vol. III, Chapter 24
𝟔. Oil and transportation targets: Strategic focus shifted to oil and rail systems; Herington outlines the campaign against synthetic fuel plants and marshalling yards, tasks in which 460 Squadron regularly participated. Vol. IV, Chapter 9
𝟕. Normandy support: Pre- and post-D-Day sorties under the Transportation Plan demanded precision to minimise friendly casualties; Herington records Bomber Command’s coordination with ground commands that framed 460 Squadron’s decisive interdiction efforts. Vol. IV, Chapter 17
𝟖. V-weapon threat: Operations countering long-range missiles required rapid retargeting; Herington shows bombing efforts against launch sites and infrastructure affecting 460 Squadron tasking amid the evolving defensive picture over Europe. Vol. IV, Chapter 8
𝟗. Administrative strain: High loss rates, crew rotation, and aircraft turnover stressed squadron cohesion; Herington’s administrative chapter illuminates manpower, maintenance, and training burdens underpinning sustained sortie generation. Vol. IV, Chapter 12
𝟏𝟎. War’s end and return: Final missions accompanied advancing armies; Herington narrates the closing operations, prisoner-of-war recoveries, and the long route home that framed 460 Squadron’s demobilisation and commemoration. Vol. IV, Chapter 18
𝐀𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐖𝐚𝐫 𝐌𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐜𝐞𝐬
1. Herington. Air War Against Germany and Italy, 1939–1943. Digitised volume record. RCDIG1070211 Australian War Memorial
2. Herington. Chapter 8 – Bomber Command: June 1941 to February 1942. Chapter page. RCDIG1070681 Australian War Memorial
3. Herington. Chapter 24 – Berlin and Other Long–distance Raids. Chapter page. RCDIG1070696 Australian War Memorial
4. Herington. Air Power Over Europe, 1944–1945. Digitised volume record. RCDIG1070212 Australian War Memorial
𝐅𝐮𝐫𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠
𝟏. Herington, 1954, Air War Against Germany and Italy, 1939–1943, Canberra: Australian War Memorial
𝟐. Herington, 1963, Air Power Over Europe, 1944–1945, Canberra: Australian War Memorial
𝟑. Firkins, 2000, Strike and Return: The Unit History of No. 460 Squadron, Perth: Western Australian Museum
𝐍𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐬𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐜𝐞𝐬
• Key points align to Herington’s chapter-level analyses of Bomber Command operations.
• Administrative and campaign evolution are supported by Volume IV’s chapter structure.
• Links resolve to chapter records within the AWM digitised official histories set.