North Africa Moquito Squadrons

[barisaxman]

I have a old school friend who's late father was a navigator in Mosquitos and he mentioned that he thought he was posted to Africa, I presume North Africa in 1943. Has anyone got any info of which squadrons, if any were operational at that time? Any idea which colour scheme they would adopt? Better still any photos.... Thanks.

 

[Stefaan]

60 sqdn SAAF.
You can just google them as the colours varied between different a/c.

 

[Wurger]

IMHO he meant the RAF squadrons.

 

[barisaxman]

Yes, I did mean RAF squadrons, if there were any using Moquitos in NA. I believe my friend is investigating himself his late fathers military service but all he knows he was a navigator on Mosquitos and served in Africa, which I presumed to be North Africa. He and I may be wrong.

 

[Wurger]

It seems that in 1943 most of Mosquitos based on Malta. There were no. 23 and no. 256 squadrons participated in missions over Italy, Sicily and North Africa. In April 1944 No.256 was moved to Algeria. Of course there could be the recce Mosquito squadrons based in Egipt. But I'm not sure fully.
Regarding the camo.. The camo pattern for DH-98s in that time was the Medium Sea Grey overall with Dark Green patches on tops. However the no. 23 Squadron used the Night ( black ) colour for undersides and sides. The tops were of the DG/MSG.
Another camo pattern that could still be found was the Dark Green/Ocean Grey on tops and MSG on undersides. The code letters were of the dull red. The recce Mosquitos were of the PRU Blue overally.

Below a couple of pics of the no. 23 Squadron I found via the net. All of them were taken while operating from the Malta 1942/1943.

the pic source: YP-D

 

[barisaxman]

Thanks for that. I think until my mate has done his research into his late fathers postings we will not know where he was. I always believed that the "Mossie" only had the camo schemes we all know about but, when my mate mentioned Africa I immediately thought of the Africa/Malta colour schemes. Something I have never seen unless someone knows different. Mind you. a Mosquito in mid stone/dark earth/ grey or azure would look good!

 

[Wurger]

Yep.. the desert camo scheme would be interesting. To be honest I have never seen a Mossie painted in that way and used in the North Africa. Even these used by the USAAF retained the RAF camouflage used for the ETO.

 

[fubar57]

Slooooowly going through all the Mossie squadrons and where they served and when........

 

[fubar57]

256 Squadron: Codes - JT. Command Assignment - Italy/Mediterranean. Aircraft: NF.XII, 4-'43--8-'43, NF.XIII, 11-'43--8-'45.

 

[Crimea_River]

Doubtful you will find a Mossie with desert camo. Would be news to me but I sure don't know everything.

 

[Airframes]

The Mosquito NFXII was also used by 46 Sqn, replacing their Beaufighters, from July/August 1944 until December 1944.
Based at Idku, Egypt, the Squadron also had detachments in Libya and Palestine, and on Cyprus, returning to the UK at the end of December 1944.
I'd need to check, but I believe, from memory, the aircraft were 'inherited' from 256 Sqn.
The colour scheme was the same as that shown in the pics in the previous posts, being the 'standard' night intruder scheme, with Medium Sea Grey and Dark Green on upper surfaces, with the undersides over-painted in 'Night' (black).
The pic below shows the model I built for 46 Squadron Association.

 

[michael rauls]

Doubtful you will find a Mossie with desert camo. Would be news to me but I sure don't know everything.

I don't think I've ever seen one either but it sure would look good though.

 

[ClayO]

The Mosquito NFXII was also used by 46 Sqn, replacing their Beaufighters, from July/August 1944 until December 1944.
Based at Idku, Egypt, the Squadron also had detachments in Libya and Palestine, and on Cyprus, returning to the UK at the end of December 1944.
I'd need to check, but I believe, from memory, the aircraft were 'inherited' from 256 Sqn.
The colour scheme was the same as that shown in the pics in the previous posts, being the 'standard' night intruder scheme, with Medium Sea Grey and Dark Green on upper surfaces, with the undersides over-painted in 'Night' (black).
The pic below shows the model I built for 46 Squadron Association.


View attachment 561544

Beautiful model. That's excellent work. As a side note, I've always associated the radar receiving antennas on the wingtips with the Mk.IV radar, not the Mk.X that would have been used in 1944. Am I wrong about that, or were those antennas used for something else?

 

[Airframes]

Thanks very much.
The wing antennae are the azimuth aerials for the A.I. Mk.X., with the scanning dish in the 'thimble' nose.
The A.I. Mk.IV used the twin di-pole azimuth antenna on the leading edge of both wings, as shown on one of the other models I did for 46 Sqn, this Beaufighter, in 1/32nd scale, also based at Idku, before the squadron converted to the Mosquito.

 

[ClayO]

Thanks very much.
The wing antennae are the azimuth aerials for the A.I. Mk.X., with the scanning dish in the 'thimble' nose.
The A.I. Mk.IV used the twin di-pole azimuth antenna on the leading edge of both wings, as shown on one of the other models I did for 46 Sqn, this Beaufighter, in 1/32nd scale, also based at Idku, before the squadron converted to the Mosquito.


View attachment 562097

Interesting. I'll have to look more into how that radar worked.

BTW, I'll pass on kudos from my dad, who would have loved those models, especially the worn paint on the wing leading edges, cowl flaps, etc. They look like they're ready to fly another mission.

 

[Airframes]

Thanks.