No. 11 Squadron RAAF

No.11 Squadron RAAF
Squadron crest
Active	September 1939–current
Country	Australia
Branch	Royal Australian Air Force
Role	Maritime patrol
Part of	No. 92 Wing RAAF
Current base	RAAF Base Edinburgh
Motto	"Shepherd or Destroy"
Insignia
Callsign	Shepherd
Aircraft flown
Patrol	AP-3C Orion

No. 11 Squadron is a Royal Australian Air Force maritime patrol squadron based at RAAF Base Edinburgh. It was formed in 1939 and has seen active service in World War II, East Timor, the War on Terrorism and the 2003 Gulf War. The Squadron became known to the public through its participation in the Great Southern Ocean rescues of wrecked sailors such as Tony Bullimore and Isabelle Autissier.

History

Second World War

No. 11 Squadron was established on 25 September 1939 at RAAF Base Richmond.^[1] It deployed to Port Moresby in New Guinea later that year where it monitored Japanese shipping movements in the region. The Squadron was re-equipped with Catalina aircraft in 1941. Upon the outbreak of war with Japan, No. 11 Squadron began flying patrol missions across the South West Pacific area. While the Squadron was withdrawn to RAAF Base Rathmines on Lake Macquarie in New South Wales following the Japanese air attacks on Port Moresby in February 1942, it continued to carry out patrols in the waters around New Guinea.

No. 11 Squadron Catalina being beached for maintenance in 1943

In early March 1943 aircraft from No. 11 Squadron took part in the surveillance of the Japanese convoy which was destroyed in the Battle of the Bismarck Sea. In 1943 No. 11 Squadron began conducting offensive mine-laying operations, which it continued until the end of the war. The Squadron's most notable achievement in this role was the mining of Manila harbour in late 1944, which required three aircraft to fly over 14,500 kilometres in the RAAF's longest mission of the war.

An incident in which a US Navy Wildcat mistook a No. 11 Squadron Catalina for a Japanese aircraft resulted in the adoption of what became the modern RAAF Roundel. At the time RAAF aircraft were using the RAF roundel and the USN aircraft mistook this for the Japanese red circular aircraft marking. This incident led to the removal of the red from the centre of the roundel which remained as the standard RAAF roundel in the Pacific for the remainder of the war. Post war the standard RAF roundel was reinstated, while the current roundel consisting of the blue outer ring surrounding a red kangaroo in motion was adopted in July 1956.

Post-war

No. 11 Squadron was disbanded in 1946, re-forming at RAAF Base Pearce in 1948. Operating modified Lincoln heavy bombers, the Squadron conducted patrols over the Indian Ocean. It was re-equipped with Lockheed P-2 Neptune aircraft in 1951 and relocated to RAAF Base Richmond in May 1954.^[1]

In February 1968,^[1] No. 11 Squadron moved to RAAF Base Edinburgh where it re-equipped with P-3B Orion aircraft. These were replaced with P-3Cs in 1986. No. 11 Squadron continues to operate in the maritime patrol and surveillance roles and has been involved in Operation Catalyst since 2001.

Aircraft operated

P-3W of No. 11 Squadron in 1990

• Short Empire (1939–1941)
• Supermarine Seagull (1939–1941)
• Consolidated Catalina (1941–1946)
• Avro Lincoln (1948–1951)
• Lockheed P2V-7S Neptune (1951–1968)
• Lockheed P-3B Orion (1968–1986)
• Lockheed P-3C Orion (1986– )

Notes

1. ^ ^{a b c} Roylance, Air Base Richmond, p.125

References

• RAAF Museum [1]
• 11 Squadron Official Website
• Roylance, Derek (1991). Air Base Richmond. RAAF Base Richmond: Royal Australian Air Force. ISBN 0-646-05212-8.