416 Tactical Fighter Squadron

416 Tactical Fighter Squadron
Active	November 18, 1941–July 6, 2006
Country	Canada
Branch	Royal Canadian Air Force
Type	Aviation squadron
Size	Squadron
Motto	Ad Saltum paratus (Ready for the leap)
Battle honours	Defence of Britain 1942-44; English Channel and North Sea 1943; Fortress Europe 1942-44; Dieppe; France and Germany 1944-45; Normandy 1944; Arnhem; Rhine; Gulf and Kuwait.
Aircraft flown
Fighter	CF-18 Hornet

416 "City of Oshawa" Tactical Fighter Squadron (416 TFS) was a unit of the Canadian Forces under Royal Canadian Air Force. The squadron operated the CF-18 Hornet fighter jet from CFB Cold Lake in Alberta, Canada. In 2006, 416 TFS stood down and was amalgamated with 441 Tactical Fighter Squadron to form 409 Tactical Fighter Squadron.

The unit was originally formed during the Second World War as a unit of the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF).

History

No. 416 Squadron RCAF was formed at RAF Peterhead, Aberdeenshire, Scotland in 1941 as a fighter squadron for service during the Second World War and was based at various RAF stations in Scotland, England and continental Europe. The squadron was disbanded in March 1946.

Sabre Mk 5 of No. 416 Squadron at Grostenquin, 1953

The squadron was reformed in 1952 at RCAF Uplands in Ottawa, Ontario for operations in Europe as part of Canada's Cold War presence. The squadron was located at Grostenquin, France. By 1957, the squadron was relocated to Canada at RCAF St Hubert near Montreal, PQ as an air defence squadron flying Avro Canada CF-100 all weather fighters. In 1962, the CF-100s were replaced with CF-101 Voodoo interceptors, which continued to fly with 416 Squadron until the end of 1984. 416 Squadron thus became the world's last front-line unit flying Voodoos.

In 1988 the squadron relocated to CFB Cold Lake as a Tactical Fighter Squadron flying CF-188s, and later merged with 441 Tactical Fighter Squadron to reform 409 Tactical Fighter Squadron in 2006.

The squadron's nickname was City of Oshawa, Lynx.

Battle honours

• Defence of Britain 1942-44
• English Channel and North Sea 1943
• Fortress Europe 1942-44
• Dieppe
• France and Germany 1944-45
• Normandy 1944
• Arnhem
• Rhine
• Gulf and Kuwait

Aircraft

• Supermarine Spitfire
• North American P-51 Mustang
• Canadair T-33
• Canadair Sabre (Mk.2, Mk.5 and Mk.6)
• Avro Canada CF-100 Avro Canada CF-100
• McDonnell Douglas CF-101 Voodoo
• McDonnell Douglas CF-18 Hornet

References

Notes

Bibliography

• Hitchens, F.H.; Hovey, H. Richard; Schmidt, Don; McNamaee, Harold (eds). 416 Squadron: Complete History 416 Squadron. Ottawa, Canada: Graphic Arts, 1974. (Limited edition of 300 books). Republished by Hangar Bookshelf (1987).
• Johnson, Rick with Hitchens, F.H.; Hovey, H. Richard; Schmidt, Don; McNamaee, Harold. 416 Squadron History. Belleville, Ontario, Canada: The Hangar Bookshelf, 1984. ISBN 0-920492-00-2. (republished 1987, ISBN 0-920492-00-4)

External links

• DND - History of 416 Squadron
• History of 416 Squadron
• 416 Squadron bases 1939 - 1945