No. 135 Expeditionary Air Wing

{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2017}} {{Use British English|date=January 2017}} {{Infobox military unit | unit_name = No.135 Expeditionary Air Wing No. 135 Expeditionary Air Wing (Fighter) RAF No. 135 (Fighter) Wing RAF No. 135 Airfield RAF | native_name = | image = | image_size = 150px | alt = | caption = [[Heraldic badges of the Royal Air Force|Wing badge]] | dates = November 1943 - May 1944 May 1944 - December 1947 April 1953 - January 1960 April 2006 - present {{cn|date=October 2021}} | disbanded = | country = United Kingdom | countries = | allegiance = | branch = [[Royal Air Force]] | type = | role = | size = | command_structure = Part of [[RAF Air Command]] | garrison = RAF Leeming | garrison_label = Home station | motto= | colors =  | colors_label =  | march = | mascot = | anniversaries = | equipment = | equipment_label = | battles = | decorations = | battle_honours = | battle_honours_label = | flying_hours =  | current_commander = | commander1 = | commander1_label = | commander2 = | commander2_label = | notable_commanders =  | identification_symbol = | identification_symbol_label = | identification_symbol_2 = | identification_symbol_2_label =  | aircraft_fighter = [[Supermarine Spitfire]] [[Hawker Tempest]] [[Canadair Sabre]] [[Hawker Hunter]] }} '''No. 135 Expeditionary Air Wing''' previously '''No. 135 Wing''' is a wing of the [[Royal Air Force]]. It was stationed at [[RAF Leeming]], controlling the deployable subunits of the base (but not the flying squadrons). It was activated on 1 April 2006 as part of a modernisation package to make the RAF more deployable on an expeditionary basis.

== Second World War ==

; No. 135 Airfield RAF

No. 135 Airfield Headquarters was formed at [[RAF Hornchurch]] within [[No. 20 Wing RAF]] on 15 November 1943 and included [[No. 66 Squadron RAF]], [[No. 129 Squadron RAF]] and [[350th Squadron (Belgium)|No. 350 (Belgian) Squadron RAF]] flying [[Supermarine Spitfire]]s. The unit moved to [[RAF Matching Green]] during February 1944 and joined [[No. 23 Wing RAF]] during March 1944, moving to [[RAF Hornchurch]] shortly afterwards. The unit moved to [[RAF Selsey]] on 11 April 1944 and was transferred to [[No. 19 Wing RAF]], then it was moved to [[RAF Chailey]] on 1 May 1944 and was renamed to No. 135 (Fighter) Wing RAF on 12 May 1944.{{sfn|Sturtivant|Hamlin|2007|p=46}}

; No. 135 (Fighter) Wing RAF

The wing was formed at RAF Selsey on 12 May 1944 within [[No. 18 Sector RAF]], [[No. 84 Group RAF]], 2nd TAF with [[No. 222 Squadron RAF|222]], [[349th Squadron (Belgium)|349 (Belgian)]] and [[No. 485 Squadron RNZAF]] Squadrons with the Spitfire IX moving to [[RAF Coolham]] on 30 June 1944 then to [[RAF Funtington]] on 4 July 1944. The wing moved to Selsey on 6 August, before moving to [[RAF Tangmere]] on 19 August and to France on 23 August 1944.{{sfn|Sturtivant|Hamlin|2007|p=295}}<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://niehorster.org/017_britain/44-06-06_Neptune/Air/z-air_Sector-18.htm|title=No. 18 (Fighter) Sector, RAF, 06.06.1944|website=niehorster.org}}</ref> The wing was part of No. 18 Fighter Sector of three wings with its headquarters in turn at [[RAF Chailey]] nearby.<ref>Ken Delve, ''D-Day: The Air Battle'', London: Arms & Armour Press, 1994, {{ISBN|1-85409-227-8}}.</ref><ref name = EllisNorm>Ellis, ''Normandy'', Appendix VI: 'Allied Air Forces'.</ref> From September 1944 until May 1945, still with 84 Group, moving forward in North West Europe, it included [[No. 33 Squadron RAF|33]], 222, [[No. 274 Squadron RAF|274]] (Typhoon) and 349 (Belgian) Squadrons with Spitfires.<ref name = EllisGerm>Ellis, ''Germany'', 'Appendix V: The Allied Air Forces'.</ref>

The wing was equipped with [[Hawker Tempest]]s by the time the Allied forces were reaching the German borders in 1945. Tempests scored several kills against the new German jets, including the [[Messerschmitt Me 262]]. Hubert Lange, a Me 262 pilot, said: "the Messerschmitt Me 262's most dangerous opponent was the British Hawker Tempest—extremely fast at low altitudes, highly manoeuvrable and heavily armed."<ref>[http://www.hawkertempest.se/ "Hawker Tempest."] ''hawkertempest.se.'' Retrieved: 1 January 2012.</ref> Some were destroyed with a tactic known to the Tempest-equipped No. 135 Wing as the "Rat Scramble":<ref>Clostermann 1953, p. 181.</ref>

Tempests on immediate alert took off when an Me 262 was reported airborne. They did not intercept the jet, but instead flew towards the Me 262 and [[Arado Ar 234]] base at [[Rheine-Hopsten Air Base|Hopsten air base]].<ref>[http://www.etnp.de/Seite2%20Geschichte/Seite%202%20-%20Geschichte.htm "Die Geschichte des Fliegerhorstes"] ''etnp.de.'' Retrieved: 7 July 2016</ref> (which also hosted Bf 109 and Fw 190-day fighters and [[Messerschmitt Bf 110]] and [[Heinkel He 219]] night fighters). The aim was to attack jets on their landing approach, when they were at their most vulnerable, travelling slowly, with flaps down and incapable of rapid acceleration. The German response was the construction of a "flak lane" of over 150 emplacements of the [[2 cm Flak 30/38/Flakvierling#2 cm Flakvierling 38|20 mm ''Flakvierling'']] quadruple [[autocannon]] batteries at Rheine-Hopsten to protect the approaches.<ref>[http://www.etnp.de/Seite46-Geschichte-UK/Seite46-Geschichte-UK.htm "The "Westfalen-Wing" in Rheine-Hopsten Air Base."] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131015073046/http://www.etnp.de/Seite46-Geschichte-UK/Seite46-Geschichte-UK.htm |date=15 October 2013 }} ''etnep.de.'' Retrieved: 1 January 2012.</ref> As well as the anti-aircraft guns, several piston-engine fighter units based in the area were tasked to cover the jets as they landed. After seven Tempests were lost to flak at Hopsten in a week, the "Rat Scramble" was discontinued.<ref>Thomas and Shores 1988, p. 129.</ref>

After the war the wing also existed from 1 April 1953 to 1 January 1960 as a fighter wing<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rafweb.org/Organsation/Wings3.htm|title=Wing Nos 111 - 192|publisher=Air of Authority; A history of the RAF|access-date=16 October 2021}}</ref> based at [[RAF Bruggen]] still as part of the 2nd TAF. It consisted on [[No. 67 Squadron RAF]], [[No. 71 Squadron RAF]], [[No. 112 Squadron RAF]] & [[No. 130 Squadron RAF]] operating [[Canadair Sabre]] F.4's and [[Hawker Hunter]]s before disbanding on 1 January 1960.{{sfn|Sturtivant|Hamlin|2007|p=296}}

== Twenty-first century == The wing was reformed at [[RAF Leeming]] in 2006, and has carried out several operational activities since: * Deployed to [[Šiauliai International Airport|Šiauliai]], Lithuania from April to September 2014 for Operation Azotize ([[Baltic Air Policing]]) with Eurofighter Typhoon FGR4<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.raf.mod.uk/news/archive/core-business-for-135-expeditionary-air-wing-03062014|title=Core Business for 135 Expeditionary Air Wing|date=|website=www.raf.mod.uk|publisher=|access-date=29 December 2016}}</ref> * For Exercise Agile Eagle the unit was trained at a specially designed at Leeming.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.raf.mod.uk/news/articles/news-archive/practise-makes-perfect-during-exercise-agile-eagle-16-4/|title=Practise makes perfect during Exercise Agile Eagle 16-4|publisher=RAF|access-date=16 March 2024}}</ref> * For Exercise 'Griffin Strike 2016' in April 2016, No. 135 EAW became the combined French-British No. 135 Combined Expeditionary Air Wing.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.raf.mod.uk/news/archive/raf-and-french-air-force-celebrate-strategic-alliance-21042016|title=Royal Air Force – News by Date|website=www.raf.mod.uk|access-date=1 February 2018}}</ref> * Deployed to [[Mihail Kogălniceanu Air Base|Mihail Kogalniceanu airbase]] near [[Constanța]], Romania from April to August 2017 under Operation Biloxi with four Typhoon FGR4s of [[No. 3 Squadron RAF|No. 3 (Fighter) Squadron]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.raf.mod.uk/news/archive/raf-typhoons-hand-over-nato-romania-duties-to-canada-29082017|title=RAF Typhoons hand over NATO Romania duties to Canada |last=|first=|date=29 August 2017|website=Royal Air Force |language=en |access-date=29 August 2017}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ac.nato.int/archive/2017/british-typhoon-arrive-in-romania-for-nato-enhanced-air-policing|title= British Typhoon jets arrive in Romania for NATO enhanced Air Policing|last=|first=|date=25 April 2017|website=NATO Allied Air Command |access-date=19 July 2017}}</ref> *Deployed to Mihail Kogalniceanu airbase near Constanta, Romania in April 2018 under Operation Biloxi with four Typhoon FGR4s of [[No. 1 Squadron RAF|No. 1 (Fighter) Squadron]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.raf.mod.uk/news/articles/raf-typhoon-scramble-intercepts-russian-aircraft-over-the-romanian-black-sea/|title=RAF Typhoon scramble intercepts Russian aircraft over the Romanian Black Sea {{!}} Royal Air Force |website=www.raf.mod.uk|language=en-gb|access-date=2018-07-28}}</ref> and [[No. 2 Squadron RAF |No. II (Army Cooperation) Squadron]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.raf.mod.uk/news/articles/raf-typhoons-return-to-romania-to-resume-nato-black-sea-mission/|title=RAF Typhoons return to Romania to resume NATO Black Sea Mission |website=www.raf.mod.uk|language=en-gb|access-date=2018-07-22}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.raf.mod.uk/news/articles/members-of-parliament-visit-raf-personnel-on-enhanced-air-policing-mission-operation-biloxi/|title=Members of Parliament visit RAF personnel on Enhanced Air Policing mission, Operation Biloxi |website=www.raf.mod.uk|language=en-gb|access-date=2018-07-22}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.raf.mod.uk/news/articles/raf-typhoons-scramble-over-the-black-sea/|title=RAF Typhoons scramble over the Black Sea {{!}} Royal Air Force |website=www.raf.mod.uk|language=en-gb|access-date=2018-07-22}}</ref> *Deployed to Šiauliai, Lithuania from April to September 2019 for Operation Azotize with Typhoon FGR4 of [[No. 6 Squadron RAF|No. 6 Squadron]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.raf.mod.uk/|title=Royal Air Force |website=Royal Air Force|language=en-gb |access-date=2020-04-28}}</ref> *Deployed to Šiauliai, Lithuania from April to September 2020 for Operation Azotize with Typhoon FGR4 of [[No. 6 Squadron RAF|No. 6 Squadron]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.raf.mod.uk/news/articles/the-royal-air-force-complete-this-years-nato-air-policing-mission/|title=The Royal Air Force Complete This Years NATO Air Policing Mission|publisher=RAF|access-date=16 March 2024}}</ref>

==References== {{Reflist}}

;Bibliography *{{cite book |last1=Sturtivant|first1=R.|last2=Hamlin|first2=J.|title=Royal Air Force flying training and support units since 1912 |year=2007 |publisher= Air-Britain (Historians)|location= UK|isbn=978-0851-3036-59}}

[[Category:Royal Air Force wings|E 135]] [[Category:Military units and formations established in 2006]]