# No. 341 Squadron RAF

> Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/No._341_Squadron_RAF
> Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/No._341_Squadron_RAF.md
> Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._341_Squadron_RAF
> Source revision: 1314129164
> License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)

This article needs more citations. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "No. 341 Squadron RAF" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (February 2013) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

No. 341 (GC III/2 'Alsace') Squadron RAF Active 15 January 1943 – 27 November 1945 Country United Kingdom Allegiance Free French Forces Branch Royal Air Force Part of RAF Fighter Command Nickname GC III/2 'Alsace' Motto Friendship Insignia Squadron Badge heraldry On a hand three crowns of Alsace The unit was named Groupe de Chasse Alsace and the three crowns symbolise liberty[1] Squadron code NL (Jan 1943 – Nov 1945)

Military unit

The **No. 341 Squadron** also known in French as *Groupe de Chasse n° 3/2 "Alsace"*, was a [Free French](/source/Free_French) [squadron](/source/Squadron_(aviation)) in the [RAF](/source/RAF) during [World War II](/source/World_War_II).

## History

No. 341 Squadron was formed on 15 January 1943[2] at [RAF Turnhouse](/source/RAF_Turnhouse), with personnel from the Free French Air Forces (*[Forces aériennes françaises libres](/source/History_of_the_Arm%C3%A9e_de_l'Air_(1940-1945))*). Pilots included veterans of the Free French Flight No.2 (FF Fighter Flt.) and of the Première Escadrille de Chasse (E.F.C. 1)). They had fought in the Western Desert alongside RAF fighter squadrons, such as No. 33 and No. 73 squadrons, and had been awarded the [Ordre de la Libération](/source/Ordre_de_la_Lib%C3%A9ration) on 21 June 1941.

The squadron was equipped with [Spitfire VBs](/source/Supermarine_Spitfire_variants), its first commander being [Squadron Leader](/source/Squadron_Leader) [René Mouchotte](/source/Ren%C3%A9_Mouchotte). The squadron moved to [RAF Biggin Hill](/source/RAF_Biggin_Hill) on 21 March 1943 and, re-equipped with [Supermarine Spitfire L.F Mk.IXs](/source/Supermarine_Spitfire_variants), began to take part in sweeps over France. The squadron moved to [Cornwall](/source/Cornwall) on 11 October 1943 for similar operations over [Brittany](/source/Brittany), returning to [RAF Merston](/source/RAF_Merston) on 14 April 1944 to join No. 145 Wing. [Pierre Clostermann](/source/Pierre_Clostermann) experienced his first aerial combat as a wingman of Sqn Ldr Mouchotte.

After covering the Allied landings in France in June 1944, No. 341 Squadron moved from [Tangmere](/source/RAF_Tangmere) to [Sommervieu](/source/Sommervieu) (B8 airfield) in [Normandy](/source/Normandy) on 19 August and arrived in [Belgium](/source/Belgium) in September. Armed [reconnaissance](/source/Reconnaissance) sweeps over Germany were directed mainly at enemy communications for the rest of the war, apart from a month at [Turnhouse](/source/Turnhouse) during February 1945 to equip with the Spitfire Mark XVI. On 28 May 1945 the squadron was presented with the [Ordre de la Libération](/source/Ordre_de_la_Lib%C3%A9ration) (Cross of Liberation).

On 27 November 1945,[3] the squadron gave up its aircraft on transfer to [Friedrichshafen](/source/Friedrichshafen) and on the following day passed to the control of the [Armée de l'Air](/source/Arm%C3%A9e_de_l'Air). During the war the Squadron flew 5,469 operations, claiming some 30 aircraft shot down, and losing 21 pilots killed and 6 taken prisoner.

## See also

- [Free French Flight](/source/Free_French_Flight)

- [List of RAF squadrons](/source/List_of_RAF_squadrons)

## References

### Notes

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** Rawlings 1978, p. 413.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** Halley 1988, p.377.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** Rawlings 1978, p. 414.

### Bibliography

- Halley, James J. *The Squadrons of the Royal Air Force & Commonwealth 1918–1988*. Tonbridge, Kent, UK: Air Britain (Historians) Ltd., 1988. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0-85130-164-9](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-85130-164-9).

- Jefford, C.G. *RAF Squadrons, a Comprehensive record of the Movement and Equipment of all RAF Squadrons and their Antecedents since 1912*. Shrewsbury, Shropshire, UK: Airlife Publishing, 1988 (second edition 2001). [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [1-85310-053-6](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/1-85310-053-6).

- Rawlings, John D.R. *Fighter Squadrons of the RAF and their Aircraft*. London: Macdonald and Jane's (Publishers) Ltd., 1969 (2nd edition 1976). [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0-354-01028-X](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-354-01028-X).

## External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to [No. 341 (Free French) Squadron RAF](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:No._341_(Free_French)_Squadron_RAF).

- [Squadron histories for nos. 310–347 sqn on RAFweb](https://web.archive.org/web/20090301202258/http://rafweb.org/Sqn310-347.htm#326)

- [Squadron histories for nos. 341 sqn at Royal Air Force website](https://web.archive.org/web/20160406021427/http://www.raf.mod.uk/history/341squadron.cfm)

v t e Royal Air Force flying squadrons Currently active 1 2 3 4 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 16 17 18 19 20 22 24 25 27 28 29 30 31 32 41 42 45 51 54 56 57 60 70 72 78 80 84 92 99 101 115 120 201 202 203 206 207 216 617 Inactive 5 15 21 23 26 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 43 44 46 47 48 49 50 52 53 55 58 59 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 71 73 74 75 76 77 79 81 82 83 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 93 94 95 96 97 98 100 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 116 117 118 119 121 122 123 124 125 126 127 128 129 130 131 132 133 134 135 136 137 138 139 140 141 142 143 144 145 146 147 148 149 150 151 152 153 154 155 156 157 158 159 160 161 162 163 164 165 166 167 168 169 170 171 172 173 174 175 176 177 178 179 180 181 182 183 184 185 186 187 188 189 190 191 192 193 194 195 196 197 198 199 200 204 205 208 209 210 211 212 213 214 215 217 218 219 220 221 222 223 224 225 226 227 228 229 230 231 232 233 234 235 236 237 238 239 240 241 242 243 244 245 246 247 248 249 250 251 252 253 254 255 256 257 258 259 260 261 262 263 264 265 266 267 268 269 270 271 272 273 274 275 276 277 278 279 280 281 282 283 284 285 286 287 288 289 290 291 292 293 294 295 296 297 298 299 353 354 355 356 357 358 360 361 510 511 512 513 514 515 516 517 518 519 520 521 524 525 526 527 528 529 530 531 532 533 534 535 536 537 538 539 540 541 542 543 544 547 548 549 550 567 569 570 571 575 576 577 578 582 586 587 595 597 598 618 619 620 621 623 624 625 626 627 628 629 630 631 635 639 640 644 650 651 652 653 654 655 656 657 658 659 660 661 662 663 664 665 666 667 668 669 670 671 672 673 679 680 681 682 683 684 691 692 695 Australian Flying Corps units attached to the RAF during the First World War 67 (1 Sqn AFC) 68 (2 Sqn AFC) 69 (3 Sqn AFC) 71 (4 Sqn AFC) Article XV (Commonwealth) air force units attached to the RAF during the Second World War Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) 400 401 402 403 404 405 406 407 408 409 410 411 412 413 414 415 416 417 418 419 420 421 422 423 424 425 426 427 428 429 430 431 432 433 434 435 436 437 438 439 440 441 442 443 Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) 450 451 452 453 454 455 456 457 458 459 460 461 462 463 464 466 467 Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) 485 486 487 488 489 490 Squadrons formed from non-Commonwealth personnel during the Second World War Argentine 164 Belgian 349 350 Czechoslovak 310 311 312 313 Dutch 320 (Netherlands) 321 (Netherlands) 322 (Dutch) French 326 327 328 329 340 341 342 343 344 345 346 347 Greek 13 335 336 Norwegian 330 331 332 333 334 Polish 300 301 302 303 304 305 306 307 308 309 315 316 317 318 663 United States 71 121 133 Yugoslav 351 352 Royal Auxiliary Air Force Special Reserve 500 501 502 503 504 Auxiliary Air Force 600 601 602 603 604 605 606 607 608 609 610 611 612 613 614 615 616 622 Fleet Air Arm of the RAF (1924–1939) 712 715 718 800 801 802 803 810 811 812 813 814 820 821 822 823 824 825 Volunteer Gliding Squadrons (VGS) Current 611 615 621 622 626 631 632 637 644 645 661 Former 612 613 614 616 617 618 623 624 625 633 634 635 636 642 643 662 663 664

v t e Royal Air Force Formations and units Units Commands Groups Wings Squadrons Flights Conversion units Operational Training units Schools / Training units Ferry units Glider units Misc units Stations Active Former Satellite Landing Grounds Station description Regiment Wings Squadrons Flights Branches and components Air Force Board RAF Regiment RAF Chaplains Branch RAF Intelligence RAF Legal Branch RAF Medical Services Princess Mary's RAF Nursing Service RAF Police RAF ground trades RAF Music Services RAF Search and Rescue Force RAF Mountain Rescue Service RAF Marine Branch RAF Air Cadets Operations Reserve forces Royal Auxiliary Air Force RAF Volunteer Reserve Equipment List of RAF aircraft current future List of RAF missiles List of equipment of the RAF Regiment Personnel Officer ranks Other ranks List of notable personnel List of serving senior officers Personnel numbers Appointments Chief of Air Staff Assistant Chief of the Air Staff Air Member for Personnel Air Secretary Air Member for Materiel Commandant-General of the RAF Regiment Warrant Officer of the RAF Symbols and uniform Badge Ensign Heraldic badges Roundels Squadron standards and battle honours Uniform Associated civil organisations Air Training Corps Combined Cadet Force (RAF section) RAF Association RAF Centre of Aviation Medicine RAF Benevolent Fund RAF Football Association RAF Museum History Timeline Future

Authority control databases VIAF

---
Adapted from the Wikipedia article [No. 341 Squadron RAF](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._341_Squadron_RAF) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._341_Squadron_RAF?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.