No. 80 Wing RAF

{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2017}} {{Use British English|date=February 2017}} {{infobox military unit |unit_name= No. 80 Wing RAF [[File:Ensign of the Royal Air Force.svg|90px]] |image= |caption= |dates= 1 July 1918–1 March 1919 7 October 1940–24 September 1945 1 August 1953–15 March 1957 |country= United Kingdom |branch= [[Royal Air Force]] |type= |role= Air superiority (WWI) Electronic Countermeasures (WWII) |size= Wing |command_structure= [[No. 100 Group RAF]] (1943–45) |garrison= [[Enquin-les-Mines|Serny]], France (WWI) [[Radlett Aerodrome|RAF Radlett]] (WWII) |garrison_label= |nickname= |patron= |motto= |colors= |colors_label= |march= |mascot= |equipment= |equipment_label= |battles= |anniversaries= |decorations= |battle_honours= |battle_honours_label= |disbanded= |flying_hours= |website=  |commander1= |commander1_label= |commander2= |commander2_label= |commander3= |commander3_label= |notable_commanders= [[Wing Commander (rank)|Wing Commander]] [[Edward Addison]] (1940–43)  |identification_symbol= |identification_symbol_label= |identification_symbol_2= |identification_symbol_2_label=  |aircraft_attack= |aircraft_bomber= }} '''No. 80 Wing RAF''' was a unit of the [[Royal Air Force]] (RAF) during both World Wars and briefly in the 1950s. In the last months of [[World War I]] it controlled RAF and [[Australian Flying Corps]] (AFC) fighter squadrons. It was reformed in 1940 to operate [[electronic countermeasures]] in the [[Battle of the Beams]].

==First World War==

[[File:AWM P02163.016.jpg|280px|thumb|right|A scoreboard listing the claims for aircraft destroyed by No. 80 Wing between July and November 1918.]]

No. 80 Wing was formed at [[Enquin-les-Mines|Serny]], [[Pas-de-Calais]], on 1 July 1918, as an Army Wing of squadrons equipped with [[scout (aircraft)|scout]] (fighter) aircraft.<ref name="air">[http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/browse/r/h/C4090107 Air Ministry, 1938, "80 Wing R.A.F.", ''Air Historical Branch: Papers (Series I)''], AIR 1/1938/204/245/8.</ref><ref name = Wing51>[http://www.rafweb.org/Organsation/Wings2.htm Wings 51–110 at Air of Authority.]</ref> From 26 June, it was commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel [[Louis Strange]].

The wing specialised in large-scale raids against airfields belonging to the Imperial German Air Service (''[[Luftstreitkräfte ]]'').

Its subordinate squadrons were: * [[No. 2 Squadron RAAF|2 Squadron AFC]], [[Australian Flying Corps]] * [[No. 4 Squadron RAAF|4 Squadron AFC]], Australian Flying Corps * [[No. 46 Squadron RAF|46 Squadron RAF]] * [[No. 54 Squadron RAF|54 Squadron RAF]] * [[No. 88 Squadron RAF|88 Squadron RAF]] * [[No. 92 Squadron RAF|92 Squadron RAF]] * [[No. 103 Squadron RAF|103 Squadron RAF]]

No. 80 Wing was disbanded on 1 March 1919.<ref name="air"/><ref name = Wing51/>

==Second World War== [[File:AVM E B Addison AOC 100 Group RAF.jpg|thumb|right|Wing Commander Edward Addison]] In June 1940, a RAF '''Radio Counter-Measures''' (RCM) unit was formed at a requisitioned country hotel, [[Aldenham House|Aldenham Lodge]], in [[Radlett]], [[Hertfordshire]], to provide [[electronic countermeasures]] (ECM) and intelligence on enemy radio/radar systems.<ref name="bbc">[https://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ww2peopleswar/stories/54/a5897154.shtml BBC, 2005, ''The War in 80 (Signals) Wing RAF''] (22 June 2016).</ref> On 7 October, it was renamed '''80 (Signals) Wing''',<ref name = Wing51/> with the motto "Confusion to Our Enemies". 80 Wing worked under the immediate control of the [[Air Ministry]], but kept in close touch with [[RAF Fighter Command]]'s operations room at [[RAF Bentley Priory]].<ref>[http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/UN/UK/UK-Defence-UK/UK-DefenseOfUK-9.html Collier, Chapter IX.]</ref>

The main role of RCM/80 Wing initially was jamming the German radio navigation system ''[[Knickebein]]'', which assisted ''[[Luftwaffe]]'' bombers raiding targets in the UK. Its founding commander was [[Wing Commander (rank)|Wing Commander]] [[Edward Addison]], a signals specialist who had recently returned from the Middle East. The technical design of countermeasures was handled by a section under [[Robert Cockburn (physicist)|Dr Robert Cockburn]] at the [[Telecommunications Research Establishment]] at [[Swanage]], [[Dorset]]. Both organisations were given the highest priority.<ref name = Jones176>Jones, p. 176.</ref>

The first jammers developed at Swanage were simple [[diathermy]] sets to transmit a 'mush' of noise on the ''Knickebein'' frequency. These were quickly superseded by higher powered equipment called '[[Aspirin]]s' (to deal with the ''Knickebein'' beams, which were codenamed 'Headaches').<ref name = Jones176/> ''Knickebein'' was soon superseded by [[Battle_of_the_Beams#X-Ger.C3.A4t|''X-Gerät'']] and [[Battle_of_the_Beams#Y-Gerät|''Y-Gerät'']] directional beams, which in turn were eventually jammed by 80 Wing in the ongoing [[Battle of the Beams]].<ref>Jones, pp. 186–238.</ref><ref>[http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/UN/UK/UK-Defence-UK/UK-DefenseOfUK-17.html Collier, Chapter XVII.]</ref>

On 23/24 April 1942, the ''Luftwaffe'' began a new campaign against the UK (the ''[[Baedeker Blitz]]'' ) with a raid on [[Exeter]], followed by a series of raids on other provincial cities. Scientific intelligence gave about six weeks' warning that these raids would employ ''X-Gerät'' with a new supersonic [[modulation]] frequency. 80 Wing was able to add supersonic modulation to its jammers, but was briefed not to employ this countermeasure until listening stations had confirmed that the ''Luftwaffe'' was indeed using the new technique. Unfortunately, the designers of the listening receivers had overlooked the fact that supersonic reception involves a wider bandwidth than normal in the high frequency circuits of the receivers. Once this was corrected, 80 Wing was able to jam the beam so successfully that the 50 per cent success rate (bombs on target) of the early ''Baedeker'' raids dropped to 13 per cent and the campaign petered out. The [[Air Staff (United Kingdom)|Air Staff]]'s scientific intelligence adviser, Dr [[Reginald Victor Jones|R.V. Jones]], estimated that the delay in allowing 80 Wing to begin jamming cost about 400 lives and another 600 serious injuries, while [[Anti-Aircraft Command]] was forced to redeploy hundreds of guns to cover potential ''Baedeker'' targets.<ref>Jones, pp. 323–6.</ref><ref>Routledge, pp. 402–3.</ref><ref>[http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/UN/UK/UK-Defence-UK/UK-DefenseOfUK-20.html Collier, Chapter XX.]</ref>

By the end of 1942, 80 Wing included a flying unit, known as the Wireless Intelligence and Development Unit (WIDU) at [[RAF Boscombe Down]] in Wiltshire, which was later renamed [[No. 109 Squadron RAF]].<ref name="bbc"/> Among other roles, 109 Sqn simulated enemy air raids, to test ECM equipment.

The headquarters of 80 Wing later moved to the [[Handley-Page]] factory aerodrome at Radlett, also known as [[Radlett Aerodrome|RAF Radlett]]. From November 1943, it became part of [[No. 100 Group RAF]] – a larger formation based at Radlett devoted to ECM and commanded by Addison (by now promoted to [[Air commodore]] and later to [[Air vice-marshal]]).<ref>Jones, p. 588.</ref><ref>Falconer, p. 33.</ref> The wing controlled [[Meacon]] beacons, as well as other countermeasures and radio/radar intelligence work.

The Wing's Meconing capability was developed for overseas operation and two units were active in North Africa in 1943.Towards the end of'43 they transferred to Italy following the allied invasion, the main body of the unit flew to Taranto, while 4 x 60 ft articulated lorries full of operational gear crossed by sea to Naples, then was set up briefly in the Apennines before the unit was called home. Later, in 1944 an 80 Wing unit landed in Normandy a week or more after D-Day and followed the successful invasion force through Northern France into Belgium. Their mission then was to establish radio frequencies it was thought being used to guide German V Flying Bombs and to destroy the signals -- one of various efforts made at the time to counter the V missiles used against Britain and later against targets in France and Belgium.(<ref>WW2 People’s War, BBC Archive,"80Wing and a Radio Ham's Adventures in the Secret War" https://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ww2peopleswar/stories/50/a8415650.shtml </ref>)

At it peak, the wing included 2,000 personnel. It was disbanded on 24 September 1945.<ref name = Wing51/><ref name="bbc"/>

==Postwar== No. 80 Wing RAF was reformed on 1 August 1953 and disbanded on 15 March 1957.<ref name = Wing51/>

==See also== * [[No. 80 Wing RAAF]] – a joint RAAF-RAF fighter wing that saw action in the South West Pacific Area during 1943–45. * [[List of Wings of the Royal Air Force]]

==Notes== {{reflist}}

==References== * [http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/UN/UK/UK-Defence-UK/index.html Basil Collier, ''History of the Second World War, United Kingdom Military Series: The Defence of the United Kingdom'', London: HM Stationery Office, 1957.] * Jonathan Falconer, ''Bomber Command Handbook 1939–1945'', Stroud: Sutton, 1998, {{ISBN|0-7509-1819-5}}. * [[Reginald Victor Jones|R.V. Jones]], ''Most Secret War: British Scientific Intelligence 1939–1945'', London: Hamish Hamilton 1978/Coronet 1979, {{ISBN|0-340-24169-1}}. * Brig N.W. Routledge, ''History of the Royal Regiment of Artillery: Anti-Aircraft Artillery 1914–55'', London: Royal Artillery Institution/Brassey's, 1994, {{ISBN|1-85753-099-3}},

== External links == * [https://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ww2peopleswar/ BBC WW2 People's War] * [http://www.rafweb.org/index.html Air of Authority - A History of RAF Organisation.]

{{DEFAULTSORT:80 Wing RAF}} [[Category:Royal Air Force wings|No. 80]] [[Category:1918 establishments in the United Kingdom]] [[Category:Military units and formations established in 1918]] [[Category:Wings of the Royal Air Force in the Second World War]] [[Category:Military units and formations disestablished in 1957]] [[Category:Telecommunications in World War II]] [[Category:Military units and formations disestablished in 1919]] [[Category:Military units and formations established in 1940]] [[Category:Military units and formations disestablished in 1945]] [[Category:Military units and formations established in 1953]]