Country United Kingdom | Branch Royal Air Force | |
Active 8 Sep 1942 – 25 Jan 1943 Role Turbinlite nightfighter squadron Part of No. 10 Group RAF, Fighter Command | ||
No. 533 Squadron RAF was one of the ten Turbinlite nightfighter squadrons of the Royal Air Force during the Second World War.
History
No. 533 Squadron was formed at RAF Charmy Down, Somerset on 8 September 1942, from No. 1454 (Turbinlite) Flight, as part of No. 10 Group RAF in Fighter Command. Instead of operating only Turbinlite and -rudimentary- Airborne Intercept (AI) radar equipped aircraft (Havocs and Bostons) and working together with a normal nightfighter unit, such as in their case with the Hawker Hurricanes of No. 87 Squadron RAF in the Flight, the unit now also flew with their own Hurricanes. It was disbanded at Charmy Down on 25 January 1943, when Turbinlite squadrons were, due to lack of success on their part and the rapid development of AI radar, thought to be superfluous.