No. 82 Squadron RAF was a Royal Air Force squadron that was first formed in 1917 and last disbanded in 1963. It served at times as a bomber unit, a reconnaissance unit and lastly as an Intermediate Range Ballistic Missile unit
No. 82 Squadron was reformed as a light-bomber squadron equipped with the Hawker Hind at RAF Andover on 14 June 1937, re-equipping with Blenheim Mk Is during 1938, and receiving the more advanced Blenheim Mk.IV in August 1938. The squadron started the Second World War flying anti-shipping missions over the North Sea, one of its aircraft sinking the on 11 March 1940 though U-31 was subsequently raised, and returned to service being sunk by a destroyer in November. On 10 May 1940, Germany invaded France and the Low Countries, and 82 Squadron was deployed in attacks against the German forces. On 17 May, 12 Blenheims were sent to attack German forces near Gembloux, Belgium, but the expected escort did not show up, and after one Blenheim was shot by German anti-flak, the remaining aircraft were intercepted by Messerschmitt Bf 109s, with ten more aircraft being shot down. 22 aircrew were killed and 3 taken prisoner. Despite these losses, it continued to fly missions in support of the BEF, and after the evacuation from Dunkirk, against German held airfields and invasion barges in the Channel ports. On 13 August, a raid on an airfield at Aalborg Denmark again suffered catastrophic losses to German fighters, losing eleven out of twelve. From early 1941, the squadron played a prominent part in No. 2 Group's offensive against shipping in the English Channel and North Sea. Losses continued both to fighters and to flak defences. A detachment was sent to Malta in May 1941, with the rest of the Squadron following in June. It flew ships against enemy shipping and ports through into July, but extremely heavy losses lead to it being withdrawn back to the UK at the end of the month, being replaced by 110 Squadron. Once back in the UK, it continued anti-shipping strikes as part of 2 Group.
The squadron left Bomber Command and relocated to RAF Cholavarum, India in early 1942. Re-equipped with Vultee Vengeance dive-bombers the squadron began anti-submarine patrols on 17 November. In June 1943, the squadron began bombing operations against Imperial Japanese targets in Burma from RAF Salbani. it was deployed against the Japanese offensive against Imphal and Kohima. The squadron was re-equipped with Mosquitoes in July 1944, but was temporarily grounded due to failures in the wooden structure before commencing ground attack sorties on 19 December. These operations continued until 12 May 1945, when the squadron was withdrawn to India to prepare for the proposed invasion of Malaya. This operation did not occur due to the end of the war, and the squadron was disbanded on 15 March 1946.
