352 Squadron
Role: Fighter-Bomber

Volunteer Yugoslav airmen were formed into 352 Sqn RAF at Benina, Libya, on 22 April 1944. 352 Squadron was also known as the First Yugoslav Fighter Squadron. The unit worked up on Hawker Hurricane Mk.IIcs and then converted to the Spitfire Mk.Vc in June. In August it joined No.281 Wing in Italy for operations which consisted of fighter-bomber escort duties and then in fighter-bomber attacks. The squadron operated primarily over Yugoslavia in numerous fighter sweeps. The first combat sortie was flown on 18 August 1944 from Canne airfield in Italy. The island of Vis was used as an advanced base until 1 January 1945 when the squadron's air echelon became permanently based there. The headquarters remained in Italy until it moved to the Yugoslav mainland to join its air echelon in April 1945. 352 Sqn fought until the war in Europe was over, and was then formally transferred to the Yugoslav Air Force at Prkos on 15 June 1945, disbanding as an RAF Squadron. Until the end of the war, the squadron flew 364 combat missions with about 1208 individual sorties. Of the 21 pilots who completed training in Libya, 7 were killed. Enemy Flak was responsible for shooting down 9 aircraft and 4 others were damaged.

Air Bases:

Base	Duration
Benina, Libya	22 April 1944 - 6 May 1944
Lete, ?	6 May 1944 - 9 Aug 1944
Canne, Italy	9 Aug 1944 - 12 April 1945
Vis, Adriatic coast (Det.)	18 Oct 1944 - 1 Jan 1945
Vis, Adriatic coast	25 Jan 1945 - 12 Apr 1945
Prkos, Yugoslavia	12 April 1945 - 15 June 1945

Aircraft Used:

Type	Qty	Service	Badge	Example Serials
Hurricane IIc	5	22 April 1944 - July 1944		KZ449
Spitfire Mk.Vc	18	June 1944 - June 1945		JK544 'M', JK604 'C'
Spitfire Mk.IX	3	1944 - 1945

Unit Insignia:

Figure 1

References:

• The Squadrons of the Royal Air Force (Air-Britain, 1985)

Further information:
Spitfire International (Air-Britain, 2004)
No.352 (Y) R.A.F. Squadron (Tino Jelavic, 2004)