140 Squadron RAF Mosquito Operations

The following table is derived from the Operational Record Book for140 Squadron, Royal Air Force. The operational sorties span the period November 1943 through May1945. A total of 1152 day operations and 663 night operations are recorded. The table is ordered by total number of operations. It would appear that five aircraft carried out at least as many operations, (69), as LR422 with 540 Squadron, described by Sharp & Bowyer, [C. Martin Sharp & Michael J.F. Bowyer, Mosquito, Faber & Faber Ltd., London, 1971], as the most effective photo reconnaissance Mosquito. Perhaps a comparison of flying hours would be interesting? [Note: Aircraft serials shown in bold crashed or were shot down].

 Serial

Mk

Hours

Ops

MM251

IX

234

106

MM305

XVI

141

76

MM301

XVI

167

73

MM304

XVI

128

70

MM280

XVI

148

69

MM302

XVI

142

64

MM284

XVI

155

61

MM278

XVI

102

60

MM243

IX

125

57

MM282

XVI

103

57

MM249

IX

111

53

MM250

IX

104

51

MM281

XVI

93

51

MM395

XVI

113

51

MM279

XVI

91

49

NS517

XVI

96

47

NS562

XVI

84

45

LR479

IX

76

42

MM306

XVI

93

42

MM349

XVI

90

41

MM394

XVI

94

41

MM274

XVI

76

38

NS563

XVI

74

38

NS507

XVI

54

34

NS580

XVI

57

34

NS506

XVI

51

33

NS575

XVI

61

32

MM312

XVI

65

31

NS579

XVI

50

30

MM275

XVI

73

28

NS572

XVI

48

28

NS578

XVI

57

28

MM298

XVI

51

27

NS576

XVI

42

26

NS777

XVI

64

26

NS523

XVI

58

24

MM258

XVI

31

22

NS567

XVI

26

17

NS801

XVI

47

17

MM356

XVI

32

16

NS522

XVI

27

12

NS574

XVI

25

12

NS790

XVI

28

12

NS564

XVI

14

7

NS573

XVI

20

7

NS746

XVI

13

7

NS798

XVI

14

7

MM359

XVI

8

4

MM248

IX

4

3

NS577

XVI

3

2

MM271

XVI

1

1

MM307

XVI

1

1

NS529

XVI

1

1

NS566

XVI

1

1

RF984

XVI

2

1

RF993

XVI

1

1

 

Operational Analysis

Aircraft Aircrew
Total  56 130
Sorties 1815 3630
Mean operational flying hours 65.5 56.5
Mean operations 32.3 27.9
Losses or Casualties 7 15
Overall Attrition Rate 12.5% 11.5%
Mean operational  flying hours (losses or casualties) 79.4 52.3
Mean total ops. (losses or casualties) 37.7 23.8
Mean hours before loss or casualty (MTBF) 524.3 489.3
Mean operations before loss or casualty 259.1 241.9
Loss or Casualty per Sortie 0.39% 0.41%
Loss or Casualty per Night Sortie 0.15% 0.23%

Notes: 

  1. Mean  operational flying hours are total of all flying hours divided by the total of aircraft or crew.  Aircrew hours (man hours) are double aircraft hours, the Mosquito having a crew of two.

  2. Mean operations are total of all operations divided by the total of aircraft or crew.

  3. Losses/Casualties are crashed aircraft or killed crew.

  4. Overall Attrition Rates are total losses/casualties divided by total aircraft or crew.

  5. Mean operational flying hours and total ops. (losses/casualties) are as Notes 1 & 2 but just using data for the set of lost aircraft and crew only. Results are not greatly different from those of the total population suggesting that aircraft age or crew experience had an insignificant effect.

  6. Mean hours/operations before loss/casualty are total hours/operations divided by number of aircraft/crew casualties as appropriate.

  7. Compare aircraft Loss per Sortie (0.39%) with Bomber Command's Mosquito operations (0.63%) or Lancaster operations (2.13%) [See Sharp & Bowyer above].



140 Squadron RAF, Mosquito Operational Tempo, 1943-1945

Monthly Operational Tempo and Aircrew Casualties

Timeline

140 Squadron RAF Roll of Honour                34 Wing 2TAF              
140 Squadron RAF Failed to Return              Home
140 Squadron RAF history (pdf 1.5Mb)

Page revised 6 December 2012