Operational units:

 

SQUADRON	HISTORY	CODE-LETTERS
3 Squadron	Re-equipped from Typhoons to Tempest in April 1944. First Tempest operation 23 April. Re-equipped to Vampires F.1s from 10 April 1948, last Tempest flown to UK 21 June 1948.	"QO", changing to "JF" 5 June 1944, and "J5" post-war.
5 Squadron	Received Tempest IIs 5 March 1946 at Bhopal, India, replacing Thunderbolts. Disbanded 1 August 1947.	"OQ"
6 Squadron	Tempest VIs replaced Mustangs at Nicosia, Cyprus, and were first flown 31 Dec 1946. Last Tempest sortie flown 12 Nov 1949.	"JV"
8 Squadron	First Tempest VIs arrived at Khormaksar, Aden, 27 March 1947. The last Tempest was ferried back to UK 11 March 1950.	"RT"
16 Squadron	Reformed with Tempests Vs by renumbering 56 Squadron at Fassberg 1 April 1946. Re-equipment began Aug 1946 to Tempest II. Last Tempests were flown Jan 1949.	"EG"
20 Squadron	First Tempest IIs received at Agra, India, 19 May 1946. Disbanded 31 July 1947.	"HN"
26 Squadron:	Reformed with Tempest Vs by renumbering 41 Squadron at Wunstorf 1 April 1946. First Tempest II arrived 19 June 1946, full conversion taking place in July. Last Tempest returning to UK 6 May 1949.	"XC"
30 Squadron	First Tempest IIs received at Bhopal, India, 4 March 1946, replacing Thunderbolts. Disbanded 1 Dec 1946.	"RS"
33 Squadron	Received first Tempest Vs at Predannack 20 Dec 1944, replacing Spitfire IXs. Re-equipped with Tempest IIs from Oct 1946. It was the last operational Tempest squadron in the RAF, the final sorties being flown 6 June 1951.	"5R"
39 Squadron	Reformed as a Tempest VI unit, assembling at Manston June 1948 to convert to type and ferry their aircraft to Khartoum, Sudan, arriving 4 July 1948. Tempest flying ceased 28 Feb 1949.	No squadron codes carried.
41 Squadron	Received Tempest Vs at Lubeck 13 sept 1945. Renumbered 26 Squadron 1 April 1946.	"EB"
54 Squadron	Reformed 15 Nov 1945 to Tempest IIs by renumbering 183 Squadron at Chilbolton. Last Tempest being ferried to Aston Down 14 Oct 1946.	"HF"
56 "Punjab" Squadron	First Tempest Vs received at Newchurch 25 June 1944 and first operation these flown 2 July 1944. Renumbered 16 Squadron 1 April 1946.	"US"
80 Squadron	Borrowed four Tempest Vs for familiarization at West Malling 9 Aug 1944, receiving further Tempests to replace its Spitfire IXs from 27 Aug 1944. Tempests replaced by Spitfire F.24s Jan 1948.	"W2"
152 "Hyderabad" Squadron	First Tempest IIs received at Risalpur 22 July 1946. Disbanded 31 Jan 1947.	"UM"
183 "Gold Coast" Squadron	Re-equipped to Tempest IIs from Spitfire IXs during Aug 1945. Renumbered 54 Squadron 1945.	"HF"
213 "Ceylon" Squadron	First Tempest VIs received at Nicosia 21 Jan 1947, replacing Mustangs IVs. The last Tempests flown out Feb 1950.	"AK"
222 "Natal" Squadron	Exchanged Spitfires XIs for Tempest Vs at Predannack, commencing 18 Dec 1944. Left the Tempests at Wenston Zoyland 23 Oct 1945 and re-equipped to Meteors at Molesworth the next day.	"ZD"
247 "China-British" Squadron	Re-equipped with Tempest IIs at Chilbolton at end of Aug 1945. Tempests exchanged for Vampires F.1s April 1946.	"ZY"
249 "Gold Coast" Squadron	Tempest VIs received at Habbaniya 23 Dec 1946. The last Tempests departing for UK March 1950.	"GN"
274 Squadron	Exchanged Spitfire IXs for Tempest Vs at West Malling 7 Aug 1944, the first sorties flown five days later. Renumbered 174 Squadron at Warmwell 7 Sept 1945.	"JJ"
486 Squadron RNZAF	Received five Tempest Vs Jan 1944 but these were transferred to 3 Squadron the following month. Full re-equipment took place at Castle Camps April 1944. Tempests handed over to 41 Squadron 14 Sept 1945 and officially disbanded 12 Oct 1945.	"SA"
501 "County of Gloucester" Squadron	First Tempest Vs received at Westhampnett 18 July 1944. Disbanded 20 April 1945.	"SD"

Miscellaneous Units:

 

SQUADRON	HISTORY	CODE-LETTERS
Fighter Interception Unit	First Tempest V received 22 June 1944 and two days later a detachment was formed at Newchurch to operate by night against V-1 flying bombs. Pilots and aircraft absorbed by 501 Squadron at Manston 10 Aug 1944.	"ZQ"
287 Squadron	An anti-aircraft co-operation squadron which operated Tempest V, alongside several other types, from Nov 1944 to June 1946.	"KZ"
485 Squadron RNZAF	Began conversion to Tempest Vs at Predannack Feb 1945. First Tempest flown 28 Feb, but this type was withdrawn early in March and replaced by Typhoons.

 

Text source:
The Typhoon & Tempest Story (Chris Thomas & Christopher Shores)

This page was last updated 4 May 2008