12 August 1942
31st Fighter Group at Westhampnett is declared fully operational and ready for combat operations under RAF control until it gains enough experience to be able to fight as a group. This is first US fighter unit in UK to reach this operational status.
13 Spitfire Mk V from 31st Fighter Group are despateched on a feint "Rodeo" in a wide loop over Clacton/dunkirk/Calaise and Dover. A "Rodeo" is the RAF code name for a fighter sweep over enemy territory.
FEINT RODEO
Spitfire
A feint "Rodeo" over French coast. No losses, claims or casualties. The 31st Fighter Group is declared fully operational and ready for combat operations under RAF control until it gains enough experience to fight effectively as a group.
Group
The 31st Fighter Group only flew missions from England between June and September 1942 but during this period they supported the Dieppe raid, the assault on occupied Europe, predominantly by the Canadian army. The attack was forced into early retreat...
| Number of aircraft Sent | 13 |
| Date | Contributor | Update |
|---|---|---|
| 18 September 2018 11:16:01 | Emily | Changes to official description |
| Sources | ||
THE ARMY AIR FORCES IN WORLD WAR II: COMBAT CHRONOLOGY, 1941-1945 by Carter / Mueller, the Office of Air Force History, |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 19 October 2014 18:31:13 | Lee8thbuff | Changes to name and description |
| Sources | ||
Lee Cunningham 19-Oct-2014, Mission description based on "Mighty Eighth War Diary" Roger A. Freeman. For more information on RAF mission codes see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glossary_of_RAF_code_names |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 27 September 2014 18:43:14 | AAM | AAM ingest |
| Sources | ||
Lee Cunningham, 8th Air Force missions research database / Stan Bishop's 'Losses of the US 8th and 9th Air Forces', the Combat Chronology of the US Army Air Forces and the work of Roger Freeman including the 'Mighty Eighth War Diary'. |
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