011428 - STRONG BY SPEED: No 195 Squadron and the War Against Hitler's Germany

By Steve C Smith

One of the unsung, and largely unheard-of units of RAF Bomber Command’s 3 Group, 195 Squadron was formed in October 1944 from one of Bomber Commands premier squadrons, No.115. Almost from the day of its formation the squadron was at the forefront of the bomber offensive. Everyone who served on the squadron was driven with a burning ambition to make it the most successful unit within the group and Bomber Command. It had the aircraft, and it certainly had the crews, some of which had spent years as instructors while others were second tour veterans. Equipped with the mighty Avro Lancaster and led by a squadron Commanding Officer who strove for excellence, 195 Squadron very quickly earned a reputation for getting things done. This came at the inevitable price of heavy casualties. Over the course of seven months and approximately 1,400 bombing sorties, 195 Squadron fought a bitter and costly campaign in the skies above Germany, not only against the ferocious night-fighter and flak defences but also the dreadful weather during the winter of 1944/1945. Strong by Speed combines the operational history of the squadron with individual stories of many of those who served. The telling is long overdue.

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