page_title: No. 255 Squadron RAF
section_title: Kirton Lindsey
hierarchical_section_title: No. 255 Squadron RAF / Second World War / Kirton Lindsey
caption_attribution_description: A Royal Air Force Boulton Paul Defiant Mark I night fighter (s/n N3313, "PS-P") of No. 264 Squadron RAF based at West Malling, Kent (UK), in flight.
context_page_description: No. 255 Squadron RAF was a Royal Air Force Squadron formed as an anti-submarine unit in First World War and a night-fighter unit in Second World War. The First World War squadron was formed from former Royal Naval Air Service coastal flights and was responsible for coastal anti-submarine patrols. It was disbanded after the war.
  During the Second World War the squadron operated as a night fighter unit, at first with the Boulton Paul Defiant and later the Bristol Beaufighter. It served in the United Kingdom from 1940 to 1942 when it moved to operate in North Africa and then Italy, where it remained until the end of the war. It subsequently served in Malta, and then Egypt, before being disbanded in 1946.
context_section_description: The squadron re-formed on 23 November 1940 at RAF Kirton in Lindsey. It became operational as a night fighter unit on 5 January 1941, assigned to No.12 Group, but due to snow no flying took place until 8 January 1941. Equipped with the Bolton Paul Defiant Mk.I turret fighter, the squadron used Ground-Controlled Interception (GCI) techniques to guide its aircraft toward their targets, using a procedure called "vectoring". In effect, the GCI Station did the work of a navigator, calculating the course to steer and altitude to achieve in order to intercept the moving target. The ground station then transmitted this information to the fighter pilot by radio; to achieve a successful interception, accurate guidance was required.
  The night of 10/11 February 1941 saw the squadron's first combat successes, with pilots claiming two Heinkel He 111s as "probably destroyed". On 17 February, the fitting of VHF radios to the squadron's aircraft, a process that had taken nearly two months, was completed. Five Hawker Hurricane single-seat fighters were delivered to the squadron while it was at Kirton Lindsey to supplement the Defiants. These arrived over the period 21–23 March. Not all were in serviceable condition on receipt, but two combat victories were achieved with these aircraft.
  On the night of 9 May, the Luftwaffe launched a series of raids against targets in England's north-east and the Midlands, with 129 bombers attacking Hull, 95 attacking Nottingham and 34 being sent against Sheffield. In response, the squadron shot down six enemy bombers (five He 111s and one Ju 88) and damaged a seventh within the space of half an hour, all achieved without loss to the squadron's personnel or aircraft. This was the most confirmed shootdowns by a British night-fighter squadron in a single night of the whole war, with congratulations received including a personal message from Sir Archibald Sinclair, the Secretary of State for Air.
  The squadron departed RAF Kirton Lindsey on the 15th, although due to some facilities at RAF Hibaldstow not being complete, the squadron's administrative HQ and some maintenance activities remained at Kirton Lindsey. The split of administrative location continued until 9 June.
caption: A Boulton Paul Defiant Mk.I. similar to that used by No. 255 Squadron.
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