Pathfinder (RAF)
| No. 8 (Pathfinder Force) Group | |
|---|---|
| Active | 15 August 1942 – 1945 |
| Country |
 United Kingdom
|
| Branch |
 Royal Air Force
|
| Size | Group |
| Part of | RAF Bomber Command |
| Group Headquarters | Huntingdon |
| Motto(s) | "We guide to strike" |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders |
Don Bennett |
| Insignia | |
| Group badge heraldry | A flaming arrow in front of an eight pointed star |
The Pathfinders were target-marking squadrons in RAF Bomber Command during World War II. They located and marked targets with flares, which a main bomber force could aim at, increasing the accuracy of their bombing. The Pathfinders were normally the first to receive new blind bombing aids like Gee, Oboe and the H2S radar.
The early Pathfinder Force (PFF) squadrons was expanded to become a group, No. 8 (Pathfinder Force) Group in January 1943. The initial Pathfinder Force was five squadrons, while No. 8 Group ultimately grew to a strength of 19 squadrons. While the majority of Pathfinder squadrons and personnel were from the Royal Air Force, the group also included many from the air forces of other Commonwealth countries.
At the start of the war, RAF Bomber Command's doctrine was based on tight formations of heavily armed bombers attacking during daylight and fending off attacks by fighters with their defensive guns. In early missions over France and the Low Countries there was no clear outcome regarding the success of the bomber's guns, as lacking radar, Luftwaffe interception efforts were disorganized.
On 18 December 1939, a force of three Vickers Wellington squadrons targeting ships in the Heligoland Bight were detected on an experimental Freya radar long before they reached the target area. The British bomber force was met by German fighters which shot down 10 of the 22 bombers, with another two crashing in the sea and three more written off on landing. The Luftwaffe lost only two fighters in return.
Although the causes for this disastrous outcome were heavily debated, it became clear that bomber forces could no longer defend themselves on their own. Bombing raids either needed to have fighter escort, which was difficult given the limited range of the fighters available at the time, or attacks had to be made at night when the enemy fighters could not see them.
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Wikipedia