I have been asked this by 349 Squadron. Don`t know if you know the answer, but in our operations book from 43-46 they use the terms, ramrod, rhubarb, ranger, ... do you know the exact meaning of the terms? Original photo from my collection. Regards, Keith
I think they were different types of operation - wasn't a Rhubarb a sortie escorting a small numbers of bombers - intended to draw enemy fighters up?
Thanks guys, i have just found this. Glossary of RAF code names Code words used by the Royal Air Force during World War II: Angels – height in thousands of feet. Bandit – identified enemy aircraft. Bogey – unidentified (possibly unfriendly) aircraft. Buster – radio-telephony code phrase for 'maximum throttle' or full power climb. Channel Stop – Air operations intended to stop enemy shipping passing through the Strait of Dover.[1] Circus – daytime bomber attacks with fighter escorts against short range targets, to occupy enemy fighters and keep them in the area concerned.[1] Diver – radio-telephony code word for a sighted V-1 flying bomb. Flower – Counter-air patrols in the area of enemy airfields to preventing aircraft from taking off and attacking those aircraft that succeeded.[1] Gardening – mine-laying operations. Instep – missions to restrict attacks on Coastal Command aircraft by maintaining a presence over the Western Approaches.[1] Intruder – offensive patrols to destroy enemy aircraft over their own territory, usually carried out at night.[1] Jim Crow – coastal patrols to intercept enemy aircraft crossing the British coastline; originally intended to warn of invasion in 1940.[1] Kipper – patrols to protect fishing boats in the North Sea against air attack.[1] Mahmoud – sorties flown by de Havilland Mosquitoes equipped with rear-facing radar; when an enemy aircraft was detected a 180° turn enabled an attack.[1] Mandolin – attacks on enemy railway transport and other ground targets. Noball – attacks on V-weapons launch sites and related targets.[1] Ramrod – short range bomber attacks to destroy ground targets, similar to Circus attacks.[1] Ranger – freelance flights over enemy territory by units of any size, to occupy and tire enemy fighters.[1] Rhubarb – fighter or fighter-bomber sections, at times of low cloud and poor visibility, crossing the English Channel and then dropping below cloud level to search for opportunity targets such as railway locomotives and rolling stock, aircraft on the ground, enemy troops, and vehicles on roads.[1][2] Roadstead – dive bombing and low level attacks on enemy ships at sea or in harbour.[1] Rodeo – fighter sweeps over enemy territory.[1] Rover – armed reconnaissance flights with attacks on opportunity targets.[1] Scramble – fast take-off and climb to intercept enemy aircraft. Tally-ho – radio-telephony code word for 'enemy in sight'.
J.E. 'Johnnie' Johnson describes a Circus Operation as " a dozen Blenheim bombers, heavily guarded by close escort, escort cover, high cover and top cover fighter wings attacked short range targets in France while other fighter wings provided diversionary, forward support, target support, withdrawal cover and flanking support". The intention was to "make the 109s come up and fight". Although this was achieved they were not he states a success. See J.E. 'Johnnie' Johnson, The Story of Air Fighting
JG26 and JG2 had to stem the Circus offensive and intercepted only on favourable conditions. This offensive was a reverse of the BoB, as now RAF pilots who had to bale out over France, were lost completely and losses were initially in favour of the Luftwaffe The rate of attrition finally reversed by introducion of heavy USAAF bomber formations over France. Here´s a detailled account of such a mission: https://irp-cdn.multiscreensite.com/b354052e/files/uploaded/Q9RxS24CRqafxIxW50bt_EN article RAF Operation Circus 157 .pdf
