RAF No 327 Squadron

No. 327 Squadron

Motto: -

Escadron de Chasse (Fighter Squadron) 3/11 Corse is a French Air and Space Force (Armée de l'air et de l'espace) fighter squadron currently stationed at BA 188 Djibouti Air Base (ICAO: HDAM).

Second World War

At the outbreak of the Second World War, Groupe de Chasse I/3 (GC I/3) was equipped with the Morane-Saulnier MS.406. After seeing combat during the Phoney War, GC I/3 relocated to southern France. While at Cannes-Mandelieu, the unit converted to the new Dewoitine D.520 fighter. When the Battle of France began in May 1940, it was the only unit to be operationally ready with the D.520, which it first took to battle on May 12 after hastily relocating to Wez-Thuisy. In late June 1940, as the collapse of the French armies was inevitable, GC I/3 crossed the Mediterranean to escape capture. Here it went under control of the Vichy government. After three of its pilots, including ace Marcel Albert, had defected to Gibraltar to join the Free French, the Germans requested GC I/3 to be disbanded. However, the unit was simply renamed GC III/3, using the designation of a squadron that had been disbanded the previous year. Under this guise, the unit briefly faced the Allies during Operation Torch.

After French forces in North Africa had sided with the Allies, the unit was re-christened GC 1/3 Corse and was re-equipped with Supermarine Spitfire fighters.

It then operated under the Royal Air Force, which referred to it as No. 327 (French) Squadron. No. 327 Squadron was active from 1 December 1943 until November 1945.

No Badge Authorised

Squadron Codes used:

LP Allocated Apr - Sep 1939; 7E Dec 1943 - Nov 1945

Historical Escadrilles

Escadrille	Nickname
1st Escadrille	SPA 88 'Serpent' (Snake)
2nd Escadrille	SPA 69 'Chat' (Cat)

Additional Escadrilles

Escadrille	Period	Remark
Escadrille C 46	January 1943 – July 1943
Escadrille GC III/6 (5)	August 1994 – June 1997	From Escadron de Chasse 1/11 Roussillon

Different Denominations

Designation	Period	Remark
Groupe de Chasse (GC) I/3	1933 – 1941
Squadron 327	1943 – 1945	In RAF Service
Groupe de Chasse I/3 Corse	January 1943 – November 1943 / 1945 – 1949
Groupe de Chasse I/6 Corse	1949 – 1952
Escadron de Chasse (EC) 1/1 Corse	1952 – 1966
Escadron de Chasse 3/11 Corse	1966 – 1997 / 2008 – present

Escadres

Escadres

Escadre	Period
1ère Escadre de Chasse	1943 – 1945 / 1952 – 1966
50ème Escadre de Chasse	1945 – 1946
6ème Escadre de Chasse	1946 – 1949
11ème Escadre de Chasse	1966 – 1994

Aircraft Flown

Aircraft Flown

Aircraft	Period
Nieuport 62	1930 – 1936
Dewoitine D.500 / D.501	1936 – 1939
Morane-Saulnier MS.406	1939 – 1940
Dewoitine D.520	1940 – 1941
Supermarine Spitfire	1943 – 1945
De Havilland Mosquito	1945 – 1952
Grumman F6F Hellcat	1949 – 1952
Republic F-84 Thunderjet / F-84F Thunderstreak	1952 – 1966
North American F-100 Super Sabre	1966 – 1975
SEPECAT Jaguar	1975 – 1997
Dassault Mirage 2000C	2008 – 2011
Dassault Mirage 2000D	2008 – 2016 / 2025 – present
Dassault Mirage 2000-5F	2011 – present