No. 2 Squadron RNZAF

No. 2 Squadron RNZAF
RNZAF TA-4K in 1984
Active	1930–1957 December 1984–December 2001
Country	New Zealand
Branch	Royal New Zealand Air Force
Role	Reconnaissance, Fighter-Attack, Skyhawk Conversion.
Size	One Squadron
Garrison/HQ	RNZAF Base Ohakea, HMAS Albatross
Motto(s)	Maori Whakatopa Kia Mate; English We Swoop to Kill
Colors	Yellow and Black
Mascot(s)	A winged Taiaha
Equipment	Lockheed Hudson (1941–1943); Lockheed Ventura (1943–1945); A-4 Skyhawk (1984–2001)
Engagements	World War II
Insignia
Squadron Badge	A winged Taiaha

No. 2 Squadron RNZAF was a squadron of the Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF). It was formed in 1930 as part of the Territorial Air Force with the main Headquarters at Wellington and shadow flights at New Plymouth and Wanganui. Squadron personnel conducted their annual flying at RNZAF Base Wigram. In 1937 the Territorial Squadrons were re-organised and No. 2 Squadron became the Wellington Territorial Squadron.

The squadron received its first aircraft, 12 Blackburn Baffins, in 1938 and at the outbreak of World War II the squadron moved to Blenheim to undertake its general reconnaissance role of protecting Cook Strait. A year later, in 1940, all Territorial Squadrons were merged to become the New Zealand General Reconnaissance Squadron, based at Whenuapai, Auckland. Within 12 months, No. 2 Squadron was reformed. Based at Nelson with Vickers Vildebeests and Vickers Vincent aircraft, it resumed its protection of Cook Strait providing air cover for troop ship convoys entering and leaving Wellington. Later in 1941, the squadron was re-equipped with the new Lockheed Hudson Bomber and in 1943 re-equipped once more, this time with Lockheed Ventura aircraft.

In November 1943, the squadron moved to Palikulo Bay Airfield on Espiritu Santo, where it carried out reconnaissance, anti-submarine, supply dropping and general flight patrols. No. 2 Squadron returned to New Zealand in 1944, but this was short-lived as it returned to operational status in the Pacific, replacing No.1 Squadron on dawn and dusk patrols and anti-submarine patrols. It was during this tour that the squadron made the heaviest raid by a New Zealand formation in the South Pacific; eight aircraft dropped 40,000 lb of bombs in southwest Bougainville. This second tour finished in March 1945, and three months later the squadron began its third and last operational tour, consisting of mainly bombing land targets. The squadron returned to RNZAF Base Ohakea in October 1945.