No. 5 Group RAF
| No. 5 Group | |
|---|---|
| Active | 1 Apr 1918 – 15 May 1919 1 Sep 1937 – 15 Dec 1945 |
| Country |
 United Kingdom
|
| Branch |
 Royal Air Force
|
| Part of | RAF Bomber Command |
| Group Headquarters | Morton Hall, Swinderby, Lincolnshire |
| Motto(s) | Undaunted |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders |
Air Vice-Marshal Arthur Travers "Bomber" Harris Air Vice-Marshal Ralph Cochrane |
| Insignia | |
| Group badge heraldry | A lion rampant |
No. 5 Group was a Royal Air Force bomber group of the Second World War, led during the latter part (February 1943 – 1945) by AVM Sir Ralph Cochrane.
The Group was formed on 1 September 1937 with headquarters at RAF Mildenhall. In October 1937, the group headquarters was moved to St Vincents Hall in Grantham. Headquarters was moved to Morton Hall at RAF Swinderby in Lincolnshire in November 1943. During the Second World War, 5 Group was primarily concentrated in south Lincolnshire, 1 Group being more concentrated in north of the same county.
Air Vice Marshal Arthur Harris was in charge here from 11 September 1939 until 22 November 1940. The group started the war with ten squadrons, all equipped with the Handley Page Hampden. The Group continued to fly only Hampdens until the winter of 1940–1941 when it began to convert to the new Avro Manchester.
Early in 1942 the four-engined development of the Manchester, the Avro Lancaster, started to equip the group squadrons.
On 17 October 1942 some 86 5 group Lancasters (without fighter escort) flew deep into occupied France to attack the Schneider armaments works at Le Creusot and the associated electrical station at Montchanin. On the night of the 22–23 October 85 Lancasters of the Group attacked Genoa without a single loss. On 24 October 74 Lancasters delivered a daylight attack on Milan.
In May 1943 No. 617 Squadron breached two of the Ruhr dams under Operation Chastise.
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