Royal Air Force 100 (Bomber Support) Group
~ Confound and Destroy ~
No. 100 Group of the Royal Air Force was a highly specialised unit formed on 11 November 1943 at Radlett in Hertfordshire before moving to Norfolk. They were tasked with reducing the increasing losses of RAF night bombers to the German air defence system. Unlike the rest of RAF Bomber Command, its role was not to attack targets directly, but to protect bomber crews by disrupting German defences. From August 1944 the electronic countermeasure aircraft from the 36th Bombardment Squadron, USAAF formed part of the group.
By 1943, the German night fighter system operated by the Luftwaffe had become increasingly effective, using radar and ground control to intercept RAF bombers under the cover of darkness. 100 Group was created to counter this threat. Its aircraft were fitted with electronic jamming equipment designed to interfere with enemy radar and radio communications, often blinding operators or causing confusion at critical moments.
Deception was also a key part of its work. Crews could imitate German radio transmissions, sending false instructions to night fighter pilots and disrupting their coordination. At the same time, they dropped “Window” (strips of aluminium foil) to flood radar screens with false echoes, making it far harder for the enemy to distinguish real targets from phantom ones.
100 Group were headquartered at RAF Bylaugh in Norfolk, from where its complex and highly secret operations were coordinated. Its squadrons were spread across several airfields in eastern England. From here, aircraft could quickly reach the North Sea and continue on to occupied Europe and Germany.
Alongside its electronic warfare role, the group flew fast, agile aircraft such as the de Havilland Mosquito to hunt German night fighters or patrol near their airfields. These missions were often carried out alone or in small numbers, without the relative safety of the main bomber stream, making them particularly hazardous.
Although 100 Group played an important role in reducing overall losses within Bomber Command, it paid a price for its efforts. Aircraft carrying jamming equipment often had to fly steady, predictable patterns to be effective, leaving them exposed to interception. Intruder crews and night fighters faced similar dangers as they actively sought out enemy aircraft in the dark. As a result, the group suffered steady losses in both aircraft and highly trained crews.
100 Group disbanded on 17 December 1945. Much of the group’s work remained secret for many years after the war and its contribution was not widely recognised at the time. Today, it is regarded as a pioneer of electronic warfare, laying the foundations for many of the countermeasures used in modern air combat.
By 1943, the German night fighter system operated by the Luftwaffe had become increasingly effective, using radar and ground control to intercept RAF bombers under the cover of darkness. 100 Group was created to counter this threat. Its aircraft were fitted with electronic jamming equipment designed to interfere with enemy radar and radio communications, often blinding operators or causing confusion at critical moments.
Deception was also a key part of its work. Crews could imitate German radio transmissions, sending false instructions to night fighter pilots and disrupting their coordination. At the same time, they dropped “Window” (strips of aluminium foil) to flood radar screens with false echoes, making it far harder for the enemy to distinguish real targets from phantom ones.
100 Group were headquartered at RAF Bylaugh in Norfolk, from where its complex and highly secret operations were coordinated. Its squadrons were spread across several airfields in eastern England. From here, aircraft could quickly reach the North Sea and continue on to occupied Europe and Germany.
Alongside its electronic warfare role, the group flew fast, agile aircraft such as the de Havilland Mosquito to hunt German night fighters or patrol near their airfields. These missions were often carried out alone or in small numbers, without the relative safety of the main bomber stream, making them particularly hazardous.
Although 100 Group played an important role in reducing overall losses within Bomber Command, it paid a price for its efforts. Aircraft carrying jamming equipment often had to fly steady, predictable patterns to be effective, leaving them exposed to interception. Intruder crews and night fighters faced similar dangers as they actively sought out enemy aircraft in the dark. As a result, the group suffered steady losses in both aircraft and highly trained crews.
100 Group disbanded on 17 December 1945. Much of the group’s work remained secret for many years after the war and its contribution was not widely recognised at the time. Today, it is regarded as a pioneer of electronic warfare, laying the foundations for many of the countermeasures used in modern air combat.
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