Page 88 - The KRH Year of 2023 (CREST Sharing)

88 The Regimental Journal of The King’s Royal Hussars
attack, disperse to different locations and continue to operate in extremely challenging conditions. Prior to the deployment, some of our pilots were lucky enough to be allocated a place on US Arctic Survival Training at Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska. It was basically camping out in the snow for a couple of days, but our pilots will try to tell you otherwise! For the exercise itself, IX(B) Squadron were based at Ørland Hovedflystasjon (Ørland Main Air Station), near Trondheim in the centre of Norway. Facing temperatures below -15o C, the exercise involved inten- sive Fighter Integration training with the F-35s of Norway’s 132 Air Wing. We also flew sorties to the high north, 200 miles into the Arctic Circle and even surpassing the 70th parallel north. This was a first for the Typhoon! It was a particularly noteworthy sortie for our pilots as they overflew the wreckage
of the German Kreigsmarine Battleship Tirpitz. This is another story altogether – but suffice to say the source of some friendly rivalry between us and the junior Squadron (the never to be named 617 Sqn), who dispute that we dropped the final and decisive 1200lb Tallboy Bomb which sunk the German battle- ship hiding out in the Norwegian Fjords in 1944.
Ending on that note, we hope you’ve enjoyed reading our round-up of 2023. It’s a privilege to be affiliated to the King’s Royal Hussars as we contribute to securing the skies, and you continue to seek the enemy on the ground. All the very best for a successful 2024 but for now, it’s farewell from the Bats of Number IX (Bomber) Squadron!
NS