▁in ▁early ▁ 1 9 4 1 ▁and ▁was ▁employed ▁in ▁f ighter ▁swe eps ▁and ▁bom ber ▁esc ort ▁duties . ▁In ▁February , ▁it ▁began ▁" R h ub ar b " ▁( low - level ▁swe eps ▁over ▁occupied ▁territory ) ▁and ▁night ▁flying ▁miss ions , ▁and ▁was ▁re - equ ipped ▁with ▁the ▁H urr icane ▁II A . ▁In ▁this ▁period ▁its ▁pil ots ▁included ▁K arel ▁K utt el was cher ▁D FC , ▁who ▁was ▁the ▁R AF ' s ▁highest - sc oring ▁night ▁intr uder ▁pilot ▁and ▁highest - sc oring ▁Free ▁Czech oslov ak ▁pilot . ▁ ▁The ▁squad ron ▁carried ▁out ▁night ▁intr uder ▁pat rol s ▁until ▁July ▁ 1 9 4 2 , ▁when ▁it ▁was ▁re - equ ipped ▁with ▁the ▁Haw ker ▁Ty ph oon ▁f ighter - b om ber ▁and ▁re located ▁to ▁R AF ▁A ck ling ton , ▁North umber land ▁where ▁it ▁revert ed ▁to ▁day time ▁operations . ▁ ▁The ▁squad ron ▁was ▁equ ipped ▁with ▁the ▁Super marine ▁Sp it fire ▁M k . IX ▁in ▁April ▁ 1 9 4 4 , ▁and ▁in ▁June ▁began ▁anti - V 1 ▁pat rol s , ▁shooting ▁down ▁ 3 9 ▁flying ▁bomb s . ▁Miss ions ▁were ▁also ▁flow n ▁over ▁the ▁F ala ise ▁G ap , ▁st raf ing ▁targets ▁of ▁opportunity . ▁Later ▁in ▁the ▁year ▁it ▁revert ed ▁to ▁bom ber ▁esc ort ▁duties , ▁based