No. 487 Squadron — RNZAF

No. 487 Squadron was a New Zealand unit formed at RAF Feltwell, Norfolk, on 15 August 1942 under No. 2 Group, initially within Bomber Command and later the 2nd Tactical Air Force. It flew Lockheed Venturas on daylight precision raids over occupied Europe, opening its account with the low-level attack on the Philips factory at Eindhoven in December 1942. The Amsterdam operation of 3 May 1943 proved catastrophic: ten of eleven Venturas were destroyed by German fighters, yet Squadron Leader Leonard Trent pressed through to the target and was awarded the Victoria Cross. Converting to the de Havilland Mosquito FB.VI from mid-1943, the squadron shifted to night intruder work, participating in Operation Jericho against Amiens prison in February 1944 and precision strikes on Gestapo headquarters in Aarhus and Copenhagen. It flew 3,112 sorties before disbanding on 19 September 1945.