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818 Naval Air Squadron

Defunct flying squadron of the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm

818 Naval Air Squadron

Defunct flying squadron of the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm

FieldValue
unit_name818 Naval Air Squadron
image[[File:LS326 - L2 Fairey Swordfish Mk2 Royal Navy (RNHF). (10610477534).jpg300px]]
captionFairey Swordfish II; an example of the type used by 818 NAS
dates
disbanded15 August 1945
country
branch
typeTorpedo Bomber Reconnaissance squadron
roleCarrier-based:
command_structureFleet Air Arm
garrison*See Naval air stations section for full list.*
garrison_labelHome station
motto
colors
colors_label
battle_honours* Norway 1940
* "Bismarck" 1941<ref>[http://www.fleetairarmoa.org/asp/fleetairarm.asp?ServiceType2 FAA battle honours]
notable_commandersLieutenant Commander T.P. Coode, RN
identification_symbol[[File:818 Naval Air Squadron Badge.gif100px]]
identification_symbol_labelSquadron badge
identification_symbol_2*A splayed red hand on a black swastika (Submitted in 1943; however, it was not approved because it contained a Swastika)*
identification_symbol_2_labelSquadron Badge Description
identification_symbol_3
identification_symbol_3_labelIdentification Markings
aircraft_bomber
  • Narvik 1940
  • English Channel 1940
  • Spartivento 1940
  • Mediterranean 1940-41
  • Atlantic 1941
  • "Bismarck" 1941

818 Naval Air Squadron (818 NAS), also referred to as 818 Squadron,was a Fleet Air Arm (FAA) naval air squadron of the United Kingdom’s Royal Navy (RN). It last operated with Fairey Barracuda and served on a number of the Navy's aircraft carriers during the Second World War, serving in most of the theatres of the war, also using Fairey Swordfish and Fairey Albacore before decommissioning at the end of the war.

History

Formation

818 Naval Air Squadron was initially scheduled to be established at RNAS Lee-on-Solent (HMS Daedalus), Hampshire, on 1 October 1939, equipped with twelve Fairey Swordfish biplane torpedo bomber aircraft, designated for Torpedo Spotter Reconnaissance operations aboard the aircraft carrier . However, the impending war led to a revision of these plans, accelerating their implementation. Therefore, 818 Squadron was formed as a Torpedo Spotter Reconnaissance squadron at RAF Evanton in August 1939. The squadron was initially equipped with nine Fairey Swordfish I torpedo bombers, and then embarked in the aircraft carrier at the Royal Navy's base at Scapa Flow.

Norway and the English Channel

HMS Ark Royal was then deployed to search for enemy shipping off Norway. 818 Squadron transferred to in April 1940, after the German invasion of Norway. On 11 April aircraft from the squadron attacked two German destroyers in Trondheim Fjord.

The squadron then moved ashore, spending the period between May and June 1940 flying out of Thorney and RAF Carew Cheriton, working with RAF Coastal Command in the English Channel.

Mediterranean

They returned to Ark Royal in mid-June, and sailed with her to the Mediterranean Sea. They were used in the Attack on Mers-el-Kébir, carrying out strikes against the Vichy-French battleship . They again saw action in attacks on Italian targets on Sicily, and in the Battle of Cape Spartivento, with attacks on the on 27 November 1940. They were also involved in providing air cover for the Malta Convoys, and in February 1941 carried out attacks on targets at Livorno, Genoa, Pisa and La Spezia.

Hunting the battleship ''Bismarck''

The breakout into the Atlantic of the in May 1941 led to the Ark Royal being ordered into the Atlantic with the British fleet to hunt and sink the German ship. When the Bismarck was located, aircraft from 810 and 818 Naval Air Squadrons carried out attacks. Eventually a Swordfish of 818 Squadron, probably the one piloted by Sub-Lt. John Moffat, struck Bismarcks aft with a torpedo, jamming her rudder in a turn to starboard. Unable to manoeuvre, the Bismarck swung around in a wide circle, allowing the ships of Force H to catch up and sink the German ship.

The Mediterranean and Far East

The squadron later had their Swordfish replaced by nine Fairey Albacore Is, and they were embarked aboard in February 1942. Formidable then sailed to Ceylon to counter Japanese attacks, but by June a reduction in the threat of such attacks led to the squadron being disbanded.

On 19 October 1942, 818 squadron was reformed at RNAS Lee-on-Solent (HMS Daedalus), Hampshire, with six Fairey Swordfish IIs, which increased to nine aircraft just prior to their embarkation in in March 1943. HMS Unicorn provided escort for convoys traveling to and from Gibraltar during May and June, and again in August, when the squadron was disembarked to Gibraltar for local patrols and convoy escort duties for a month in support of the Salerno operation.

Six aircraft were disembarked at Gibraltar in August 1943, with a portion of the squadron establishing the new 838 Squadron. The remaining aircraft proceeded to Ceylon aboard HMS Unicorn, arriving in February 1944. The unit was disbanded at the RN Air Section at RAF Cochin, Southern India, on 14 October 1944.

Barracuda Mk II (1945)

They were again reformed, this time at RNAS Rattray (HMS Merganser), Aberdeenshire, in May 1945, and equipped with eighteen Fairey Barracuda, to operate as a torpedo bomber reconnaissance squadron. This was the Barracuda Mk II which had its inaugural flight on 17 August 1942. This variant was equipped with a 1,640 hp Rolls-Royce Merlin 32 engine and featured a four-blade propeller. In June, it relocated to RNAS Fearn (HMS Owl), Ross-shire, to proceed with its work-up. The squadron was slated to join the 22nd Carrier Air Group aboard a . However, shortly after returning to RNAS Rattray at the start of September, it was disbanded retroactively effective from V-J Day, 15 August.

Aircraft flown

The squadron has flown a number of different aircraft types, including:

  • Fairey Swordfish I torpedo bomber (August 1939 - November 1941)
  • Fairey Albacore torpedo bomber (November 1941 - June 1942)
  • Fairey Swordfish II torpedo bomber (October 1942 - October 1944)
  • Fairey Barracuda Mk II torpedo and dive bomber (May - August 1945)

Battle honours

The battle honours awarded to 818 Naval Air Squadron are:

  • Norway 1940
  • Narvik 1940
  • English Channel 1940
  • Spartivento 1940
  • Mediterranean 1940-41
  • Atlantic 1941
  • "Bismarck" 1941

Commanding officers

List of commanding officers of 818 Naval Air Squadron:

1939 - 1942

  • Lieutenant Commander J.E. Fenton, RN, from 30 August 1939
  • Lieutenant Commander P.G.O. Sydney-Turner, RN, from 19 March 1940
  • Lieutenant Commander T.P. Coode, RN, from 24 October 1940
  • Lieutenant Commander T.W.B. Shaw, , RN, from 28 July 1941
  • disbanded - 24 June 1942

1942 - 1944

  • Lieutenant Commander A.H. Abrams, DSC, RN, from 22 October 1942
  • Lieutenant Commander(A) W.H. Lloyd, RNVR, from 7 July 1943
  • disbanded - 14 October 1944

1945

  • Lieutenant Commander(A) B.W. Vigrass, RNVR, from 1 May 1945
  • disbanded - 15 August 1945

Note: Abbreviation (A) signifies Air Branch of the RN or RNVR.

Notes

References

References

  1. [http://www.fleetairarmoa.org/asp/fleetairarm.asp?ServiceType=2 FAA battle honours]
  2. "The Story of the Torpedoing of the Bismarck".
  3. "818 Squadron at the Fleet Air Arm Archive".
  4. "the sinking of the Bismarck".
  5. "Norway 1940-45".
  6. "Spartivento 1940".
  7. "Mediterranean 1940-45".
  8. "Atlantic 1940-45".
  9. "‘Bismarck’ 1941".
Info: Wikipedia Source

This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page.

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