818 Naval Air Squadron

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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 HMS Hermes. However, the impending war led to a revision of these plans, accelerating their implementation.Template:Sfn Therefore, 818 Squadron was formed as a Torpedo Spotter Reconnaissance squadron at Evanton in August 1939. The squadron was initially equipped with nine Fairey Swordfish I torpedo bombers, and then embarked in the aircraft carrier Script error: No such module "WPSHIPS utilities". at the Royal Navy's base at Scapa Flow.[1]

Norway and the English Channel

HMS Ark Royal was then deployed to search for enemy shipping off Norway. 818 Squadron transferred to Script error: No such module "WPSHIPS utilities". in April 1940, after the German invasion of Norway. On 11 April aircraft from the squadron attacked two German destroyers in Trondheim Fjord.[1]

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.[1]

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 Script error: No such module "WPSHIPS utilities".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters"..[1] They again saw action in attacks on Italian targets on Sicily, and in the Battle of Cape Spartivento, with attacks on the Script error: No such module "WPSHIPS utilities".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". 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.[1]

Hunting the battleship Bismarck

The breakout into the Atlantic of the Script error: No such module "WPSHIPS utilities".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". 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 BismarckTemplate:'s aft with a torpedo, jamming her rudder in a turn to starboard.[2] 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.[3]

The Mediterranean and Far East

The squadron later had their Swordfish replaced by nine Fairey Albacore Is, and they were embarked aboard Script error: No such module "WPSHIPS utilities". in February 1942.[1] 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.[1]

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 Script error: No such module "WPSHIPS utilities". 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.Template:Sfn

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.Template:Sfn The unit was disbanded at the RN Air Section at RAF Cochin, Southern India, on 14 October 1944.[1]

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.[1] 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.Template:Sfn 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 Script error: No such module "WPSHIPS utilities".. However, shortly after returning to RNAS Rattray at the start of September, it was disbanded retroactively effective from V-J Day, 15 August.Template:Sfn

Aircraft flown

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

Battle honours

The battle honours awarded to 818 Naval Air Squadron are:

Naval air stations

818 Naval Air Squadron was active at various naval air stations of the Royal Navy and Royal Air Force stations, both within the United Kingdom and internationally. Additionally, it operated from a number of Royal Navy fleet and an escort carriers.Template:Sfn

World War Two air stations and aircraft carriers

List of air stations and aircraft carriers used by 818 Naval Air Squadron during World War two including dates:

File:HMS Furious 825 Squadron.jpg
HMS Furious

1939 - 1942

File:HMS Unicorn (I72) underway in the Atlantic 1943.jpg
HMS Unicorn

1942 - 1944

  • Royal Naval Air Station Lee-on-Solent (HMS Daedalus), Hampshire, (19 October - 17 November 1942)
  • Royal Naval Air Station Machrihanish (HMS Landrail), Argyll and Bute, (17 November - 2 December 1942)
  • Royal Air Force Kirkistown, County Down, (2 - 18 December 1942)
  • Royal Naval Air Station Machrihanish (HMS Landrail), Argyll and Bute, (18 December 1942 - 24 March 1943)
  • Script error: No such module "WPSHIPS utilities". (24 March - 5 June 1943)
  • Royal Naval Air Station Machrihanish (HMS Landrail), Argyll and Bute, (5 June - 13 August 1943)
  • HMS Unicorn (13 - 28 August 1943)
  • RN Air Section Gibraltar, Gibraltar, (28 August - 30 September 1943)
  • HMS Unicorn (30 September - 13 October 1943)
  • Royal Naval Air Station Belfast (HMS Gadwall), County Antrim, (13 October - 20 November 1943)
  • Royal Naval Air Station Machrihanish (HMS Landrail), Argyll and Bute, (20 - 22 November 1943)
  • HMS Unicorn (22 November 1943 - 5 February 1944)
  • RN Air Section China Bay, Ceylon, (5 February - 29 April 1944)
    • RN Air Section Juhu, India, (Detachment two aircraft 20 March - 6 April 1944)
  • HMS Unicorn (29 April - 23 August 1944)
    • RN Air Section Juhu, India, (Detachment two aircraft 7 - 19 May 1944)
  • HMS Atheling (23 August - 12 September 1944)
  • Royal Naval Air Station Wingfield (HMS Malagas), South Africa, (12 - 18 September 1944)
  • Script error: No such module "WPSHIPS utilities". (18 September - 6 October 1944)
  • RN Air Section Cochin, India, (6 - 14 October 1944)
  • disbanded - (14 October 1944)

1945

Commanding officers

List of commanding officers of 818 Naval Air Squadron:Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn

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, Template:Postnominals, 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.Template:Sfn

Notes

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  1. ↑ a b c d e f g h i Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  2. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  3. ↑ Jameson. Ark Royal, pp. 303–5.
  4. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
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References

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Template:Royal Naval Air Squadrons

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