Wikipedia

826 Naval Air Squadron

826 Naval Air Squadronwas aFleet Air Armaircraft squadron formed duringWorld War IIwhich has been reformed several times since then until last disbanded in 1993.

826 Naval Air Squadron
826 Squadron Westland Sea King HAS.1 based on HMS Eagle in 1970.
ActiveMarch 1940 – August 1943
December 1943 – October 1944
August 1945 – February 1946
?– November 1955
March 1966 – March 1970
June 1970 – July 1993
CountryUnited Kingdom
BranchRoyal Navy
TypeCarrier based squadron
RoleTorpedo Spotter Reconnaissance (TSR)
Part ofFleet Air Arm
Battle honoursDunkirk 1940, English Channel 1940–44, Atlantic 1940, Matapan 1941, Crete 1941, Mediterranean 1941–43, Libya 1941–2, Falklands 1982, Kuwait 1991

History

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Second World War

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No. 826 Squadron was formed atRNAS FordinSussexas atorpedo bombersquadron equipped with 12Fairey Albacorebiplanes.[1]After initial training it was placed under the operational control ofRAF Coastal Command,flying its first mission, a daylight bombing raid against a road junction atNieuwpoort, Belgiumon 31 May 1940. The squadron continued to fly a mixture of convoy escort missions, daylight attacks against German land and sea targets and nighttime patrols against GermanE-boatsuntil the Albacore was grounded on 3 July 1940 owing to the unreliability of the aircraft'sBristol Taurusengines. This resulted in the Squadron being temporarily re-equipped with the olderFairey Swordfishuntil the Albacore was returned to use in August.[1]From August to October 1940, the Squadron carried out more convoy escort patrols and raids against barges being massed by the Germans in the Channel ports in preparation forOperation Sealion.On 7 October the squadron left Coastal Command control to undertake more training in preparation for carrier-based operations.[2]From May to October, the Squadron dropped 55.5 tons of bombs and seven tons ofmines,escorted over 100 convoys. It claimed twoMesserschmitt Bf 109fighters shot down for the loss of five Albacores.[3]

In November 1940, the squadron embarked on the newly commissionedaircraft carrierHMSFormidable,which sailed for theMediterraneanvia South Africa and theRed Sea,the squadron flying attacks againstMassawain Italian-ruledEritreaon the way.[4]The squadron's strength was supplemented by two Swordfishes in March 1941 to replace losses. 826 Squadron took part in theBattle of Cape Matapanon 28 March 1941, damaging theVittorio Veneto.[4][5]On 26 May 1941, following an attack on an airfield onKarpathos,Formidablewas badly damaged by German bombers, and was withdrawn from operations for repair, with 826 Squadron being detached for land-based operations.[4]

The Squadron was then deployed on night bombing raids over theWestern Desertin support of theEighth Army,before being transferred (along with815 Squadron) toNicosia,Cyprusfor operations againstVichy Frenchnaval forces during theSyria–Lebanon Campaignon 28 June 1941. The squadron returned to North Africa on 15 July, and continued to carry night bombing attacks until early 1942, when it returned to the torpedo bomber role, operating fromBerkainLibyato attack Italian convoys.[6]The Squadron continued to carry out both anti-shipping and bombing missions in support of the army for much of the rest of 1942, adding the role of dropping flares to illuminate targets forVickers Wellingtonbombers, participating in both thefirstandsecond Battles of El Alamein.Following the British victory at El Alamein, the squadron continued to fly anti-shipping and convoy escort missions until disbanded on 25 August 1943.[7]

826 Naval Air Squadron reformed on 1 December 1943 atRNAS Lee-on-Solentequipped with theFairey Barracudatorpedo bomber as part of No 9 Torpedo-Bomber-Reconnaissance (TBR) Wing.[8]The Squadron deployed aboard the carrierHMSIndefatigableon 10 June, taking part in an unsuccessful raid against theTirpitz(Operation Mascot) atKaa Fjordin Northern Norway in July 1944, and deploying aboard HMSFormidablefor another series of attacks onTirpitz,Operation Goodwood,attacking on 24 and 29 August 1944. The Squadron was again disbanded on 13 October 1944.[9]

Peter Butterworth, famous as an actor in the British Carry On film series, was flying for the squadron when he was shot down in 1940.

Post War

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Canada

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The squadron reformed on 15 August 1945, again equipped with Barracudas, with the intention of forming part of the air wing ofHMCSMagnificent,a carrier building for theRoyal Canadian Navy.It re-equipped withFairey Fireflyfighter bombers in January 1946, but was disbanded on 26 February 1946, as delays to the completion ofMagnificentmeant that the squadron was not yet needed.[10]The squadron reformed on 1 June 1947 as part of the Royal Canadian Navy, equipped with Fairey Fireflys, operating both fromMagnificentandHMCSWarrior.It re-equipped withGrumman TBM Avengeranti-submarine aircraft in June 1950. On 1 May 1951, the squadron was renamed881 Naval Air Squadron,[10]later VS 881.

Reformation

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Commander Jeffrey Powell, Commanding Officer of 826 Naval Air Squadron 1954, aboard HMS Glory

826 Squadron reformed as part of the Fleet Air Arm in May 1951, equipped with Firefly Mk 5 (soon replaced by Firefly AS. Mk.6) in the anti-submarine role. The Squadron flew its Fireflys off the carriersHMSIndomitable,TheseusandGlory,before re-equipping with the newFairey Gannetanti-submarine aircraft in January 1955, becoming the first squadron to operate the Gannet. It embarked aboardHMSEaglebut disbanded in November 1955.[10]

Helicopters

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The 826 designation was then reactivated in 1966 atRNAS Culdrose,where the squadron was equipped with 8Westland WessexHAS.1 helicopters, and was attached toHMSHermeson a tour of the Mediterranean and Far East in 1966–1967. It then deployed detachments aboard theReplenishment oilersRFAOlmedaandRFAOlnabefore deploying aboardHMSEaglein 1969. The squadron disbanded at RNAS Culdrose on 25 March 1970.[11]

It was reformed a sixth time on 2 June 1970 withWestland Sea Kings,[12]serving on HMSEagleuntil the carrier decommissioned in January 1972. The squadron then operated from the helicopter training shipRFAEngadineand from December 1972, from the cruiserHMSTiger.It continued to operate its Sea Kings fromTigeruntil 1978, when it transferred to the carrierBulwark,receiving Sea King HAS.5s in March 1981, and embarking onHermesin September that year.[13](Bulwarkhaving been paid off in March 1981.[14])

Following theArgentinian invasionof theFalkland Islandsin April 1982, the squadron, equipped with nine Sea King HAS.5s, deployed aboardHermesas part of theOperation CorporateTask Force sent to retake the Islands. The squadron carried anti-submarine and surface search patrols around the task force, unsuccessfully attacking a suspected Argentine submarine on the night of 1/2 May, and also rescued survivors fromHMSSheffield,HMSCoventryandAtlantic Conveyor.Four Sea Kings were transferred to the stores shipRFAFort Austinto free up space aboardHermeson 17 May. The Squadron lost two helicopters during the Falklands War, but on both occasions the crews escaped unharmed.[15]

After the end of the war, the Squadron was split into a number of independent flights operating from Royal Fleet Auxiliary ships, and deployed in turn to the South Atlantic, these operations continuing until 1986. After that period, the Squadron was split into 4 flights of two Sea Kings each, operating from Type 22 frigates, RFAs and aircraft carriers as required.[16]

In December 1990, just prior to the start of the FirstGulf War,826 C Flight, commanded by Lt Cdr Kevin Williamson RN, deployed to the Middle East to take over the two D Flight Sea King helicopters already on station in the region - they were the only helicopters and crews deployed into the Gulf from RNAS Culdrose. The ASW equipment (SONAR and LAPADS equipment) normally fitted had been removed and prototype equipment designed to detect shallow moored mines was fitted instead. This equipment, called 'Demon Camera', was largely ineffective in the waters of the Gulf and the crews reverted to spotting moored and floating mines visually from heights of around 500 feet. The mines were then destroyed by RN EOD divers deployed directly from the helicopters in a low hover and recovered by winch. During their time deployed in the Gulf C Flight operated fromHNLMSZuiderkruisand RFAsFort Grange,ArgusandSir Galahad.The C Flight crews returned to RNAS Culdrose in April 1991, after handing their Sea Kings back to 826 D flight personnel who then subsequently took part in flood relief operations off Bangladesh. During this period Sea King XZ577 (side number '138') was lost in a collision withRFAFort Grange;the crew and passengers survived.[17]

After the squadron's aircraft had been reallocated to810 Naval Air Squadronand819 Naval Air Squadronthe squadron was again disbanded in July 1993.[18]

Aircraft operated

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Fairey Albacore, circa 1940.
Westland Sea King HAS.1 helicopter
Aircraft operated by 826 Naval Air Squadron:[18]
From To Aircraft Version Notes
March 1940 August 1943 Fairey Albacore I
July 1940
March 1941		 August 1940
September 1941		 Fairey Swordfish I
December 1943 October 1944 Fairey Barracuda II
August 1945 January 1946 Fairey Barracuda II(ASH) Fitted with Air-to-Surface H radar
January 1946
May 1947		 February 1946
October 1950		 Fairey Firefly FR.1
December 1948 January 1949 Fairey Firefly T.1
October 1950 May 1951 Grumman Avenger TBM-3E
May 1951 January 1955 Fairey Firefly AS.6
January 1955 November 1955 Fairey Gannet AS.1
March 1966 October 1968 Westland Wessex HAS.1
October 1968 March 1970 Westland Wessex HAS.3
June 1970 December 1976 Westland Sea King HAS.1
December 1976 March 1981 Westland Sea King HAS.2/2a
March 1981 May 1993 Westland Sea King HAS.5
April 1988 July 1993 Westland Sea King HAS.6

References

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Citations

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  1. ^abBrown 1972, p. 48.
  2. ^Brown 1972, pp. 49–50.
  3. ^Brown 1972, pp. 48–50.
  4. ^abcBrown 1972, p. 50.
  5. ^"Fleet Air Arm 826 squadron profile".fleetairarmarchive.net.Archived fromthe originalon 10 March 2012.Retrieved6 April2012.
  6. ^Brown 1972, pp. 50–51.
  7. ^Brown 1972, pp. 51–53.
  8. ^Brown 1972, pp. 53–54.
  9. ^Brown 1972, pp. 53–58.
  10. ^abcBrown 1972, p. 58.
  11. ^Brown 1972, pp. 58, 61.
  12. ^Brown 1972, p. 61.
  13. ^Sturtivant and Ballance 1994, pp. 222–224.
  14. ^Chesneau 1998, p. 146.
  15. ^Burden et al 1986, pp. 247–250.
  16. ^Sturtivant and Ballance 1994, pp. 223, 225–227.
  17. ^Howard et al 2011, p. 255.
  18. ^abSturtivant and Ballance 1994, p.223.

Bibliography

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  • Brown, David.Carrier Air Groups, Volume 1: HMS Eagle.Windsor, UK: Hylton Lacy Ltd., 1972.ISBN0-85064-103-9.
  • Burden, Rodney A., Michael A. Draper, Douglas A. Rough, Colin A Smith and David Wilton.Falklands: The Air War.Twickenham, UK: British Air Review Group, 1986.ISBN0 906339 05 7.
  • Chesneau, Roger.Aircraft Carriers of the World, 1914 to the Present: An Illustrated Encyclopedia.London: Bloomsbury Press, 1998.ISBN1-86019-875-9.
  • Howard, Lee, Burrow, Mick and Myall, Eric.Fleet Air Arm Helicopters since 1943.Tonbridge: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd, 2011.ISBN978-0-85130-304-8.
  • Sturtivant, Ray. and Ballance, Theo.The Squadrons of The Fleet Air Arm.Tonbridge, Kent, UK: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd, 1994.ISBN0-85130-223-8.


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