811 Naval Air Squadronwas a unit of the BritishRoyal Navy'sFleet Air Arm.It was first founded in 1933, and served during World War II, seeing action in the battle of the Atlantic and on Russian convoys, and was eventually disbanded in 1956.
| 811 Naval Air Squadron | |
|---|---|
 A Grumman Martlet fighter of 811 Squadron lands on HMSBiterafter a successful action against a German Junkers Ju 290, February 1944 | |
| Active | 1933–1939 1941–1944 1945–1947 1955–1956 |
| Country |  United Kingdom |
| Branch |  Royal Navy |
| Role | Torpedo-bomber / fighter squadron |
| Part of | Fleet Air Arm |
| Motto(s) | Ventre à mer |
| Aircraft flown | |
| Battle honours |
|
Service history
editPre-war
editThe squadron was formed on 3 April 1933 by amalgamating No. 465 and No. 466 Fleet Torpedo Flights, and served aboard theaircraft carrierFuriousin theHome Fleet.[2]Initially equipped with theBlackburn RiponMk.II,[3]these were replaced in January 1935 with theBlackburn Baffin,[2]which were in turn replaced by theFairey SwordfishMk.I in October 1936.[4]In December 1938 theFuriouswas paid off, and the next year 811 Squadron was assigned to hersister shipCourageous.[2]The squadron lost much of its personnel and all of its aircraft whenCourageouswas sunk by aU-boaton 17 September 1939,[4]and the survivors of 811 and 822 squadrons were reformed into815 Naval Air Squadron.[5]
World War II
edit811 Squadron was reformed in July 1941 atRNAS Lee-on-Solent (HMS Daedalus),nearPortsmouth,as a torpedo-bomber reconnaissance squadron, and was equipped with twoSea Hurricanesand fourteen AmericanVought SB2U Vindicators,which the British called the "Chesapeake".[4]The squadron also received two former civilianAvro 652s(the precursor to theAvro Anson) which they operated until March 1942.[6]The Chesapeake's were part of an order originally placed by the French Navy in March 1940, but after thefall of Francethe order was taken over by the British. The aircraft were fitted with an additional fuel tank and armour, and the single French 7.5 mmDarne machine gunwas replaced by four British machine guns. It was intended that they be used as anti-submarine patrol aircraft operating from the escort carrierArcher,but it was soon realised that the Chesapeake lacked the power to fly from such a small vessel while carrying a useful load, and they were reassigned to training squadrons in November 1941,[7]and the squadron received Swordfish Mk.2's as replacements.[4]
From August to December 1942 811 Squadron was based atRAF Bircham NewtoninNorfolk,serving under the control ofRAF Coastal Command,and flying on anti-shipping and mine-laying operations.[4]In January 1943, the squadron received threeGrumman F4F WildcatMk.IVs, called the "Martlet" in British service,[4]and on 21 February 1943 flew fromRNAS Hatstonto embark aboard theescort carrierBiterto serve on convoy escort duty in thebattle of the Atlantic.On 22 AprilBiterand the escort destroyersPathfinder,Obdurate,andOpportunejoined convoy ONS-4 sailing fromLiverpool.On 25 April a Swordfish from 811 Squadron attackedU-203,which was then sunk by depth charges byPathfinder.The convoy arrived atHalifax,Nova Scotia,on 5 April without loss.[8]
From 2 MayBiterdefended the convoysHX 237andSC 129from Germanwolf packs.On 12 May a Swordfish from 811 Squadron, with the destroyerBroadwayand the frigateLagan,attacked and sankU-89.After arriving at Liverpool, the squadron disembarked and were stationed atRNAS Machrihanish (HMS Landrail).[8]
On 2 June 811 Squadron returned toBiterto escort further convoys between Liverpool and Halifax, includingON-207in October. While atNaval Station Argentiain November, the squadron was supplied with the new Americanacoustic torpedo,codenamed theMark 24 mine,but commonly known as "FIDO". On 17 November a Swordfish smashed into the end of theflight deckofBiterwhile landing in a heavy swell, and its unused FIDO torpedo fell into the sea and exploded, badly damagingBiter's rudder. The carrier managed to return toRosyth Dockyardfor repairs, which took a month.[8]
WhileBiterwas under repair 811 Squadron were stationed atRNAS Inskip (HMS Nightjar),finally returning to the ship on 12 January 1944. In early FebruaryBitersailed in support of Convoy ONS-29 to Halifax, then transferred to Convoy OS-68/KMS-42 bound forFreetownandGibraltar.On 16 February, in theBay of Biscay,811's Martlets shot down aJu 290long-range reconnaissance aircraft, which had attempted to attack the convoy escorts with aglide bomb.Biterarrived at Gibraltar on 25 February where two Swordfish of 811 Squadron spent a week operating out ofRAF North Front.On 2 MarchBitersailed again, escorting the UK-bound convoys SL-150 and MKS-41, and arrived at Liverpool on the 13th.Bitercontinued to escort convoys between the UK and Gibraltar until August 1944 when she was withdrawn from service, for conversion to a transport carrier.[8]
811 Squadron was temporarily based atRAF LimavadyinNorthern Ireland,serving under RAF Coastal Command, until joiningVindexin September 1944 to escortconvoys to Russia.811 Squadron was disbanded on its return in December 1944.[4]
Post war
editThe squadron was reformed in September 1945,[4]and in August 1946 was equipped with the Sea Mosquito TR.33, which was ade Havilland MosquitoFB.VI modified for carrier operations. An early prototype, flown by test pilotEric Brown,was the first twin-engined aircraft to make a carrier landing, when it touched down aboardIndefatigableon 25 March 1944. Stationed atRNAS Brawdy,Pembrokeshire,[9]811 Squadron was the only unit to operate this type, which never served aboard a carrier, before it was superseded by theSea Hornet.The squadron was disbanded in July 1947.[10]
811 Squadron was reformed in the 1950s, with the Hawker Sea Fury, and embarked aboard HMS Warrior dispatched to the Far East for the Korean War. The squadron flew patrols there until the Peace Treaty was signed in 1954. Subsequently, the Squadron reformed flying theHawker Sea Hawkjet fromBulwarkin mid–1955[11]and operating fromCentaurin theFar Eastand the Mediterranean at the Suez war in 1956,[12]before being finally disbanded the same year.[13]
References
edit- ^"Fleet Air Arm Squadrons".Fleet Air Arm Officers Association.2014. Archived fromthe originalon 2 January 2014.Retrieved27 January2014.
- ^abc"Squadron Histories 712–825".RAF Web.2013.Retrieved27 January2014.
- ^"Squadron Markings 802–1435".RAF Web.2013.Retrieved27 January2014.
Ripon II
- ^abcdefgh"811 Squadron".Squadron Database of the Fleet Air Arm Archive.2005. Archived fromthe originalon 24 September 2015.Retrieved27 January2014.
- ^"815 Squadron".Squadron Database of the Fleet Air Arm Archive 1939–1945.2005. Archived fromthe originalon 24 September 2015.Retrieved27 January2014.
- ^"Avro 652".Aircraft Database of the Fleet Air Arm Archive 1939–1945.2001. Archived fromthe originalon 31 October 2012.Retrieved27 January2014.
- ^"Vought SB2U Vindicator".Axis and Allies Paintworks.2012.Retrieved27 January2014.
- ^abcdDrury, Tony (2004)."A History of HMS Biter".Royal Navy Research Archive.Retrieved27 January2014.
- ^"HMS Goldcrest – RNAS Brawdy".Royal Navy Meteorological Branch Association.2014.Retrieved27 January2014.
- ^Goebel, Greg (2013)."Mosquito: Origins & Variants".AirVectors.Retrieved27 January2014.
- ^"HMS Bulwark".Bulwark, Albion & Centaur Association.2005. Archived fromthe originalon 3 February 2014.Retrieved27 January2014.
- ^Kindell, Don (2013)."Royal Navy casualties, killed and died, 1956–59".Royal Navy and Naval History Net.Retrieved27 January2014.
- ^Dobrée-Carey, Paul (2010)."Ronald de Havilland Dobrée-Carey: Biography".The History of the Carey Family of Guernsey, 1393–2008.Archived fromthe originalon 12 June 2015.Retrieved27 January2014.