801 Naval Air Squadron

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801 Naval Air Squadron
Active1933 - 9 March 2007
Country United Kingdom
Branch Royal Navy
RoleMaritime Strike
Part ofFleet Air Arm
Motto(s)On Les Aura
(We'll have them).[1]
Battle honours
  • Dunkirk 1940
  • Atlantic 1940
  • Norway 1940 - 4
  • Malta Convoys 1942
  • North Africa 1942 - 3
  • Japan 1945
  • Falkland Islands 1982

801 Naval Air Squadron (NAS) was a Fleet Air Arm squadron of the Royal Navy formed in 1933 which fought in World War II, the Korean War and the Falklands War.

Fleet Air Arm of the Royal Air Force

The squadron was formed on 3 April 1933 as part of the Fleet Air Arm, with the promotion of No. 401 Flight to squadron status. The squadron was equipped with the

Admiralty
.

Second World War

In January 1940, 801 NAS was based at

RNAS Donibristle with the Blackburn Skua, playing a key role in the early part of the war with operations in Norway while deploying from the aircraft carrier HMS Ark Royal. In September, 801 Squadron embarked on Furious for raids on the northerly parts of the Norwegian coast. Following an attack on Trondheim on 22 September, Skua L2942 piloted by Sub-Lieutenant Bernard Wigginton with Leading Aircraftman Kenneth King as his gunner, was unable to find their carrier and crash landed in neutral Sweden
.

In 1943

880 Naval Air Squadron formed the 30 Naval Fighter Wing on HMS Implacable. In June 1945, naval fighter wings were reformed as carrier groups with 801 NAS, 828 NAS, 880 NAS and 1771 NAS becoming the 8th Carrier Air Group. In August 1941 they re-equipped with Sea Hurricanes at RNAS Yeovilton, Captain George Clifton Baldwin commanded the station from 1966-1968) The squadron deployed to the Mediterranean aboard Argus, then to Eagle. During this deployment 801 NAS claimed thirteen enemy aircraft of various types, for the loss of three Hurricanes and four Fulmars. Two of the Fulmars were brought down by friendly fire
.

Korean War

In March 1951, 801 NAS received Hawker Sea Furys and the squadron saw active service during the Korean War flying from Glory. Glory was deployed in theatre from 3 April 1951 to 30 September 1951 and from 8 November 1952 to the Korean Armistice Agreement of 27 July 1953. 801 NAS was embarked on the second tour of duty.

Sea Furies could be armed with either two bombs or four rockets and drop tanks in both cases. The aircraft were mainly used in the ground attack role armed with bombs and rockets, but they were also engaged in air-to-air combat with the much faster

MiG-15
.

A Sea Fury FB.11 launches from HMS Glory in 1951

The squadron suffered seven casualties.[2]

1960s to 1980s

On 18 March 1962, 801 squadron was reformed at Lossiemouth in the strike role with Buccaneers. In July 1962 they embarked 10 aircraft in Victorious for the Far East. The squadron subsequently received the 1967 Boyd Trophy, an annual award for the best squadron in the Fleet Air Arm, for its efforts in bringing the Buccaneer into service.

801 transferred to Hermes with 7 aircraft in 1968 for a further spell in Eastern waters. In March 1969 the ship returned home to spend the next year in Home and Mediterranean waters. The squadron eventually disbanded at Lossiemouth on 21 July 1970.

In January 1981 the squadron re-equipped with the

Sea Harrier FRS.1 at RNAS Yeovilton
.

Falklands War

The squadron operated the

MV Atlantic Conveyor
with their four Sea Harrier FRS.1 aircraft.

801 NAS Pilots
899 NAS Pilots
  • Lieutenant Commander Robin Kent
  • Lieutenant Commander John Eyton-Jones (KIA)[5]
  • Lieutenant Commander Mike Broadwater.
  • Flight Lieutenant Paul Barton

809 NAS Pilots

  • Lieutenant Commander Tim Gedge
  • Lieutenant Commander Dave Braithwaite
  • Lieutenant Commander Alistair Craig
  • Lieutenant Dave Austin

801 Squadron shot down 8 Argentine aircraft.[6]

Losses

801 NAS lost four aircraft and two pilots during the conflict.[9]

  • 6 May 1982 - Two aircraft (XZ452 and XZ453) collided in bad weather while flying a night sortie south east of East Falkland, investigating a radar contact close to the burnt-out wreck of HMS Sheffield. Both pilots - Lt Cdr Eyton-Jones in XZ452 and Lt Curtis in XZ453 - were killed and no trace of either aircraft found.
  • 29 May 1982 - Sea Harrier ZA174 was being made ready for take-off, and slid off the deck when Invincible turned sharply into the wind. The pilot - Lt Cdr Broadwater - ejected and was picked up.
  • 1 June 1982 - XZ456 was shot down while on an armed recce by a
    Port Stanley, by GADA 601. The pilot - Flight Lieutenant Mortimer - ejected and was rescued by a Sea King from 820 NAS
    after nine hours in the water.

Gallantry Awards

Lieutenant Commander Ward and Lieutenant Thomas were each awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for their conduct and leadership throughout the campaign. Lieutenant Commander Kent and Flight Lieutenant Mortimer were both Mentioned in Despatches. Lt Curtis was posthumously Mentioned in Despatches

1982 to 2000s

In March 1997, 801 NAS was deployed onboard

No.1 Squadron RAF who had joined them on the carrier for a month of combined exercises and operations. Between 7–12 March, the Harriers flew 28 sorties (18 over Iraqi territory).[10]

Decommissioning

Sea Harrier of 801 NAS

On Tuesday 28 March 2006 a ceremony was held at RNAS Yeovilton, with Commander A J W Rae as the last Sea Harrier squadron commanding officer, to mark the withdrawal from service of the Royal Navy's Sea Harrier FA2s. The final Sea Harrier was withdrawn from service on 31 March 2006 at RNAS Yeovilton and the squadron disbanded. Prior to decommissioning, all aircraft adopted the

892 Naval Air Squadron, whose McDonnell Douglas Phantom FG.1s were the last conventional fixed-wing aircraft used by the Fleet Air Arm
.

801 NAS was due to recommission in March 2007, under the command of Commander K Seymour, to operate the Harrier GR7 and GR9 from RAF Cottesmore. However, due to lack of manpower all former 801 and 800 NAS (their sister squadron) personnel formed a "Naval Strike Wing" within RAF Cottesmore, thus severing all remaining ties to their former home at RNAS Yeovilton.[11] On 1 April 2010, Naval Strike Wing reverted to the identity of 800 Naval Air Squadron.[12]

Aircraft flown

During its lifespan, 801 Squadron has flown fourteen different aircraft types:[13]

References

Citations

  1. ^ This was the rallying cry at Verdun 1916 by Marshal Petain.
  2. ^ "Casualty Lists of the Royal Navy in 1953". Retrieved 23 June 2009.
  3. ^ Norton-Taylor, Richard. Review: Few secrets in sea of Boy's Own prose, The Guardian 28 January 1997
  4. ^ "Lieutenant W. A. Curtis". Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 4 July 2009.
  5. ^ "Lieutenant Commander J. E. Eyton-Jones". Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 4 July 2009.
  6. ^ "List of Destroyed Argentine Aircraft". Archived from the original on 29 May 2009. Retrieved 22 June 2009.
  7. ^ "Major Carlos Tomba's Pucara". BBC News. Retrieved 24 June 2009.
  8. ^ "Lost Argentine Pucara found". Retrieved 24 June 2009.
  9. ^ "801 NAS Squadron losses". Archived from the original on 2 June 2009. Retrieved 24 June 2009.
  10. ISBN 978-1591148128
    .
  11. ^ "Naval Strike Wing (NSW)". Archived from the original on 10 April 2009. Retrieved 24 June 2009.
  12. ^ "800 Naval Air Squadron". Royal Navy. Archived from the original on 20 September 2011. Retrieved 19 June 2011.
  13. ^ Sturtivant, Ballance 1994, p. 130.

Bibliography

  • Sturtivant, R; Ballance, T (1994). The Squadrons of The Fleet Air Arm.
    ISBN 0-85130-223-8
    .

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to 801 Naval Air Squadron.
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