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Operation White
Operation White (15–18 November 1940) was a British attempt to deliver fourteen aircraft, twelve Hawker Hurricane Fighter aircraft, fighters and two Blackburn Skua, Skua fighter–dive bombers, to Malta from the aircraft carrier . White was one of what became known as Club Runs, that supplied fighters for the defence of Malta. The operation was thwarted by the presence of the Italian fleet, which prompted the premature dispatch of the fighters; combined with bad weather and some poor navigation, this led to only five aircraft reaching Malta, all but one the other pilots and aircraft being lost at sea. An enquiry blamed the Hurricane pilots for lack of familiarity with the constant-speed propeller on the Hurricane Mk II but few people were convinced and Vice-Admiral Sir James Somerville, the commander of Force H at Gibraltar, confided in his diary that the operation was "a frightful failure" and blamed himself for the tragedy. Background Malta After the entry of Italy in the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Battle Of The Mediterranean
The Battle of the Mediterranean was the name given to the naval campaign fought in the Mediterranean Sea during World War II, from 10 June 1940 to 2 May 1945. For the most part, the campaign was fought between the Kingdom of Italy, Italian Regia Marina, Royal Navy (''Regia Marina''), supported by other Axis Powers, Axis naval and air forces, those of Nazi Germany and Vichy France, and the United Kingdom, British Royal Navy, supported by other Allies of World War II, Allied naval forces, such as those of Australia, the Netherlands, Poland, and Kingdom of Greece, Greece. American naval and air units joined the Allied side on 8 November 1942. The Vichy French Scuttling of the French fleet at Toulon, scuttled the bulk of their fleet on 27 November 1942, to prevent the Germans seizing it. As part of the Armistice of Cassibile in September 1943, most of the Italian Navy became the Italian Co-belligerent Navy, and fought alongside the Allies. Each side had three overall objectives in ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Battle Of France
The Battle of France (; 10 May – 25 June 1940), also known as the Western Campaign (), the French Campaign (, ) and the Fall of France, during the Second World War was the Nazi Germany, German invasion of the Low Countries (Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands) and French Third Republic, France. The plan for the invasion of the Low Countries and France was called (Case Yellow or the Manstein plan). (Case Red) was planned to finish off the French and British after the Dunkirk evacuation, evacuation at Dunkirk. The Low Countries and France were defeated and occupied by Axis troops down to the Demarcation line (France), Demarcation line. On 3 September 1939, French declaration of war on Germany (1939), France and United Kingdom declaration of war on Germany (1939), Britain declared war on Nazi Germany, over the German invasion of Poland on 1 September. In early September 1939, the French army began the limited Saar Offensive but by mid-October had withdrawn to the start line ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Battleship
A battleship is a large, heavily naval armour, armored warship with a main battery consisting of large naval gun, guns, designed to serve as a capital ship. From their advent in the late 1880s, battleships were among the largest and most formidable weapon systems ever built, until they were surpassed by aircraft carriers beginning in the 1940s. The modern battleship traces its origin to the sailing ship of the line, which was developed into the steam ship of the line and soon thereafter the ironclad warship. After a period of extensive experimentation in the 1870s and 1880s, ironclad design was largely standardized by the British , which are usually referred to as the first "pre-dreadnought battleships". These ships carried an armament that usually included four large guns and several medium-caliber guns that were to be used against enemy battleships, and numerous small guns for self-defense. Naval powers around the world built dozens of pre-dreadnoughts in the 1890s and early ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Fairey Swordfish
The Fairey Swordfish is a retired biplane torpedo bomber, designed by the Fairey Aviation Company. Originating in the early 1930s, the Swordfish, nicknamed "Stringbag", was principally operated by the Fleet Air Arm of the Royal Navy. It was also used by the Royal Air Force (RAF), as well as several overseas operators, including the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) and the Royal Netherlands Navy. It was initially operated primarily as a fleet attack aircraft. During its later years, the Swordfish was increasingly used for Anti-submarine warfare, anti-submarine and Trainer (aircraft), training duties. The type was in frontline service throughout the World War II, Second World War. Despite being obsolescent, the Swordfish achieved some spectacular successes during the war, including sinking one battleship and damaging two others belonging to the ''Regia Marina'' (the Italian navy) during the Battle of Taranto, and the Last battle of Bismarck, famous attack on the German battleship ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
820 Naval Air Squadron
820 Naval Air Squadron (802 NAS), also referred to as 820 Squadron, is a carrier-based Fleet Air Arm (FAA) naval air squadron of the United Kingdom’s Royal Navy (RN). It currently operates the Merlin HM2 in two capacities, either for anti-submarine warfare or for airborne surveillance, and control, to protect the RN carrier strike group, with a shore base at RNAS Culdrose. The Squadron was formed at RNAS Gosport on 3 April 1933 with the transferral of the Fairey III aircraft from 450 Flight and half of 445 Flight of the Fleet Air Arm of the Royal Navy. History Second World War The squadron's first assignment on its formation was to carry out spotter-reconnaissance duties for the aircraft carrier . They were later re-equipped with Fairey Seals and Blackburn Sharks, eventually receiving Fairey Swordfish in autumn 1937. The squadron was reassigned in November the following year to the new aircraft carrier . The squadron operated from ''Ark Royal'' for the next three years, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
818 Naval Air Squadron
818 Naval Air Squadron was a Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm carrier-based squadron formed in August 1939. It served on a number of the Navy's aircraft carriers during the Second World War, serving in most of the theatres of the war, before decommissioning at the end of the war. History Norway and the Mediterranean 818 Squadron was formed as a torpedo reconnaissance squadron at Evanton in August 1939. This was some two months earlier than had originally been planned, owing to the increased threat of war. The squadron was initially equipped with nine Fairey Swordfish Is, and then embarked on the aircraft carrier at the navy's base at Scapa Flow. ''Ark Royal'' was then deployed to search for enemy shipping off Norway. 818 Squadron then 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 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
810 Naval Air Squadron
810 Naval Air Squadron (810 NAS), sometimes known to as 810 Squadron, was a Fleet Air Arm (FAA) naval air squadron of the United Kingdom’s Royal Navy (RN). It most recently operated Westland Sea King anti-submarine warfare helicopter between March 1983 and July 2001. It formed on 3 April 1933 with the amalgamation of the 12 Blackburn Dart aircraft from 463 and 44 Flight (Fleet Torpedo) Flights Royal Air Force to the Fleet Air Arm. The squadron saw action during the Second World War, the Suez Crisis and the Korean War. History Pre war 810 Squadron was assigned to the aircraft carrier in May 1933 and formed part of the Home Fleet. In September that year the Darts were replaced by Blackburn Ripons, and these were in turn replaced by Blackburn Baffins in July 1934, with the entire squadron operating Baffins by November that year. The Abyssinian crisis caused ''Courageous'' and the squadron to be transferred to the Mediterranean from August 1935 to February 1936. The s ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
800 Naval Air Squadron
800 Naval Air Squadron (800 NAS) also referred to as 800 Squadron, was a Fleet Air Arm (FAA) naval air squadron of the United Kingdom’s Royal Navy (RN). It most recently operated the Harrier as part of Joint Force Harrier (JFH), from March 2006 until January 2011. Formed on 3 April 1933 by amalgamating No's 402 and 404 (Fleet Fighter) Flights. Operating as a carrier-based fighter squadron, it served throughout the Second World War. During the Korean War, it flew Supermarine Seafire. These were followed with the Supermarine Attacker in the mid-1950s, then the Hawker Sea Hawk during the Suez Crises, and later the Supermarine Scimitar and Blackburn Buccaneer during the 1960s. The squadron flew the Sea Harrier throughout the 1980s, 1990s and early noughties, notably during the Falklands War. History 1930s 800 Squadron of the Fleet Air Arm was established on 3 April 1933, at RAF Netheravon in Wiltshire, through the amalgamation of Nos. 402 and 404 (Fleet Fighter) Fligh ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Fairey Fulmar
The Fairey Fulmar is a British carrier-borne reconnaissance aircraft/fighter aircraft which was developed and manufactured by aircraft company Fairey Aviation. It was named after the northern fulmar, a seabird native to the British Isles. The Fulmar served with the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm (FAA) during the Second World War. The design of the Fulmar was based on that of the earlier Fairey P.4/34, a land-based light bomber developed during 1936 as a replacement for the Fairey Battle light bomber. Fairey had redesigned the aircraft as a navalised observation/fighter aircraft to satisfy the requirements of Specification O.8/38, for which it was selected. Although its performance (like that of its Battle antecedent) was unspectacular, the Fulmar was a reliable, sturdy aircraft with long range and an effective armament of eight machine guns; the type could also be put into production relatively quickly. On 4 January 1940, the first production aircraft made its first flight a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
808 Naval Air Squadron
808 Naval Air Squadron is a ship-based helicopter squadron of the Royal Australian Navy. 808 Naval Air Squadron (808 NAS) was a Fleet Air Arm (FAA) naval air squadron of the United Kingdom’s Royal Navy (RN). Originally established as a fleet fighter squadron at HMS ''Kestrel'', RNAS Worthy Down, in July 1940, it subsequently relocated to RAF Castletown, Caithness, in September. In October of the that year, the squadron was deployed aboard HMS ''Ark Royal'', joining Force H in the Western Mediterranean. Following the sinking of HMS ''Ark Royal'' in November 1941, the squadron was integrated into 807 Naval Air Squadron. Re-formed at HMS ''Merlin'', RNAS Donibristle, in January 1942, the squadron swiftly relocated to HMS ''Vulture'', RNAS St Merryn, HMS ''Heron'', RNAS Yeovilton and HMS ''Gadwall'', RNAS Belfast, before boarding the escort carrier HMS ''Biter'' in September but disembarking at HMS ''Blackcap'', RNAS Stretton. In December 1942, Supermarine Seafire aircraft were ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Fleet Air Arm
The Fleet Air Arm (FAA) is the naval aviation component of the United Kingdom's Royal Navy (RN). The FAA is one of five :Fighting Arms of the Royal Navy, RN fighting arms. it is a primarily helicopter force, though also operating the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II, F-35 Lightning II carrier-based stealth fighter jointly with the Royal Air Force. The RAF was formed by the 1918 merger of the RN's Royal Naval Air Service with the British Army's Royal Flying Corps. The FAA did not come under the direct control of the Admiralty (United Kingdom), Admiralty until mid-1939. During the Second World War, the FAA operated aircraft on ships as well as land-based aircraft that defended List of Royal Navy shore establishments, the Royal Navy's shore establishments and facilities. History Beginnings British naval flying started in 1909, with the construction of an airship for naval duties. In 1911 the Royal Navy graduated its first aeroplane pilots at the Royal Aero Club RAF Eastchu ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Admiral (Royal Navy)
Admiral is a senior rank of the Royal Navy, which equates to the NATO rank code Ranks and insignia of NATO, OF-9, outranked only by the rank of Admiral of the Fleet (Royal Navy), admiral of the fleet. Royal Navy officers holding the ranks of Rear Admiral (Royal Navy), rear admiral, Vice Admiral (Royal Navy), vice admiral and admiral of the fleet are sometimes considered generically to be admirals. The rank of admiral is currently the highest rank to which a serving officer in the Royal Navy can be promoted, admiral of the fleet being in abeyance except for honorary promotions of retired officers and members of the royal family. The equivalent rank in the British Army and Royal Marines is General (United Kingdom), general; and in the Royal Air Force, it is air chief marshal. History The first admirals The title admiral was not used in Europe until the mid-13th century and did not reach England before the end of that century. Similarly, although some royal vessels are attested un ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
