814 Naval Air Squadron
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814 Naval Air Squadron or 814 NAS, nicknamed the Flying Tigers, is a squadron of the
Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against Fr ...
Fleet Air Arm The Fleet Air Arm (FAA) is one of the five fighting arms of the Royal Navy and is responsible for the delivery of naval air power both from land and at sea. The Fleet Air Arm operates the F-35 Lightning II for maritime strike, the AW159 Wi ...
. It is currently equipped with the AgustaWestland Merlin HM2
anti-submarine warfare Anti-submarine warfare (ASW, or in older form A/S) is a branch of underwater warfare that uses surface warships, aircraft, submarines, or other platforms, to find, track, and deter, damage, or destroy enemy submarines. Such operations are typ ...
helicopter and is based at Royal Naval Air Station (RNAS) Culdrose in
Cornwall Cornwall (; kw, Kernow ) is a Historic counties of England, historic county and Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is recognised as one of the Celtic nations, and is the homeland of the Cornish people ...
. The squadron was formed in December 1938 and has been disbanded and reformed several times.


Role and equipment

814 Naval Air Squadron operates the AgustaWestland Merlin HM2
anti-submarine warfare Anti-submarine warfare (ASW, or in older form A/S) is a branch of underwater warfare that uses surface warships, aircraft, submarines, or other platforms, to find, track, and deter, damage, or destroy enemy submarines. Such operations are typ ...
(ASW) helicopter and is based at
RNAS Culdrose Royal Naval Air Station Culdrose (RNAS Culdrose, also known as HMS ''Seahawk''; ICAO: EGDR) is a Royal Navy airbase near Helston on the Lizard Peninsula of Cornwall UK, and is one of the largest helicopter bases in Europe. Its main role is serv ...
in
Cornwall Cornwall (; kw, Kernow ) is a Historic counties of England, historic county and Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is recognised as one of the Celtic nations, and is the homeland of the Cornish people ...
. In addition to its ASW role, it has capabilities in anti-piracy operations, delivery of humanitarian aid,
casualty evacuation Casualty evacuation, also known as CASEVAC or by the callsign Dustoff or colloquially Dust Off, is a military term for the emergency patient evacuation of casualties from a combat zone. Casevac can be done by both ground and air. "DUSTOFF" i ...
, medium lift under-slung loads (up to 3.8 tonnes),
search and rescue Search and rescue (SAR) is the search for and provision of aid to people who are in distress or imminent danger. The general field of search and rescue includes many specialty sub-fields, typically determined by the type of terrain the search ...
, counter drugs and
maritime patrol {{Unreferenced, date=March 2008 Maritime patrol is the task of monitoring areas of water. Generally conducted by military and law enforcement agencies, maritime patrol is usually aimed at identifying human activities. Maritime patrol refers to ac ...
and security operations. The Merlin can be armed with
BAE Systems BAE Systems plc (BAE) is a British multinational arms, security, and aerospace company based in London, England. It is the largest defence contractor in Europe, and ranked the seventh-largest in the world based on applicable 2021 revenue ...
Sting Ray
torpedo A modern torpedo is an underwater ranged weapon launched above or below the water surface, self-propelled towards a target, and with an explosive warhead designed to detonate either on contact with or in proximity to the target. Historically, ...
es, Mark 11
depth charge A depth charge is an anti-submarine warfare (ASW) weapon. It is intended to destroy a submarine by being dropped into the water nearby and detonating, subjecting the target to a powerful and destructive hydraulic shock. Most depth charges use h ...
s and the Browning M3m .50 calibre machine gun. The squadron has over 200 personnel assigned to it and is the largest ever Merlin Fleet Air Arm squadron.


History


Second World War

814 Naval Air Squadron was formed in December 1938 as a torpedo reconnaissance squadron equipped with six Fairey Swordfish Mk I.


West Africa

Originally embarked on aircraft carrier HMS ''Ark Royal'' in January 1939, it transferred to HMS ''Hermes'' at the outbreak of the
Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...
. HMS ''Hermes'' set sail for West Africa where the squadron helped search for the German cruiser '' Admiral Graf Spee''. It also took part in the
Battle of Dakar The Battle of Dakar, also known as Operation Menace, was an unsuccessful attempt in September 1940 by the Allies to capture the strategic port of Dakar in French West Africa (modern-day Senegal). It was hoped that the success of the operation cou ...
, damaging the
Vichy French Vichy France (french: Régime de Vichy; 10 July 1940 – 9 August 1944), officially the French State ('), was the fascist French state headed by Marshal Philippe Pétain during World War II. Officially independent, but with half of its ter ...
battleship '' Richelieu'' on 8 July 1940. Heavy anti-aircraft fire meant the squadron only achieved a single hit, however the battleship was out-of-action for over a year as a result. For its participation in the
Battle of the Atlantic The Battle of the Atlantic, the longest continuous military campaign in World War II, ran from 1939 to the defeat of Nazi Germany in 1945, covering a major part of the naval history of World War II. At its core was the Allies of World War II, ...
during 1940, the squadron received its only battle honour.


Indian Ocean

HMS ''Hermes'' and the squadron travelled to the
Indian Ocean The Indian Ocean is the third-largest of the world's five oceanic divisions, covering or ~19.8% of the water on Earth's surface. It is bounded by Asia to the north, Africa to the west and Australia to the east. To the south it is bounded by ...
in December 1940. The squadron went on to provide support for land forces in
British Somaliland British Somaliland, officially the Somaliland Protectorate ( so, Dhulka Maxmiyada Soomaalida ee Biritishka), was a British protectorate in present-day Somaliland. During its existence, the territory was bordered by Italian Somalia, French So ...
in East Africa, during which five enemy merchant ships were captured. In May 1941, the squadron provided support to the
Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) an ...
(RAF) in
Iraq Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq ...
and later provided convoy protection in the Indian Ocean. In April 1942, while the squadron was ashore, HMS ''Hermes'' was sunk by Japanese aircraft off
Ceylon Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්‍රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை, Ilaṅkai, translit-std=ISO ()), formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an ...
(now Sri Lanka) whilst transiting between
Trincomalee Trincomalee (; ta, திருகோணமலை, translit=Tirukōṇamalai; si, ත්‍රිකුණාමළය, translit= Trikuṇāmaḷaya), also known as Gokanna and Gokarna, is the administrative headquarters of the Trincomalee Dis ...
and the
Maldives Maldives (, ; dv, ދިވެހިރާއްޖެ, translit=Dhivehi Raajje, ), officially the Republic of Maldives ( dv, ދިވެހިރާއްޖޭގެ ޖުމްހޫރިއްޔާ, translit=Dhivehi Raajjeyge Jumhooriyyaa, label=none, ), is an archipelag ...
. 814 NAS subsequently disbanded during December 1942 at
Katukurunda Katukurunda Airport ( si, කටුකුරුන්ද ගුවන්තොටුපළ ''Katukurunda Guwanthotupala'', ) is a domestic airport located near the town of Kalutara in Sri Lanka. It is also a military airbase known as Sri Lanka Ai ...
in Ceylon.


Far East

The squadron reformed at
RNAS Stretton Royal Naval Air Station Stretton (HMS ''Blackcap''), was an airfield in the village of Appleton Thorn, though named for the neighbouring village of Stretton, south of Warrington, in Cheshire, England. Although the main runway remains, the nor ...
in
Cheshire Cheshire ( ) is a ceremonial and historic county in North West England, bordered by Wales to the west, Merseyside and Greater Manchester to the north, Derbyshire to the east, and Staffordshire and Shropshire to the south. Cheshire's county tow ...
during July 1944, now equipped with the Fairey Barracuda Mk II, a
torpedo A modern torpedo is an underwater ranged weapon launched above or below the water surface, self-propelled towards a target, and with an explosive warhead designed to detonate either on contact with or in proximity to the target. Historically, ...
and
dive bomber A dive bomber is a bomber aircraft that dives directly at its targets in order to provide greater accuracy for the bomb it drops. Diving towards the target simplifies the bomb's trajectory and allows the pilot to keep visual contact through ...
. It embarked on in March 1945 and headed to the
Far East The ''Far East'' was a European term to refer to the geographical regions that includes East and Southeast Asia as well as the Russian Far East to a lesser extent. South Asia is sometimes also included for economic and cultural reasons. The t ...
for patrols, although seeing no action for the rest of the war.


Cold War

In post-war years, the squadron was equipped with the
Fairey Firefly The Fairey Firefly is a Second World War-era carrier-borne fighter aircraft and anti-submarine aircraft that was principally operated by the Fleet Air Arm (FAA). It was developed and built by the British aircraft manufacturer Fairey Avia ...
,
Grumman Avenger The Grumman TBF Avenger (designated TBM for aircraft manufactured by General Motors) is an American World War II-era torpedo bomber developed initially for the United States Navy and Marine Corps, and eventually used by several air and nav ...
and
Fairey Gannet The Fairey Gannet is a carrier-borne aircraft that was designed and produced by the British aircraft manufacturer the Fairey Aviation Company. It was developed for the Royal Navy, being the first fixed-wing aircraft to combine both the search an ...
in the
anti-submarine warfare Anti-submarine warfare (ASW, or in older form A/S) is a branch of underwater warfare that uses surface warships, aircraft, submarines, or other platforms, to find, track, and deter, damage, or destroy enemy submarines. Such operations are typ ...
(ASW) role on-board , receiving the
Boyd Trophy The Boyd Trophy is a silver model of a Fairey Swordfish, which was presented by the Fairey Aviation Company Limited in 1946, in commemoration of the work for Naval Aviation of Admiral Sir Denis Boyd, KCB, CBE, DSC RN. It is awarded annually to ...
for its high standard of operational efficiency in 1951. In 1960, the squadron continued in the ASW role and was equipped with its first
helicopter A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by horizontally spinning rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forward, backward and laterally. These attribu ...
, the Westland Whirlwind HAS.7, later replaced with the Westland Wessex HAS.1. The Wessex HAS.3 was introduced in 1967, providing the squadron with its first
radar Radar is a detection system that uses radio waves to determine the distance (''ranging''), angle, and radial velocity of objects relative to the site. It can be used to detect aircraft, Marine radar, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor v ...
-equipped helicopter. During this time, the squadron was embarked on and HMS ''Hermes'' to patrol east of the
Suez Suez ( ar, السويس '; ) is a seaport city (population of about 750,000 ) in north-eastern Egypt, located on the north coast of the Gulf of Suez (a branch of the Red Sea), near the southern terminus of the Suez Canal, having the same bou ...
. In 1968, 814 NAS was again awarded the Boyd Trophy, on this occasion for achieving a high state of operational effectiveness at sea with the Wessex HAS.3. The squadron decommissioned for a second time in July 1970.


Sea King

The squadron reformed at RNAS Prestwick (HMS ''Gannet'') in Aryshire during March 1973, equipped with four Westland Sea King HAS.1 helicopters, a variant specialising in ASW. It embarked on tours of duty with HMS ''Bulwark'' and HMS ''Hermes'', assisting with the evacuation of British citizens during the 1974
Turkish invasion of Cyprus The Turkish invasion of Cyprus began on 20 July 1974 and progressed in two phases over the following month. Taking place upon a background of intercommunal violence between Greek and Turkish Cypriots, and in response to a Greek junta-s ...
. That same year the squadron received the Australia Shield for its high standard of operational readiness. The Sea King HAS.2 was introduced in 1977, making the squadron the first in the Royal Navy to operate a helicopter with
passive sonar Sonar (sound navigation and ranging or sonic navigation and ranging) is a technique that uses sound propagation (usually underwater, as in submarine navigation) to navigate, measure distances (ranging), communicate with or detect objects on or ...
equipment. 814 NAS relocated from Prestwick to Royal Naval Air Station (RNAS) Culdrose in
Cornwall Cornwall (; kw, Kernow ) is a Historic counties of England, historic county and Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is recognised as one of the Celtic nations, and is the homeland of the Cornish people ...
on 9 April 1976 and has since remained there. By the end of 1976 the unit strength had increased to nine helicopters. The squadron became a full member of the NATO Tiger Association in 1979, an organisation with the aim of promoting solidarity between air-forces of
NATO The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO, ; french: Organisation du traité de l'Atlantique nord, ), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance between 30 member states – 28 European and two N ...
. By the time of the
Falklands War The Falklands War ( es, link=no, Guerra de las Malvinas) was a ten-week undeclared war between Argentina and the United Kingdom in 1982 over two British dependent territories in the South Atlantic: the Falkland Islands and its territorial ...
in April 1982, the upgraded Sea King HAS.5 had entered service with the squadron and in August 1982 it embarked on HMS ''Illustrious'' for
South Atlantic The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the "Old World" of Africa, Europe a ...
patrols. Capability was further enhanced in October 1990 when 814 NAS re-equipped with the Sea King HAS.6. This variant of the Sea King saw action with the squadron whilst operating from the carrier HMS ''Invincible'' during the
Gulf War The Gulf War was a 1990–1991 armed campaign waged by a 35-country military coalition in response to the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. Spearheaded by the United States, the coalition's efforts against Iraq were carried out in two key phases: ...
in 1991 and later in the
Bosnian War The Bosnian War ( sh, Rat u Bosni i Hercegovini / Рат у Босни и Херцеговини) was an international armed conflict that took place in Bosnia and Herzegovina between 1992 and 1995. The war is commonly seen as having started ...
and
Kosovo War The Kosovo War was an armed conflict in Kosovo that started 28 February 1998 and lasted until 11 June 1999. It was fought by the forces of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (i.e. Serbia and Montenegro), which controlled Kosovo before the war ...
s. In December 2000, the unit was decommissioned for the third time.


21st century

The squadron was reformed in October 2001 at RNAS Culdrose, now equipped with the AgustaWestland Merlin HM1. The Merlin replaced the Fleet Air Arm's anti-submarine warfare Sea Kings and is designed to be deployed aboard ships or operate from shore in a variety of maritime roles. The squadron's Merlin's have seen operational service aboard HMS ''Illustrious'', during the Iraq War (
Operation Telic Operation Telic (Op TELIC) was the codename under which all of the United Kingdom's military operations in Iraq were conducted between the start of the invasion of Iraq on 19 March 2003 and the withdrawal of the last remaining British forces on ...
) and in the wider
Persian Gulf The Persian Gulf ( fa, خلیج فارس, translit=xalij-e fârs, lit=Gulf of Fars, ), sometimes called the ( ar, اَلْخَلِيْجُ ٱلْعَرَبِيُّ, Al-Khalīj al-ˁArabī), is a mediterranean sea in Western Asia. The bo ...
area. In May 2012 it was involved in ''
Exercise Joint Warrior Exercise Joint Warrior is a major biannual multi-national military exercise which takes place in the United Kingdom, predominately in north west Scotland. It is the successor of the Neptune Warrior exercises and Joint Maritime Course. Joint W ...
'' off the coast of
Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to ...
again with HMS ''Illustrious''. The
London 2012 Olympics The 2012 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXX Olympiad and also known as London 2012) was an international multi-sport event held from 27 July to 12 August 2012 in London, England, United Kingdom. The first event, the ...
saw the squadron deploy to
RNAS Yeovilton Royal Naval Air Station Yeovilton, or RNAS Yeovilton, (HMS ''Heron'') is an airfield of the Royal Navy and British Army, sited a few miles north of Yeovil, Somerset. It is one of two active Fleet Air Arm bases (the other being RNAS Culdrose) ...
in
Somerset ( en, All The People of Somerset) , locator_map = , coordinates = , region = South West England , established_date = Ancient , established_by = , preceded_by = , origin = , lord_lieutenant_office =Lord Lieutenant of Somerset , lord_ ...
to perform maritime security operations. Yeovilton's location allowed the squadron's Merlins to quickly access
amphibious transport dock An amphibious transport dock, also called a landing platform dock (LPD), is an amphibious warfare ship, a warship that embarks, transports, and lands elements of a landing force for expeditionary warfare missions. Several navies currently opera ...
HMS ''Bulwark'', which was acting as the police command unit for the Olympic Sailing Regatta taking place in
Weymouth Bay Weymouth Bay is a sheltered bay on the south coast of England, in Dorset. It is protected from erosion by Chesil Beach and the Isle of Portland, and includes several beaches, notably Weymouth Beach, a gently curving arc of golden sand which st ...
. During December 2014, the Merlin HM1 was replaced with the Merlin HM2. The upgraded aircraft features a new mission system, digital cockpit, electro-optical camera and multi-static sonar system. For a two-week period in early 2016, two aircraft and over sixty personnel from 814 NAS took part if ''Exercise Dynamic Manta 16'' in the
Mediterranean The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western Europe, Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa ...
. Based at
Naval Air Station Sigonella Naval Air Station (NAS) Sigonella is an Italian Air Force base ('' it, Aeroporto "Cosimo Di Palma" di Sigonella''), and a U.S. Navy installation at Italian Air Force Base Sigonella in Sicily, Italy. The whole NAS is a tenant of the Italian Air ...
in
Sicilly (man) it, Siciliana (woman) , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = Ethnicity , demographics1_footnotes = , demographi ...
, the unit worked alongside eight other NATO nations during the major anti-submarine warfare exercise. The squadron returned for the 2017 exercise, when they were again based at Sigonella and the 2018 exercise, when they were based at Catania - Fontanarossa Naval Air Station, also in Sicily. The aircraft and personnel of
829 Naval Air Squadron 829 Naval Air Squadron was a squadron of the Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm. Before it was decommissioned in March 2018, it operated the AgustaWestland Merlin HM2 helicopter. History 1940–1942 829 Naval Air Squadron first formed on 15 June 1940 as ...
, also based at RNAS Culdrose, merged with 814 NAS in March 2018, creating the largest ever Merlin Fleet Air Arm squadron.


Aircraft operated

The squadron has operated a variety of different aircraft and variants. * Fairey Swordfish Mk I (1938–1942) * Fairey Barracuda Mk II * Fairey Firefly FR.1, FR.4, Mk 5 and AS.6 * Grumman Avenger AS.4 and AS.5 * Fairey Gannet AS.4 and T.2 * Westland Whirlwind HAS.7 * Westland Wessex HAS.1 and HAS.3 * Westland Sea King HAS.1, HAS.2/2a, HAS.5 and HAS.6 (1973–2000) * AgustaWestland Merlin HM1 and HM2 (2000 – present) File:Fairey Swordfish Mk I torpedo bombers of the Fleet Air Arm on a training flight from Crail in Scotland, 1940. A3532.jpg, Fairey Swordfish Mk I torpedo bombers of the type operated by the squadron. File:The Royal Navy during the Second World War A28846.jpg, A Fairey Barracuda Mk II of 814 NAS, showing the observer's window, the distinctive dive brakes, the high tail plane, and one of the lugs in which the accelerator / catapult engages. File:Fairey Firefly AS5, UK - Navy AN1966871.jpg, A Fairey Firefly AS.5 which served wuth 814 NAS, seen in 1980 during its time with the Royal Navy Historic Flight. File:Westland Wessex HAS3 (WS-58), UK - Navy AN1323348.jpg, A Westland Wessex HAS.3 File:Westland Sea King HAS6, UK - Navy AN1377450.jpg, An 814 NAS Westland Sea King HAS.6 seen at
RAF Mildenhall Royal Air Force Mildenhall or RAF Mildenhall is a Royal Air Force (RAF) station located near Mildenhall in Suffolk, England. Despite its status as a Royal Air Force station, it primarily supports United States Air Force (USAF) operations, ...
in 1986. File:EHI EH-101 Merlin HM1 (Mk111), UK - Navy AN0887690.jpg, An AgustaWestland Merlin HM1 of 814 NAS seen arriving in 'tiger' stripes at the 2005
Royal International Air Tattoo The Royal International Air Tattoo (RIAT) is the world's largest military air show, held annually in July, usually at RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire, England in support of The Royal Air Force Charitable Trust. The show typically attracts a t ...
.


Squadron traditions and affiliations


Traditions

The squadron nickname is 'the Flying Tigers' and its badge features a tiger's head, representing its membership of the NATO Tiger Association.


Affiliations

The following organisations are affiliated with the squadron. * Devon and Cornwall Constabulary * The Gold and Silver Wyre Drawers * Leicester Tigers (Rugby team) * NATO Tiger Association * Solent
University Royal Naval Unit The University Royal Naval Units (URNU) ( , less commonly ) (formerly Universities' Royal Naval Units) are Royal Navy training establishments who recruit Officer Cadets from a university or a number of universities, usually concentrated in one ...
*
Treliske Hospital The Royal Cornwall Hospital, formerly and still commonly known as the Treliske Hospital, is a medium-sized teaching hospital in Treliske, on the outskirts of Truro, Cornwall, England. The hospital provides training services for the University of ...
(Royal Cornwall Hospital) * Erewash Borough Council (Derbyshire)


References


Citations


Bibliography

*


External links


814 Naval Air Squadron
on Royal Navy website {{Royal Naval Air Squadrons Military units and formations established in 1938 800 series Fleet Air Arm squadrons Military of the United Kingdom in Cornwall