826 Naval Air Squadron

826 Naval Air Squadron was a Fleet Air Arm aircraft squadron formed during World War II which has been reformed several times since then until last disbanded in 1993.

History

Second World War

No. 826 Squadron was formed at RNAS Ford in Sussex as a torpedo bomber squadron equipped with 12 Fairey Albacore biplanes.Brown 1972, p. 48. After initial training it was placed under the operational control of RAF Coastal Command, flying its first mission, a daylight bombing raid against a road junction at Nieuwpoort, Belgium on 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 German E-boats until the Albacore was grounded on 3 July 1940 owing to the unreliability of the aircraft's Bristol Taurus engines. This resulted in the Squadron being temporarily re-equipped with the older Fairey Swordfish until the Albacore was returned to use in August. 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 for Operation Sealion. On 7 October the squadron left Coastal Command control to undertake more training in preparation for carrier-based operations.Brown 1972, pp. 49–50. From May to October, the Squadron dropped 55.5 tons of bombs and seven tons of mines, escorted over 100 convoys. It claimed two Messerschmitt Bf 109 fighters shot down for the loss of five Albacores.Brown 1972, pp. 48–50.

In November 1940, the squadron embarked on the newly commissioned aircraft carrier , which sailed for the Mediterranean via South Africa and the Red Sea, the squadron flying attacks against Massawa in Italian-ruled Eritrea on the way.Brown 1972, p. 50. The squadron's strength was supplemented by two Swordfishes in March 1941 to replace losses. 826 Squadron took part in the Battle of Cape Matapan on 28 March 1941, damaging the . On 26 May 1941, following an attack on an airfield on Karpathos, ''Formidable'' was badly damaged by German bombers, and was withdrawn from operations for repair, with 826 Squadron being detached for land-based operations.

The Squadron was then deployed on night bombing raids over the Western Desert in support of the Eighth Army, before being transferred (along with 815 Squadron) to Nicosia, Cyprus for operations against Vichy French naval forces during the Syria–Lebanon Campaign on 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 from Berka in Libya to attack Italian convoys.Brown 1972, pp. 50–51. 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 for Vickers Wellington bombers, participating in both the first and second 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.Brown 1972, pp. 51–53.

826 Naval Air Squadron reformed on 1 December 1943 at RNAS Lee-on-Solent equipped with the Fairey Barracuda torpedo bomber as part of No 9 Torpedo-Bomber-Reconnaissance (TBR) Wing.Brown 1972, pp. 53–54. The Squadron deployed aboard the carrier on 10 June, taking part in an unsuccessful raid against the ( Operation Mascot) at Kaa Fjord in Northern Norway in July 1944, and deploying aboard HMS ''Formidable'' for another series of attacks on ''Tirpitz'', Operation Goodwood, attacking on 24 and 29 August 1944. The Squadron was again disbanded on 13 October 1944.Brown 1972, pp. 53–58.

Post War

Canada

The squadron reformed on 15 August 1945, again equipped with Barracudas, with the intention of forming part of the air wing of , a carrier building for the Royal Canadian Navy. It re-equipped with Fairey Firefly fighter bombers in January 1946, but was disbanded on 26 February 1946, as delays to the completion of ''Magnificent'' meant that the squadron was not yet needed.Brown 1972, p. 58. The squadron reformed on 1 June 1947 as part of the Royal Canadian Navy, equipped with Fairey Fireflys, operating both from ''Magnificent'' and HMCS ''Warrior''. It re-equipped with Grumman TBM Avenger anti-submarine aircraft in June 1950. On 1 May 1951, the squadron was renamed 881 Squadron (RCN), later VS 881.

Reformation

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 carriers , ''Theseus'' and ''Glory'', before re-equipping with the new Fairey Gannet anti-submarine aircraft in January 1955, becoming the first squadron to operate the Gannet. It embarked aboard HMS ''Eagle'' but disbanded in November 1955.

Helicopters

The 826 designation was then reactivated in 1966 at RNAS Culdrose, where the squadron was equipped with 8 Westland Wessex HAS.1 helicopters, and was attached to on a tour of the Mediterranean and Far East in 1966–1967. It then deployed detachments aboard the Replenishment oilers and before deploying aboard in 1969. The squadron disbanded at RNAS Culdrose on 25 March 1970.Brown 1972, pp. 58, 61.

It was reformed a sixth time on 2 June 1970 with Westland Sea Kings,Brown 1972, p. 61. serving on HMS ''Eagle'' until the carrier decommissioned in January 1972. The squadron then operated from the helicopter training ship and from December 1972, from the cruiser . It continued to operate its Sea Kings from ''Tiger'' until 1978, when it transferred to the carrier , receiving Sea King HAS.5s in March 1981, and embarking on ''Hermes'' in September that year.Sturtivant and Ballance 1994, pp. 222–224. (''Bulwark'' having been paid off in March 1981.Chesneau 1998, p. 146.)

Following the Argentinian invasion of the Falkland Islands in April 1982, the squadron, equipped with nine Sea King HAS.5s, deployed aboard ''Hermes'' as part of the Operation Corporate Task 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 from , and . Four Sea Kings were transferred to the stores ship to free up space aboard ''Hermes'' on 17 May. The Squadron lost two helicopters during the Falklands War, but on both occasions the crews escaped unharmed.Burden et al 1986, pp. 247–250.

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.Sturtivant and Ballance 1994, pp. 223, 225–227.

In December 1990, just prior to the start of the First Gulf 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 from and RFAs , and . 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 with ; the crew and passengers survived.810 Naval Air Squadron