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RAF Ta Kali
Royal Air Force Ta Kali was a Royal Air Force fighter operations base located on the island of Malta, which started life in 1940 as a diversion airstrip for the main operating bases such as RAF Luqa. Other diversion airstrips similar in function to Ta Kali were located at RAF Hal Far and on Malta's second island of Gozo at Xewkija airfield. The base's name reflects an anglicised corruption of the correct Maltese spelling of Ta' Qali; other phonetic variants of the correct name also appear regularly. History Pre-War use Ta' Qali originally had an unpaved airstrip before the outbreak of hostilities in 1939. The original airfield was built on a dried lake bed in the interior of the island on a reasonably featureless plain situated between Rabat and Valletta. Before the war it was used by civil aircraft, but its runway surface became unusable in heavy rain and so it was improved somewhat by the RAF. Second World War The former civil aviation facility was renamed RAF Station Ta Ka ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ensign Of The Royal Air Force
Ensign most often refers to: * Ensign (flag), a flag flown on a vessel to indicate nationality * Ensign (rank), a navy (and former army) officer rank Ensign or The Ensign may also refer to: Places * Ensign, Alberta, Alberta, Canada * Ensign, Kansas * Ensign Lake, a lake in Minnesota * Ensign Peak, Utah * Ensign Township, Michigan * Ensign Township, North Dakota (near Glenburn, North Dakota, Glenburn) People Given name *Ensign Cottrell (1888–1947), American baseball player *Ensign Dickinson (1819–1897), American politician *Ensign H. Kellogg (1812–1882), American politician Surname * Ensign (surname) Transportation * Pearson Ensign, a class of full-keel sailboats * , a United States Navy patrol boat in commission from 1917 to 1919 * Armstrong Whitworth Ensign, a class of British airliner, and the name of the first example *Ensignbus, a bus company in England *Ensign Manufacturing Company, a defunct railroad car manufacturing company in West Virginia Music * Ensign (band) ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
RAF Regiment
The Royal Air Force Regiment (RAF Regiment) is part of the Royal Air Force and functions as a specialist corps. Founded by Royal Warrant in 1942, the Corps carries-out security tasks relating to the protection of assets and personnel dedicated to the delivery of air power. RAF Regiment 'Gunners' are personnel trained in various disciplines such as infantry tactics, force protection, field craft, sniper, support to special forces operations, CBRN (chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear) defence, equipped with advanced vehicles and detection measures. RAF Regiment instructors are responsible for training all Royal Air Force personnel in basic force protection such as first aid, weapon handling and CBRN skills. The regiment and its members are known within the RAF as "The Regiment", "Rock Apes" or "Rocks". History Formation The genesis of the RAF Regiment was the creation of No. 1 Armoured Car Company RAF, formed in Egypt in 1921 for operations in Iraq, followed sho ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
809 Naval Air Squadron
809 Squadron (809 NAS), sometimes referred to as 809 Squadron, nicknamed ''Immortal'', is a Fleet Air Arm (FAA) naval air squadron of the United Kingdom’s Royal Navy (RN). It currently operates the Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning aircraft from RAF Marham, Norfolk, having recommissioned in 2023. The unit is jointly manned by both Royal Navy and Royal Air Force personnel and operates from s. It was first formed in 1941 and flew in the Soviet Union, the Mediterranean and the Far East during the Second World War. After active service during the Suez Crisis, 809 was disbanded in 1959. Reformed in 1963 to fly Blackburn Buccaneers, the squadron was disbanded briefly in 1965–66, and then again in 1978. A brief period during the Falklands War saw 809 reformed to bring Sea Harrier FRS.1 aircraft south to the UK task group and to fly from . History Second World War Formed on 15 January 1941 at RNAS St Merryn with 12 Fairey Fulmars, the squadron embarked in in July 1941. At firs ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
807 Naval Air Squadron
807 Naval Air Squadron (807 NAS) sometimes referred to as 807 Squadron, was a Fleet Air Arm (FAA) naval air squadron of the United Kingdom’s Royal Navy (RN). It most recently operated the Supermarine Scimitar F.1 strike aircraft between October 1958 and May 1962. Formed in September 1940 and operating as a carrier-based fighter squadron, it served throughout the Second World War operating with Fairey Fulmar initially and then transitioning to Supermarine Seafire, the first FAA squadron to do so. During the Korean War, it flew Hawker Sea Fury and then later the Hawker Sea Hawk. History Second World War (1939-1945) Formation 807 Naval Air Squadron was formed at RNAS Worthy Down (HMS ''Kestrel''), Hampshire, in September 1940, as a Fleet Fighter Squadron equipped with nine Fairey Fulmar Mk.I, a British carrier-based reconnaissance/fighter aircraft. Three were embarked in the fighter catapult ship HMS ''Pegasus'', where they remained until February 1941, when the entire ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
802 Naval Air Squadron
802 Naval Air Squadron (802 NAS), colloquially called 802 Squadron, was a Fleet Air Arm (FAA) naval air squadron of the United Kingdom’s Royal Navy (RN). It most recently operated the Hawker Sea Hawk between 1956 and 1959, notably during the Suez crisis. Established in April 1933, the squadron flew various biplane fighter aircraft and was initially deployed from HMS ''Glorious'', but was ultimately lost when the carrier was sunk in June 1940. Reformed in November with Grumman Martlet, these aircraft were assigned to operate from HMS ''Audacity'' and HMS ''Argus'' during July and August 1941; the latter detachment, designated 802B Flight, was soon reassigned to HMS ''Victorious''. The squadron regrouped aboard HMS ''Audacity'', however, it faced its second loss at sea when HMS ''Audacity'' was sunk by ''U-741'' in December 1941. Reformed in February 1942 with Hawker Sea Hurricane, the squadron embarked in HMS ''Avenger'' in September for an Arctic convoy and later to offer air ... [...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] |
728 Naval Air Squadron
728 Naval Air Squadron (728 NAS) was a Fleet Air Arm (FAA) naval air squadron of the United Kingdom’s Royal Navy (RN). It was formed at the beginning of May in 1943, as a Fleet Requirements Unit, at RN Air Section Gibraltar. It provided detachments at RN Air Section Tafaraoui, in Algeria and later at RAF Oujda in Morocco. Moving to HMS ''Grebe'', RNAS Dekheila, in Egypt, during June, it then merged into 775 Naval Air Squadron during July. It reformed in August, again as a Fleet Requirements Unit, at HMS ''Grebe'', moving immediately to RN Air Section Takali, Malta. It provided target towing both for the Royal Navy's Mediterranean Fleet and the British Army, before later providing a detachment to tow targets for the United States Navy at Naples, Italy. The squadron remained on Malta, alternating between the airbases at Ta Kali, RAF Luqa, Luqa and RAF Hal Far, Hal Far, until disbanding at the latter, in May 1967. History Fleet Requirements Unit (1943) 728 Naval Air Squadron ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
727 Naval Air Squadron
727 Naval Air Squadron is a Fleet Air Arm (FAA) naval air squadron of the United Kingdom’s Royal Navy (RN). It was formed in 1943 as a Fleet Requirements Unit, being disbanded in December 1944. It was reformed twice in the 1940s and 1950s to provide flying experience for naval officers. The current squadron was created on 6 Dec 2001 from the Royal Naval Flying Training Flight. It operates the Grob Tutor, with its primary role to provide grading assessment and for Royal Navy and Royal Marine pilots prior to further flying training. It also supports the Royal Navy's "Flying Start" flying scholarship scheme. History Fleet Requirements Unit (1943-1944) 727 Naval Air Squadron was formed on 26 May 1943 at Gibraltar as a Fleet Requirements Unit covering the area from Bizerta to Algiers. The squadron was equipped with target-towing Boulton Paul Defiants, Fairey Swordfish and Hawker Hurricane IIc. The squadron was disbanded on 7 December 1944. Air Experience Unit (1946-1960) ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
HMS Goldfinch
Four ships of the Royal Navy and one shore establishment have borne the name HMS ''Goldfinch'', probably after the bird the European goldfinch. Ships * was a 6-gun brig launched in 1808 that became a Post Office Packet Service packet, sailing out of Falmouth, Cornwall. She was sold in 1838. * was an wooden screw gunboat launched on 2 February 1856 and broken up 1869. * was a composite gunboat launched in 1889 and sold in 1907. * was an launched in 1910. She was wrecked on Start Point, Sanday Island, Orkney on 18 February 1915, and subsequently broken for scrap in April 1919. Shore establishment * HMS ''Goldfinch'' was the name given to Ta' Qali airfield in Malta when it was transferred to the 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 Lockhee ... on 1 April 1945 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Shore Establishment
A stone frigate is a naval establishment on land. 'Stone frigate' is an informal term which has its origin in Britain's Royal Navy (RN), after its use of Diamond Rock, an island off Martinique, as a ' sloop of war' to harass the French in 1803–1804. The Royal Navy was prohibited from ruling over land, so the land was commissioned as a ship. The command of this first stone frigate was given to Commodore Hood's first lieutenant, James Wilkes Maurice, who, with cannon taken off the Commodore's ship, manned it with a crew of 120 until its capture by the French in the Battle of Diamond Rock in 1805. Until the late 19th century, the Royal Navy housed training and other support facilities in hulks; old wooden ships of the line, moored in ports as receiving ships, depot ships, or floating barracks. The Admiralty regarded shore accommodation as expensive, and liable to lead to indiscipline. As ships began to use increasingly complex technology during the late 19th centur ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Siege
A siege () . is a military blockade of a city, or fortress, with the intent of conquering by attrition, or by well-prepared assault. Siege warfare (also called siegecrafts or poliorcetics) is a form of constant, low-intensity conflict characterized by one party holding a strong, static, defensive position. Consequently, an opportunity for negotiation between combatants is common, as proximity and fluctuating advantage can encourage diplomacy. A siege occurs when an attacker encounters a city or fortress that cannot be easily taken by a quick assault, and which refuses to surrender. Sieges involve surrounding the target to block provision of supplies and reinforcement or escape of troops (a tactic known as "investment"). This is typically coupled with attempts to reduce the fortifications by means of siege engines, artillery bombardment, mining (also known as sapping), or the use of deception or treachery to bypass defenses. Failing a military outcome, sieges can often be ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Axis Powers
The Axis powers, originally called the Rome–Berlin Axis and also Rome–Berlin–Tokyo Axis, was the military coalition which initiated World War II and fought against the Allies of World War II, Allies. Its principal members were Nazi Germany, Fascist Italy, Kingdom of Italy and the Empire of Japan. The Axis were united in their far-right positions and general opposition to the Allies, but otherwise lacked comparable coordination and ideological cohesion. The Axis grew out of successive diplomatic efforts by Germany, Italy, and Japan to secure their own specific expansionist interests in the mid-1930s. The first step was the Italo-German protocol of 23 October 1936, protocol signed by Germany and Italy in October 1936, after which Italian leader Benito Mussolini declared that all other European countries would thereafter rotate on the Rome–Berlin axis, thus creating the term "Axis". The following November saw the ratification of the Anti-Comintern Pact, an anti-communis ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
