801 Naval Air Squadron
Encyclopedia
801 Naval Air Squadron 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
.
, with the promotion of No. 401 Flight to squadron status. The squadron was equipped with the Fairey Flycatcher
and Hawker Nimrod
aboard HMS Hermes. The Flycatchers were replaced in 1934 by the Hawker Osprey and the Nimrods were retired in 1936. The squadron was re-equipped with the Blackburn Skua
and Gloster Gladiator
in 1939 just before the squadron was transferred to the Admiralty.
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 from HMS Ark Royal
. In September, 801 Squadron embarked on HMS Furious
for raids on the northerly parts of the Norwegian coast. Following an attack on Trondheim on 22 September, Skua L2942 piloted by Sub Lt 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
. The squadron deployed to the Mediterranean aboard HMS Argus
. then to HMS 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
.
s and the squadron saw active service during the Korean War
flying from HMS Glory
. HMS Glory was deployed in theatre from 3 April 1951 to 30 September 1951 and from 8 November 1952 to the s:Korean Armistice Agreement of 27 July 1953. 801 NAS was embarked on the second tour of duty.
Sea Furys 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.
The squadron suffered seven casualties
in the strike role with Buccaneer
s. In July 1962 they embarked on HMS Victorious
(10 aircraft) 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 HMS Hermes
(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 the 21st of July 1970.
In January 1981, the squadron re-equipped with the Sea Harrier FRS.1
at RNAS Yeovilton
.
during the Falklands War
under the command of Commander Nigel "Sharkey" Ward
. The Squadron was supplemented by five pilots from 899 NAS.
801 NAS Pilots
899 NAS Pilots
From an air combat perspective, 801 Squadron were effective to the extent of shooting down eight Argentine aircraft
for their conduct and leadership throughout the campaign.
, with Cdr A J W Rae RN as the last Sea Harrier Sqn CO, 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 omega
symbol on their tail-fin in recognition of 801 NAS being the last operators of an all-British fixed-wing fighter aircraft. This harks back to the use of this symbol by 892 Naval Air Squadron, whose McDonnell Douglas Phantom FG.1
s 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 Cdr K Seymour RN, 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
" (NSW) within RAF Cottesmore
, thus severing all remaining ties to their former home at RNAS Yeovilton. On 1 April 2010, NSW reverted to the identity of 800 Naval Air Squadron.
Fleet Air Arm
The Fleet Air Arm is the branch of the British Royal Navy responsible for the operation of naval aircraft. The Fleet Air Arm currently operates the AgustaWestland Merlin, Westland Sea King and Westland Lynx helicopters...
squadron of the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
formed in 1933 which fought in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
and the Falklands War
Falklands War
The Falklands War , also called the Falklands Conflict or Falklands Crisis, was fought in 1982 between Argentina and the United Kingdom over the disputed Falkland Islands and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands...
.
Fleet Air Arm of the Royal Air Force
The squadron was formed on 3 April 1933 as part of the Fleet Air Arm of the Royal Air ForceRoyal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
, with the promotion of No. 401 Flight to squadron status. The squadron was equipped with the Fairey Flycatcher
Fairey Flycatcher
-See also:-References:NotesBibliography* Mason, Francis K. The British Fighter since 1912. Annapolis, Maryland, USA: Naval Institute Press, 1992. ISBN 1-55750-082-7.* Taylor, H A. Fairey Aircraft since 1915. London: Putnam, 1974. ISBN 0-370-00065-X....
and Hawker Nimrod
Hawker Nimrod
The Hawker Nimrod was a British carrier-based single engine, single seat biplane fighter aircraft built in the early 1930s by Hawker Aircraft.-Design and development:...
aboard HMS Hermes. The Flycatchers were replaced in 1934 by the Hawker Osprey and the Nimrods were retired in 1936. The squadron was re-equipped with the Blackburn Skua
Blackburn Skua
The Blackburn B-24 Skua was a carrier-based low-wing, two-seater, single-radial engine aircraft operated by the British Fleet Air Arm which combined the functions of a dive bomber and fighter. It was designed in the mid-1930s, and saw service in the early part of the Second World War...
and Gloster Gladiator
Gloster Gladiator
The Gloster Gladiator was a British-built biplane fighter. It was used by the Royal Air Force and the Royal Navy and was exported to a number of other air forces during the late 1930s. It was the RAF's last biplane fighter aircraft and was rendered obsolete by newer monoplane designs even as it...
in 1939 just before the squadron was transferred to the Admiralty.
Second World War
Blackburn Skua
The Blackburn B-24 Skua was a carrier-based low-wing, two-seater, single-radial engine aircraft operated by the British Fleet Air Arm which combined the functions of a dive bomber and fighter. It was designed in the mid-1930s, and saw service in the early part of the Second World War...
, playing a key role in the early part of the war with operations in Norway from HMS Ark Royal
HMS Ark Royal (91)
HMS Ark Royal was an aircraft carrier of the Royal Navy that served during the Second World War.Designed in 1934 to fit the restrictions of the Washington Naval Treaty, Ark Royal was built by Cammell Laird and Company, Ltd. at Birkenhead, England, and completed in November 1938. Her design...
. In September, 801 Squadron embarked on HMS Furious
HMS Furious (47)
HMS Furious was a modified cruiser built for the Royal Navy during the First World War. Designed to support the Baltic Project championed by the First Sea Lord of the Admiralty, Lord John Fisher, they were very lightly armoured and armed with only a few heavy guns. Furious was modified while...
for raids on the northerly parts of the Norwegian coast. Following an attack on Trondheim on 22 September, Skua L2942 piloted by Sub Lt 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
HMS Implacable (R86)
HMS Implacable was an Implacable-class aircraft carrier of the Royal Navy.- History :She was laid down at Fairfields Shipyard on Clydeside three months after her sister-ship Indefatigable and was clearly destined for the British Pacific Fleet once worked up...
. In June 1945, Naval Fighter Wings were reformed as Carrier Groups with 801 NAS, 828 NAS
828 Naval Air Squadron
828 Naval Air Squadron was a Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm carrier based squadron formed in September 1940 as a torpedo spotter reconnaissance squadron...
, 880 NAS and 1771 NAS becoming the 8th Carrier Air Group. In August 1941 they re-equipped with Sea Hurricanes at RNAS Yeovilton
RNAS Yeovilton
Royal Naval Air Station Yeovilton, or RNAS Yeovilton, is an airfield of the Royal Navy, sited in South West England a few miles north of Yeovil in Somerset...
. The squadron deployed to the Mediterranean aboard HMS Argus
HMS Argus (I49)
HMS Argus was a British aircraft carrier that served in the Royal Navy from 1918–1944. She was converted from an ocean liner under construction when the First World War began, and became the world's first example of what is now the standard pattern of aircraft carrier, with a full-length flight...
. then to HMS Eagle
HMS Eagle (1918)
HMS Eagle was an early aircraft carrier of the Royal Navy. Ordered by Chile as the Almirante Cochrane, she was laid down before World War I. In early 1918 she was purchased by Britain for conversion to an aircraft carrier; this work was finished in 1924...
. 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
Friendly fire
Friendly fire is inadvertent firing towards one's own or otherwise friendly forces while attempting to engage enemy forces, particularly where this results in injury or death. A death resulting from a negligent discharge is not considered friendly fire...
.
Korean War
In March 1951, 801 NAS received Hawker Sea FuryHawker Sea Fury
The Hawker Sea Fury was a British fighter aircraft developed for the Royal Navy by Hawker during the Second World War. The last propeller-driven fighter to serve with the Royal Navy, it was also one of the fastest production single piston-engined aircraft ever built.-Origins:The Hawker Fury was an...
s and the squadron saw active service during the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
flying from HMS Glory
HMS Glory (R62)
HMS Glory was a Colossus-class aircraft carrier of the Royal Navy laid down on 8 November 1942 by Stephens at Govan. She was launched on 27 November 1943 by Lady Cynthia Brookes, wife of the Prime Minister of Northern Ireland...
. HMS Glory was deployed in theatre from 3 April 1951 to 30 September 1951 and from 8 November 1952 to the s:Korean Armistice Agreement of 27 July 1953. 801 NAS was embarked on the second tour of duty.
Sea Furys 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.
1960s to 1980s
On 18 March 1962, 801 squadron was reformed at LossiemouthLossiemouth
Lossiemouth is a town in Moray, Scotland. Originally the port belonging to Elgin, it became an important fishing town. Although there has been over a 1,000 years of settlement in the area, the present day town was formed over the past 250 years and consists of four separate communities that...
in the strike role with Buccaneer
Blackburn Buccaneer
The Blackburn Buccaneer was a British low-level subsonic strike aircraft with nuclear weapon delivery capability serving with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force between 1962 and 1994, including service in the 1991 Gulf War...
s. In July 1962 they embarked on HMS Victorious
HMS Victorious (R38)
HMS Victorious was the second Illustrious-class aircraft carrier ordered under the 1936 Naval Programme. She was laid down at the Vickers-Armstrong shipyard at Newcastle-Upon-Tyne in 1937 and launched two years later in 1939...
(10 aircraft) 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 HMS Hermes
HMS Hermes (R12)
HMS Hermes was a Centaur-class British aircraft carrier, the last of the postwar conventional aircraft carriers commissioned into the Royal Navy.-Construction and modifications:...
(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 the 21st of July 1970.
In January 1981, the squadron re-equipped with the Sea Harrier FRS.1
BAE Sea Harrier
The British Aerospace Sea Harrier is a naval VTOL/STOVL jet fighter, reconnaissance and attack aircraft, a development of the Hawker Siddeley Harrier. It first entered service with the Royal Navy in April 1980 as the Sea Harrier FRS1 and became informally known as the "Shar"...
at RNAS Yeovilton
RNAS Yeovilton
Royal Naval Air Station Yeovilton, or RNAS Yeovilton, is an airfield of the Royal Navy, sited in South West England a few miles north of Yeovil in Somerset...
.
Falklands War
The squadron operated the Sea Harrier FRS.1 aboard HMS InvincibleHMS Invincible (R05)
HMS Invincible was a British light aircraft carrier, the lead ship of three in her class in the Royal Navy. She was launched on 3 May 1977 and is the seventh ship to carry the name. She saw action in the Falklands War when she was deployed with , she took over as flagship of the British fleet when...
during the Falklands War
Falklands War
The Falklands War , also called the Falklands Conflict or Falklands Crisis, was fought in 1982 between Argentina and the United Kingdom over the disputed Falkland Islands and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands...
under the command of Commander Nigel "Sharkey" Ward
Nigel Ward
Commander Nigel "Sharkey" Ward DSC, AFC, RN commanded 801 Naval Air Squadron from HMS Invincible during the Falklands War, of April to June 1982, and was the senior Sea Harrier adviser to the Command on the tactics, direction and progress of the air war....
. The Squadron was supplemented by five pilots from 899 NAS.
801 NAS Pilots
- Lt Cdrs Nigel 'Sharkey' Ward (CO), Doug Hamilton
- Lts Charlie Cantan, Alan Curtis (KIA), Brian Haigh, Steve Thomas and Flt Lt Ian Mortimer
899 NAS Pilots
- Lt Cdrs Robin Kent, John Eyton-Jones (KIA) and Mike Broadwater.
- Flt Lt Paul Barton and Lt Mike Watson.
From an air combat perspective, 801 Squadron were effective to the extent of shooting down eight Argentine aircraft
- 1 May 1982 - A Mirage III of FAA Grupo 8 shot down north of West Falkland using a SidewinderAIM-9 SidewinderThe AIM-9 Sidewinder is a heat-seeking, short-range, air-to-air missile carried mostly by fighter aircraft and recently, certain gunship helicopters. The missile entered service with United States Air Force in the early 1950s, and variants and upgrades remain in active service with many air forces...
, Argentine pilot ejected.
- 1 May 1982 - A Mirage III of FAA Grupo 8 damaged in same incident north of West Falkland using a Sidewinder. The Mirage was then shot down over Stanley by Argentine AA defences killing the pilot.
- 1 May 1982 - A Canberra B62English Electric CanberraThe English Electric Canberra is a first-generation jet-powered light bomber manufactured in large numbers through the 1950s. The Canberra could fly at a higher altitude than any other bomber through the 1950s and set a world altitude record of 70,310 ft in 1957...
of FAA Grupo 2 was shot down north of Falklands using a Sidewinder. The Argentine pilots ejected but were not rescued.
- 21 May 1982 - A PucaráFMA IA 58 PucaráThe FMA IA 58 Pucará is an Argentine ground-attack and counter-insurgency aircraft. It is a low-wing two-turboprop-engined all-metal monoplane with retractable landing gear, manufactured by the Fábrica Militar de Aviones.-Development:...
of FAA Grupo 3 was shot down near Darwin by Cmdr Sharky WardNigel WardCommander Nigel "Sharkey" Ward DSC, AFC, RN commanded 801 Naval Air Squadron from HMS Invincible during the Falklands War, of April to June 1982, and was the senior Sea Harrier adviser to the Command on the tactics, direction and progress of the air war....
RN in one of three Sea Harriers using 30 mm cannon fire, the pilot ejected from the aircraft at about 40 ft above the ground, he survived and walked back to Goose Green.
- 21 May 1982 - Three Dagger A's of FAA Grupo 6 were shot down north of Port Howard, West Falkland using Sidewinders, all three Argentine pilots successfully eject.
- 1 June 1982 - A C-130E Hercules of FAA Transport Grupo 1 was shot down 50 miles North of Pebble Island by Cmdr Sharky WardNigel WardCommander Nigel "Sharkey" Ward DSC, AFC, RN commanded 801 Naval Air Squadron from HMS Invincible during the Falklands War, of April to June 1982, and was the senior Sea Harrier adviser to the Command on the tactics, direction and progress of the air war....
RN using two AIM-9 SidewinderAIM-9 SidewinderThe AIM-9 Sidewinder is a heat-seeking, short-range, air-to-air missile carried mostly by fighter aircraft and recently, certain gunship helicopters. The missile entered service with United States Air Force in the early 1950s, and variants and upgrades remain in active service with many air forces...
s and cannon. The crew of seven were killed.
Losses
801 NAS lost four aircraft and two pilots during the conflict.- 6 May 1982 - Two aircraft 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 SheffieldHMS Sheffield (D80)HMS Sheffield was the second Royal Navy ship to be named after the city of Sheffield in Yorkshire. She was a Type 42 Guided Missile Destroyer laid down by Vickers Shipbuilding and Engineering at Barrow-in-Furness on 15 January 1970, launched on 10 June 1971 and commissioned on 16 February 1975.An...
. Both pilots were killed and no trace of either aircraft found.
- 29 May 1982 - A Sea Harrier was being made ready for take-off, and slid off the deck when HMS Invincible turned sharply into the wind. The pilot ejected, and was picked up.
- 1 June 1982 - One aircraft was shot down while on an armed recce by a Roland Surface-to-Air Missile (SAM) to the south of Port Stanley, by GADA 601. The pilot ejected and was rescued by a Sea KingSea King helicopterSea King helicopter may refer to:* SH-3 Sea King* CH-124 Sea King* Westland Sea King...
from 820 NAS820 Naval Air Squadron820 Naval Air Squadron is a Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm carrier based squadron formed in April 1933 with the transferral of the Fairey III aircraft from 405 Flight Royal Air Force to the Fleet Air Arm...
after nine hours in the water.
Gallantry Awards
Cmdr N D Ward and Lt S R Thomas RN were each awarded the Distinguished Service CrossDistinguished Service Cross (United Kingdom)
The Distinguished Service Cross is the third level military decoration awarded to officers, and other ranks, of the British Armed Forces, Royal Fleet Auxiliary and British Merchant Navy and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries.The DSC, which may be awarded posthumously, is...
for their conduct and leadership throughout the campaign.
Decommissioning
On Tuesday 28 March 2006 a ceremony was held at RNAS YeoviltonRNAS Yeovilton
Royal Naval Air Station Yeovilton, or RNAS Yeovilton, is an airfield of the Royal Navy, sited in South West England a few miles north of Yeovil in Somerset...
, with Cdr A J W Rae RN as the last Sea Harrier Sqn CO, 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
RNAS Yeovilton
Royal Naval Air Station Yeovilton, or RNAS Yeovilton, is an airfield of the Royal Navy, sited in South West England a few miles north of Yeovil in Somerset...
and the Squadron disbanded. Prior to decommissioning, all aircraft adopted the omega
Omega
Omega is the 24th and last letter of the Greek alphabet. In the Greek numeric system, it has a value of 800. The word literally means "great O" , as opposed to omicron, which means "little O"...
symbol on their tail-fin in recognition of 801 NAS being the last operators of an all-British fixed-wing fighter aircraft. This harks back to the use of this symbol by 892 Naval Air Squadron, whose McDonnell Douglas Phantom FG.1
F-4 Phantom II
The McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II is a tandem two-seat, twin-engined, all-weather, long-range supersonic jet interceptor fighter/fighter-bomber originally developed for the United States Navy by McDonnell Aircraft. It first entered service in 1960 with the U.S. Navy. Proving highly adaptable,...
s were the last conventional fixed-wing aircraft used by the Fleet Air Arm
Fleet Air Arm
The Fleet Air Arm is the branch of the British Royal Navy responsible for the operation of naval aircraft. The Fleet Air Arm currently operates the AgustaWestland Merlin, Westland Sea King and Westland Lynx helicopters...
.
801 NAS was due to recommission in March 2007, under the command of Cdr K Seymour RN, 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
Naval Strike Wing
The Naval Strike Wing was a flying unit of the Fleet Air Arm of the Royal Navy. It was formed on 9 March 2007...
" (NSW) within RAF Cottesmore
RAF Cottesmore
RAF Cottesmore was a Royal Air Force station in Rutland, England, situated between Cottesmore and Market Overton. The station housed all the operational Harrier GR9 squadrons in the Royal Air Force, and No 122 Expeditionary Air Wing...
, thus severing all remaining ties to their former home at RNAS Yeovilton. On 1 April 2010, NSW reverted to the identity of 800 Naval Air Squadron.
Aircraft flown
During its lifespan, 801 Squadron has flown ten different aircraft types:- BAE Sea HarrierBAE Sea HarrierThe British Aerospace Sea Harrier is a naval VTOL/STOVL jet fighter, reconnaissance and attack aircraft, a development of the Hawker Siddeley Harrier. It first entered service with the Royal Navy in April 1980 as the Sea Harrier FRS1 and became informally known as the "Shar"...
- Blackburn BuccaneerBlackburn BuccaneerThe Blackburn Buccaneer was a British low-level subsonic strike aircraft with nuclear weapon delivery capability serving with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force between 1962 and 1994, including service in the 1991 Gulf War...
- Sea Hurricanes
- Blackburn SkuaBlackburn SkuaThe Blackburn B-24 Skua was a carrier-based low-wing, two-seater, single-radial engine aircraft operated by the British Fleet Air Arm which combined the functions of a dive bomber and fighter. It was designed in the mid-1930s, and saw service in the early part of the Second World War...
- Blackburn RocBlackburn Roc|-See also:-References:NotesBibliography* Brew, Alec. The Turret Fighters: Defiant and Roc. Ramsbury, Marlborough, Wiltshire, UK: Crowood Press, 2002. ISBN 1-86126-497-6....
- Fairey FulmarFairey FulmarThe Fairey Fulmar was a British carrier-borne fighter aircraft that served with the Fleet Air Arm during the Second World War. A total of 600 were built by Fairey Aviation at its Stockport factory between January 1940 and December 1942...
- Sea Gladiator
- Hawker NimrodHawker NimrodThe Hawker Nimrod was a British carrier-based single engine, single seat biplane fighter aircraft built in the early 1930s by Hawker Aircraft.-Design and development:...
- Hawker Sea FuryHawker Sea FuryThe Hawker Sea Fury was a British fighter aircraft developed for the Royal Navy by Hawker during the Second World War. The last propeller-driven fighter to serve with the Royal Navy, it was also one of the fastest production single piston-engined aircraft ever built.-Origins:The Hawker Fury was an...
- Hawker Sea HawkHawker Sea HawkThe Hawker Sea Hawk was a British single-seat jet fighter of the Fleet Air Arm , the air branch of the Royal Navy , built by Hawker Aircraft and its sister company, Armstrong Whitworth Aircraft. Although its origins stemmed from earlier Hawker piston-engined fighters, the Sea Hawk became the...