810 Naval Air Squadron
Encyclopedia
810 Naval Air Squadron was a Royal Navy
Fleet Air Arm
carrier based squadron 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
.
in May 1933 and formed part of the Home Fleet. In September that year the Darts were replaced by Blackburn Ripon
s, and these were in turn replaced by Blackburn Baffin
s 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 squadron was upgraded to use Blackburn Shark
s in April 1937, and then Fairey Swordfish
in September 1938. 810 Squadron was then transferred to the new aircraft carrier the following month, and had embarked by January. The squadron was amongst those transferred to Admiralty
control on 24 May 1939.
after the German invasion
in April 1940, and carried out bombing raids on Vaernes aerodrome. They sailed with Ark Royal to Gibraltar
, and carried out attacks during the British Attack on Mers-el-Kébir in July. The squadron made an abortive attack on the , and later attacked the .
The squadron was again in action in August and September, when they carried out bombing raids at Cagliari
and Sardinia
, and against the French fleet in the Battle of Dakar
, when their aircraft made an unsuccessful attack on the . They then saw action in November at the Battle of Cape Spartivento
, and the following year in February carried out bombing attacks on Tirso Dam, Sardinia
and bombing attacks on Livorno
and La Spezia
in Italy
.
The squadron was reassigned in March 1941 to for operations in the Indian Ocean
. They were then involved in the Battle of Madagascar
in May, bombing shipping and land targets at Diego Suarez
. After a stopover at Durban
, the squadron returned to Ark Royal, which was ordered into the Atlantic in May 1941 to search for the , and was involved in the attack which crippled her, and led to her sinking. 810 Squadron then returned to the UK with Ark Royal, followed by a period in the Mediterranean to operate against enemy positions on Sardinia. They left Ark Royal in September, before her sinking in October, and saw service supporting convoy movements to Jamaica
.
They were re-equipped with Fairey Barracuda IIs
in April 1943, after which they returned to the Norwegian coast in July 1943. They then re-embarked aboard HMS Illustrious and operated in support of the Salerno landings
. 810 Squadron was then re-grouped as part of the 21st Naval Torpedo Bomber Reconnaissance Wing in October 1943, and sailed in November to join the Eastern Fleet. They carried out attacks on docks and oil tanks at Sabang
in Operation Cockpit
in April 1944, and followed this in June with raids on the Andaman Islands
. Illustrious then put in for a refit at Cape Town
. By February 1945 the squadron was back in the UK at RNAS Stretton
, where they were re-equipped with the improved Barracuda IIIs. They moved to the airbase at Thorney Island
in March, and then to the East Coast, where they trialled the new ASV Mk.XI radar with RAF Coastal Command
. The squadron then disbanded in August 1945.
The squadron was re-formed twice previously at RNAS Lossimouth and went on to see action in the Suez Crisis
and earlier during the Korean War flying Hawker Sea Furys. During Operation Musketeer
, the squadron operated Hawker Sea Hawk
s from . The squadron was then disbanded.
The squadron was reformed under the command of Lieutenant-Commander A M Sinclair at RNAS Culdrose
in May 1959 to embark in to replace the defective Whirlwind AS Helicopters of 824 Naval Air Squadron
. It embarked from RAF North Front at Gibraltar only six weeks later after a record re-conversion to fixed wing flying for many of the pilots and observers. No Telegraphists Air were carried because of the short drafting notice. This also necessitated Centaur landing her 849 AEW Flight to provide room as a large Commonwealth exercise in waters off Ceylon was scheduled based around carrier based AS operations.
The squadron remained with HMS Centaur throughout the remainder of that Commission, visiting the Persian Gulf - the first Aircraft Carrier to test conditions in the height of summer with cockpit and flight deck temperatures often approaching 160F, before sailing for the Far East including Japan and later Australia.
The ship returned to Home Waters in April 1960 and the Squadron was disbanded onboard in the North Sea three months later, returning its aircraft to RNAS Abbotsinch - from whence they had hastily been retrieved from the mud 15 months previously. It was the last fixed wing AS Squadron embarked in the Royal Navy, although several aircraft went on to serve with 831 Squadron embarked and ashore and with COD flights. XG 797 is preserved at the Imperial War Museum
at RAF Duxford.
It commissioned again on 3 March 1983 at RNAS Culdrose
, flying ten Sea King HAS.5
, with which they took on part of the role of 737 Naval Air Squadron. They had some responsibility for advanced flying training tasks, but some of these were transferred to 706 Naval Air Squadron in October 1985. The squadron was deployed at times on the Royal Fleet Auxiliary
ships and . The squadron was re-equipped with the Sea King HAS.6 in October 1989, with the last HAS.5s being retired in February 1990. 810 absorbed
E Flt of 826 Naval Air Squadron in July 1993, when 826 Squadron was disbanded. 810 Squadron was decommissioned in July 2001, with its main role passing to 814 Naval Air Squadron
, and its Search and Rescue element passing to 771 Naval Air Squadron.
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...
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...
carrier based squadron formed on 3 April 1933 with the amalgamation of the 12 Blackburn Dart
Blackburn Dart
-See also:-Bibliography:* Jackson, A.J. Blackburn Aircraft since 1909. London:Putnam, 1968. ISBN 0-370-00053-6.* Mason, Francis K. The British Bomber since 1914. London:Putnam, 1994. ISBN 0-85177-861-5....
aircraft from 463 and 44 Flight (Fleet Torpedo) Flights Royal Air Force
Royal 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...
to the Fleet Air Arm. The squadron saw action during the Second World War, the Suez Crisis
Suez Crisis
The Suez Crisis, also referred to as the Tripartite Aggression, Suez War was an offensive war fought by France, the United Kingdom, and Israel against Egypt beginning on 29 October 1956. Less than a day after Israel invaded Egypt, Britain and France issued a joint ultimatum to Egypt and Israel,...
and 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...
.
Pre war
810 Squadron was assigned to the aircraft carrierAircraft carrier
An aircraft carrier is a warship designed with a primary mission of deploying and recovering aircraft, acting as a seagoing airbase. Aircraft carriers thus allow a naval force to project air power worldwide without having to depend on local bases for staging aircraft operations...
in May 1933 and formed part of the Home Fleet. In September that year the Darts were replaced by Blackburn Ripon
Blackburn Ripon
-See also:-External links:* in Flight...
s, and these were in turn replaced by Blackburn Baffin
Blackburn Baffin
-See also:-External links:* * http://avia.russian.ee/air/england/black_baffin.php...
s 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 squadron was upgraded to use Blackburn Shark
Blackburn Shark
-Bibliography:* Mason, Francis K. The British Bomber since 1914. London: Putnam Aeronautical Books, 1994. ISBN 0-85177-861-5.* Shores, Christopher, Brian Cull and Yasuho Izawa. Bloody Shambles:Volume One:The Drift to War to the Fall of Singapore. London:Grub Street, 1992. ISBN 0-948817-50-X.*...
s in April 1937, and then Fairey Swordfish
Fairey Swordfish
The Fairey Swordfish was a torpedo bomber built by the Fairey Aviation Company and used by the Fleet Air Arm of the Royal Navy during the Second World War...
in September 1938. 810 Squadron was then transferred to the new aircraft carrier the following month, and had embarked by January. The squadron was amongst those transferred to Admiralty
Admiralty
The Admiralty was formerly the authority in the Kingdom of England, and later in the United Kingdom, responsible for the command of the Royal Navy...
control on 24 May 1939.
Second World War
By the outbreak of war the squadron was aboard Ark Royal, flying 12 Swordfish on anti-submarine patrols. They carried out an unsuccessful attack on on 14 September 1939, losing two of their aircraft to their own bombs. The squadron was involved in activities over NorwayNorway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
after the German invasion
Operation Weserübung
Operation Weserübung was the code name for Germany's assault on Denmark and Norway during the Second World War and the opening operation of the Norwegian Campaign...
in April 1940, and carried out bombing raids on Vaernes aerodrome. They sailed with Ark Royal to Gibraltar
Gibraltar
Gibraltar is a British overseas territory located on the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula at the entrance of the Mediterranean. A peninsula with an area of , it has a northern border with Andalusia, Spain. The Rock of Gibraltar is the major landmark of the region...
, and carried out attacks during the British Attack on Mers-el-Kébir in July. The squadron made an abortive attack on the , and later attacked the .
The squadron was again in action in August and September, when they carried out bombing raids at Cagliari
Cagliari
Cagliari is the capital of the island of Sardinia, a region of Italy. Cagliari's Sardinian name Casteddu literally means castle. It has about 156,000 inhabitants, or about 480,000 including the outlying townships : Elmas, Assemini, Capoterra, Selargius, Sestu, Monserrato, Quartucciu, Quartu...
and Sardinia
Sardinia
Sardinia is the second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea . It is an autonomous region of Italy, and the nearest land masses are the French island of Corsica, the Italian Peninsula, Sicily, Tunisia and the Spanish Balearic Islands.The name Sardinia is from the pre-Roman noun *sard[],...
, and against the French fleet in the Battle of Dakar
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 , which was under Vichy French control, and to install the Free French under General Charles de Gaulle there.-Background:At...
, when their aircraft made an unsuccessful attack on the . They then saw action in November at the Battle of Cape Spartivento
Battle of Cape Spartivento
The Battle of Cape Spartivento, known as the Battle of Cape Teulada in Italy, was a naval battle during the Battle of the Mediterranean in the Second World War...
, and the following year in February carried out bombing attacks on Tirso Dam, Sardinia
Sardinia
Sardinia is the second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea . It is an autonomous region of Italy, and the nearest land masses are the French island of Corsica, the Italian Peninsula, Sicily, Tunisia and the Spanish Balearic Islands.The name Sardinia is from the pre-Roman noun *sard[],...
and bombing attacks on Livorno
Livorno
Livorno , traditionally Leghorn , is a port city on the Tyrrhenian Sea on the western edge of Tuscany, Italy. It is the capital of the Province of Livorno, having a population of approximately 160,000 residents in 2009.- History :...
and La Spezia
La Spezia
La Spezia , at the head of the Gulf of La Spezia in the Liguria region of northern Italy, is the capital city of the province of La Spezia. Located between Genoa and Pisa on the Ligurian Sea, it is one of the main Italian military and commercial harbours and hosts one of Italy's biggest military...
in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
.
The squadron was reassigned in March 1941 to for operations in the Indian Ocean
Indian Ocean
The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's oceanic divisions, covering approximately 20% of the water on the Earth's surface. It is bounded on the north by the Indian Subcontinent and Arabian Peninsula ; on the west by eastern Africa; on the east by Indochina, the Sunda Islands, and...
. They were then involved in the Battle of Madagascar
Battle of Madagascar
The Battle of Madagascar was the Allied campaign to capture Vichy-French-controlled Madagascar during World War II. It began on 5 May 1942. Fighting did not cease until 6 November.-Geo-political:...
in May, bombing shipping and land targets at Diego Suarez
Antsiranana
Antsiranana , named Diego-Suarez prior to 1975, is a city at the northern tip of Madagascar.Antsiranana is the capital of Diana Region.-Transports:...
. After a stopover at Durban
Durban
Durban is the largest city in the South African province of KwaZulu-Natal and the third largest city in South Africa. It forms part of the eThekwini metropolitan municipality. Durban is famous for being the busiest port in South Africa. It is also seen as one of the major centres of tourism...
, the squadron returned to Ark Royal, which was ordered into the Atlantic in May 1941 to search for the , and was involved in the attack which crippled her, and led to her sinking. 810 Squadron then returned to the UK with Ark Royal, followed by a period in the Mediterranean to operate against enemy positions on Sardinia. They left Ark Royal in September, before her sinking in October, and saw service supporting convoy movements to Jamaica
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
.
They were re-equipped with Fairey Barracuda IIs
Fairey Barracuda
The Fairey Barracuda was a British carrier-borne torpedo- and dive bomber used during the Second World War, the first of its type used by the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm to be fabricated entirely from metal. It was introduced as a replacement for the Fairey Swordfish and Fairey Albacore biplanes...
in April 1943, after which they returned to the Norwegian coast in July 1943. They then re-embarked aboard HMS Illustrious and operated in support of the Salerno landings
Allied invasion of Italy
The Allied invasion of Italy was the Allied landing on mainland Italy on September 3, 1943, by General Harold Alexander's 15th Army Group during the Second World War. The operation followed the successful invasion of Sicily during the Italian Campaign...
. 810 Squadron was then re-grouped as part of the 21st Naval Torpedo Bomber Reconnaissance Wing in October 1943, and sailed in November to join the Eastern Fleet. They carried out attacks on docks and oil tanks at Sabang
Sabang
Sabang is a city consisting of several islands in Aceh, Indonesia. The metropolitan area is located on Weh Island, 17 km north of Banda Aceh. The city covers an area of 118 square kilometres and according to the 2000 census had a population of 23,654 people...
in Operation Cockpit
Operation Cockpit
Operation Cockpit was a bombing raid by aircraft from two Allied naval forces on 19 April 1944. The forces were made up of 22 warships, including two aircraft carriers, from the Royal Navy, Royal Australian Navy, French Navy, Royal Netherlands Navy, Royal New Zealand Navy, and United States Navy...
in April 1944, and followed this in June with raids on the Andaman Islands
Andaman Islands
The Andaman Islands are a group of Indian Ocean archipelagic islands in the Bay of Bengal between India to the west, and Burma , to the north and east...
. Illustrious then put in for a refit at Cape Town
Cape Town
Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
. By February 1945 the squadron was back in the UK at RNAS Stretton
RNAS Stretton (HMS Blackcap)
Royal Naval Air Station Stretton , was an airfield in the village of Appleton Thorn, close to the village of Stretton, south of Warrington, in Cheshire....
, where they were re-equipped with the improved Barracuda IIIs. They moved to the airbase at Thorney Island
Thorney Island (West Sussex)
Thorney Island is an island that juts into Chichester Harbour in West Sussex. It is separated from the mainland by a narrow channel called the Great Deep. The village of West Thorney lies on the east coast of the island and has been incorporated into the military base...
in March, and then to the East Coast, where they trialled the new ASV Mk.XI radar with RAF Coastal Command
RAF Coastal Command
RAF Coastal Command was a formation within the Royal Air Force . Founded in 1936, it was the RAF's premier maritime arm, after the Royal Navy's secondment of the Fleet Air Arm in 1937. Naval aviation was neglected in the inter-war period, 1919–1939, and as a consequence the service did not receive...
. The squadron then disbanded in August 1945.
Post war
Suez Crisis
The Suez Crisis, also referred to as the Tripartite Aggression, Suez War was an offensive war fought by France, the United Kingdom, and Israel against Egypt beginning on 29 October 1956. Less than a day after Israel invaded Egypt, Britain and France issued a joint ultimatum to Egypt and Israel,...
and earlier during the Korean War flying Hawker Sea Furys. During Operation Musketeer
Operation Musketeer (1956)
Operation Musketeer was the Anglo-French-Israeli plan for the invasion of Egypt to capture the Suez Canal during the Suez Crisis. Israel had the additional objective to open the Straits of Tiran.-The operation:...
, the squadron operated Hawker Sea Hawk
Hawker Sea Hawk
The 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...
s from . The squadron was then disbanded.
The squadron was reformed under the command of Lieutenant-Commander A M Sinclair at RNAS Culdrose
RNAS Culdrose
Royal Naval Air Station Culdrose , based in Cornwall, near Helston, on the Lizard Peninsula, has three major roles: serving the Fleet Air Arm's front line Sea King and Merlin helicopter squadrons; providing search and rescue for the South West region; and training specialists for the Royal Navy...
in May 1959 to embark in to replace the defective Whirlwind AS Helicopters of 824 Naval Air Squadron
824 Naval Air Squadron
824 Naval Air Squadron is a Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm squadron first formed on 3 April 1933, disbanding and reforming several times before assuming its current role at RNAS Culdrose as a training squadron....
. It embarked from RAF North Front at Gibraltar only six weeks later after a record re-conversion to fixed wing flying for many of the pilots and observers. No Telegraphists Air were carried because of the short drafting notice. This also necessitated Centaur landing her 849 AEW Flight to provide room as a large Commonwealth exercise in waters off Ceylon was scheduled based around carrier based AS operations.
The squadron remained with HMS Centaur throughout the remainder of that Commission, visiting the Persian Gulf - the first Aircraft Carrier to test conditions in the height of summer with cockpit and flight deck temperatures often approaching 160F, before sailing for the Far East including Japan and later Australia.
The ship returned to Home Waters in April 1960 and the Squadron was disbanded onboard in the North Sea three months later, returning its aircraft to RNAS Abbotsinch - from whence they had hastily been retrieved from the mud 15 months previously. It was the last fixed wing AS Squadron embarked in the Royal Navy, although several aircraft went on to serve with 831 Squadron embarked and ashore and with COD flights. XG 797 is preserved at the Imperial War Museum
Imperial War Museum
Imperial War Museum is a British national museum organisation with branches at five locations in England, three of which are in London. The museum was founded during the First World War in 1917 and intended as a record of the war effort and sacrifice of Britain and her Empire...
at RAF Duxford.
It commissioned again on 3 March 1983 at RNAS Culdrose
RNAS Culdrose
Royal Naval Air Station Culdrose , based in Cornwall, near Helston, on the Lizard Peninsula, has three major roles: serving the Fleet Air Arm's front line Sea King and Merlin helicopter squadrons; providing search and rescue for the South West region; and training specialists for the Royal Navy...
, flying ten Sea King HAS.5
Westland Sea King
The Westland WS-61 Sea King is a British licence-built version of the American Sikorsky S-61 helicopter of the same name, built by Westland Helicopters. The aircraft differs considerably from the American version, with Rolls-Royce Gnome engines , British made anti-submarine warfare systems and a...
, with which they took on part of the role of 737 Naval Air Squadron. They had some responsibility for advanced flying training tasks, but some of these were transferred to 706 Naval Air Squadron in October 1985. The squadron was deployed at times on the Royal Fleet Auxiliary
Royal Fleet Auxiliary
The Royal Fleet Auxiliary is a civilian-manned fleet owned by the British Ministry of Defence. The RFA enables ships of the United Kingdom Royal Navy to maintain operations around the world. Its primary role is to supply the Royal Navy with fuel, ammunition and supplies, normally by replenishment...
ships and . The squadron was re-equipped with the Sea King HAS.6 in October 1989, with the last HAS.5s being retired in February 1990. 810 absorbed
E Flt of 826 Naval Air Squadron in July 1993, when 826 Squadron was disbanded. 810 Squadron was decommissioned in July 2001, with its main role passing to 814 Naval Air Squadron
814 Naval Air Squadron
814 Naval Air Squadron is a squadron of the Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm. It was formed in December 1938 and has been disbanded and reformed several times. Its nickname is "the Flying Tigers", not to be confused with the American Volunteer squadron of WWII....
, and its Search and Rescue element passing to 771 Naval Air Squadron.