No. 330 Squadron RAF
Encyclopedia
No. 330 Squadron RNoAF is a helicopter
squadron in the Royal Norwegian Air Force
(RNoAF) which at all times has a helicopter stationed on each of five Norwegian air stations. The squadron's current missions are search and rescue
(SAR), air ambulance
, disaster relief as well as special operations
support.
The squadron was established as No. 330 (Norwegian) Squadron RAF during World War II
as part of the British Royal Air Force
(RAF) and the exiled Royal Norwegian Navy Air Service
, with a mission of convoy
protection in the North Atlantic Ocean. After the war the name was kept and although now using helicopters instead of planes, and having a different mission, 330 Squadron still flies over the North Atlantic.
The squadron was established on 25 April 1941 from Norwegian naval personnel. It was the first Norwegian
exile air unit and part of the Royal Air Force
and the Royal Norwegian Navy Air Service
. Its mission was to guard the North Atlantic Ocean and protect convoys from the USA and Canada
to Great Britain or Murmansk
from attacks by submarines and surface ships from the German Kriegsmarine
.
The squadron first operated Northrop N-3PB
torpedo bomber sea planes from Reykjavík
on Iceland
. The squadron got its first Catalina
s in June 1941 and a detachment was based at Akureyri
from July 1941. On 28 January 1943 the entire squadron relocated to Oban
, Scotland
where it began to re-equip with Sunderlands
.
The second maritime squadron in exile was 333 squadron
established in 1943 in Woodhaven
, Scotland
equipped with Catalina
sea planes and Mosquito
fighter-bomber
s. Both aircraft and running costs were financed by the exiled Norwegian government
.
At the end of the war
the squadron was disbanded as an RAF
unit, and passed to the control of the Royal Norwegian Air Force
.
and Orion
.
Today the squadron has units based at Bodø Main Air Station
, Ørland Main Air Station
, Rygge Air Station
, Sola Air Station
, Banak Air Station
and a detachment at Florø Airport
. In addition to SAR
and special operations support, the squadron is part of the Norwegian Air Ambulance
system.
The 330 Squadron operates 12 Sea King helicopters on behalf of the Royal Norwegian Ministry of Justice and the Police and performed approximately 1,500 SAR and ambulance missions in 2008. At any given time 330 Squadron has one helicopter at each base on standby, on immediate readiness (15 minutes reaction time). For the primary SAR and ambulance missions, the helicopters are under command of the respective Joint Rescue Coordination Centres located at Sola for Southern Norway (Rygge, Sola, Florø and Ørland) and Bodø for Northern Norway (Bodø and Banak).
Helicopter
A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by one or more engine-driven rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forwards, backwards, and laterally...
squadron in the Royal Norwegian Air Force
Royal Norwegian Air Force
The Royal Norwegian Air Force is the air force of Norway. It was established as a separate arm of the Norwegian armed forces on 10 November 1944. The RNoAF's peace force is approximately 1,430 employees . 600 personnel also serve their draft period in the RNoAF...
(RNoAF) which at all times has a helicopter stationed on each of five Norwegian air stations. The squadron's current missions are search and rescue
Search and rescue
Search and rescue 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, mostly based upon terrain considerations...
(SAR), air ambulance
Air ambulance
An air ambulance is an aircraft used for emergency medical assistance in situations where either a traditional ambulance cannot reach the scene easily or quickly enough, or the patient needs to be transported over a distance or terrain that makes air transportation the most practical transport....
, disaster relief as well as special operations
Special operations
Special operations are military operations that are considered "special" .Special operations are typically performed independently or in conjunction with conventional military operations. The primary goal is to achieve a political or military objective where a conventional force requirement does...
support.
The squadron was established as No. 330 (Norwegian) Squadron RAF during 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...
as part of the British 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...
(RAF) and the exiled Royal Norwegian Navy Air Service
Royal Norwegian Navy Air Service
The Royal Norwegian Navy Air Service was alongside the Norwegian Army Air Service the forerunner to the modern-day Royal Norwegian Air Force.- History :...
, with a mission of convoy
Convoy
A convoy is a group of vehicles, typically motor vehicles or ships, traveling together for mutual support and protection. Often, a convoy is organized with armed defensive support, though it may also be used in a non-military sense, for example when driving through remote areas.-Age of Sail:Naval...
protection in the North Atlantic Ocean. After the war the name was kept and although now using helicopters instead of planes, and having a different mission, 330 Squadron still flies over the North Atlantic.
World War II
Norway
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...
exile air unit and part of the 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...
and the Royal Norwegian Navy Air Service
Royal Norwegian Navy Air Service
The Royal Norwegian Navy Air Service was alongside the Norwegian Army Air Service the forerunner to the modern-day Royal Norwegian Air Force.- History :...
. Its mission was to guard the North Atlantic Ocean and protect convoys from the USA and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
to Great Britain or Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk is a city and the administrative center of Murmansk Oblast, Russia. It serves as a seaport and is located in the extreme northwest part of Russia, on the Kola Bay, from the Barents Sea on the northern shore of the Kola Peninsula, not far from Russia's borders with Norway and Finland...
from attacks by submarines and surface ships from the German Kriegsmarine
Kriegsmarine
The Kriegsmarine was the name of the German Navy during the Nazi regime . It superseded the Kaiserliche Marine of World War I and the post-war Reichsmarine. The Kriegsmarine was one of three official branches of the Wehrmacht, the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany.The Kriegsmarine grew rapidly...
.
The squadron first operated Northrop N-3PB
Northrop N-3PB
The Northrop N-3PB Nomad was a single-engined American floatplane of the 1940s. Northrop developed the N-3PB as an export model based on the earlier Northrop A-17 design. A total of 24 were purchased by Norway, but were not delivered until after the Fall of Norway during the Second World War...
torpedo bomber sea planes from Reykjavík
Reykjavík
Reykjavík is the capital and largest city in Iceland.Its latitude at 64°08' N makes it the world's northernmost capital of a sovereign state. It is located in southwestern Iceland, on the southern shore of Faxaflói Bay...
on Iceland
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
. The squadron got its first Catalina
PBY Catalina
The Consolidated PBY Catalina was an American flying boat of the 1930s and 1940s produced by Consolidated Aircraft. It was one of the most widely used multi-role aircraft of World War II. PBYs served with every branch of the United States Armed Forces and in the air forces and navies of many other...
s in June 1941 and a detachment was based at Akureyri
Akureyri
Akureyri is a town in northern Iceland. It is Iceland's second largest urban area and fourth largest municipality ....
from July 1941. On 28 January 1943 the entire squadron relocated to Oban
Oban
Oban Oban Oban ( is a resort town within the Argyll and Bute council area of Scotland. It has a total resident population of 8,120. Despite its small size, it is the largest town between Helensburgh and Fort William and during the tourist season the town can be crowded by up to 25,000 people. Oban...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
where it began to re-equip with Sunderlands
Short Sunderland
The Short S.25 Sunderland was a British flying boat patrol bomber developed for the Royal Air Force by Short Brothers. It took its service name from the town and port of Sunderland in northeast England....
.
The second maritime squadron in exile was 333 squadron
No. 333 Squadron RAF
No. 333 Squadron RAF was a Royal Air Force squadron of the Second World War. After the war it became 333 Squadron of the Royal Norwegian Air Force.-Formation:...
established in 1943 in Woodhaven
Woodhaven
The name Woodhaven may represent any of the following:United States* Woodhaven, Michigan, a city* Woodhaven, Queens, New York, a neighborhood in the borough of Queens in New York City* Woodhaven, Fort Worth, Texas, a neighborhood...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
equipped with Catalina
PBY Catalina
The Consolidated PBY Catalina was an American flying boat of the 1930s and 1940s produced by Consolidated Aircraft. It was one of the most widely used multi-role aircraft of World War II. PBYs served with every branch of the United States Armed Forces and in the air forces and navies of many other...
sea planes and Mosquito
De Havilland Mosquito
The de Havilland DH.98 Mosquito was a British multi-role combat aircraft that served during the Second World War and the postwar era. It was known affectionately as the "Mossie" to its crews and was also nicknamed "The Wooden Wonder"...
fighter-bomber
Fighter-bomber
A fighter-bomber is a fixed-wing aircraft with an intended primary role of light tactical bombing and also incorporating certain performance characteristics of a fighter aircraft. This term, although still used, has less significance since the introduction of rockets and guided missiles into aerial...
s. Both aircraft and running costs were financed by the exiled Norwegian government
Cabinet Nygaardsvold
Nygaardsvold's Cabinet was appointed on 20 March 1935, the second Labour cabinet in Norway. It closed the brought to an end the non-socialist, minority Governments that had been dominating politics since the introduction of the parliamentary system in 1884, and replaced it with stable, Labour...
.
At the end of the war
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 squadron was disbanded as an RAF
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...
unit, and passed to the control of the Royal Norwegian Air Force
Royal Norwegian Air Force
The Royal Norwegian Air Force is the air force of Norway. It was established as a separate arm of the Norwegian armed forces on 10 November 1944. The RNoAF's peace force is approximately 1,430 employees . 600 personnel also serve their draft period in the RNoAF...
.
Aircraft operated during RAF service
- 1941 Northrop N-3PBNorthrop N-3PBThe Northrop N-3PB Nomad was a single-engined American floatplane of the 1940s. Northrop developed the N-3PB as an export model based on the earlier Northrop A-17 design. A total of 24 were purchased by Norway, but were not delivered until after the Fall of Norway during the Second World War...
- 1942 Consolidated Catalina IIIPBY CatalinaThe Consolidated PBY Catalina was an American flying boat of the 1930s and 1940s produced by Consolidated Aircraft. It was one of the most widely used multi-role aircraft of World War II. PBYs served with every branch of the United States Armed Forces and in the air forces and navies of many other...
- 1943 Short Sunderland II & IIIShort SunderlandThe Short S.25 Sunderland was a British flying boat patrol bomber developed for the Royal Air Force by Short Brothers. It took its service name from the town and port of Sunderland in northeast England....
- 1945 Short Sunderland VShort SunderlandThe Short S.25 Sunderland was a British flying boat patrol bomber developed for the Royal Air Force by Short Brothers. It took its service name from the town and port of Sunderland in northeast England....
Current operations
In honour of the achievements of the RNoAF Squadrons of World War II, The Royal Norwegian Air Force has maintained the RAF squadron names. Thus Norway still has the 330th and 333rd Squadrons, now flying Sea KingWestland 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...
and Orion
P-3 Orion
The Lockheed P-3 Orion is a four-engine turboprop anti-submarine and maritime surveillance aircraft developed for the United States Navy and introduced in the 1960s. Lockheed based it on the L-188 Electra commercial airliner. The aircraft is easily recognizable by its distinctive tail stinger or...
.
Today the squadron has units based at Bodø Main Air Station
Bodø Main Air Station
Bodø Main Air Station Bodø Main Air Station Bodø Main Air Station (Norwegian: Bodø hovedflystasjon is situated just outside Bodø, Norway and is the largest air station in Norway, operated by the Royal Norwegian Air Force. The air station is home to the General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcons of...
, Ørland Main Air Station
Ørland Main Air Station
Ørland Main Air Station is situated at the mouth of the Trondheimsfjord in the municipality of Ørland, in the center of Norway. Ørland is operated by the Royal Norwegian Air Force and is an important air base not only for Norway, but also for NATO...
, Rygge Air Station
Rygge Air Station
Rygge Air Station is located in the municipalities of Rygge and Råde in Østfold, Norway. The Royal Norwegian Air Force operates various squadron and aircraft at the airbase, including Sea King helicopters, F-5 Freedom Fighters, Dassault Falcon 20 aircraft as well as Bell 412 helicopters...
, Sola Air Station
Sola Air Station
Sola Air Station in Sola municipality in Norway is operated by the Royal Norwegian Air Force. Air Wing 134 is stationed at Sola along with helicopter Squadron 330....
, Banak Air Station
Banak Air Station
Station Group Banak , formerly Banak Air Station, is located in Porsanger in Finnmark, Norway. It is operated by the Royal Norwegian Air Force, which has two Westland Sea King helicopters that are used for search and rescue operations, mostly over the Barents Sea. The station group is co-located...
and a detachment at Florø Airport
Florø Airport
Florø airport is an airport serving the town of Florø in Sogn og Fjordane, Norway. It is located south of the town centre, on an area of land called Florelandet...
. In addition to SAR
Search and rescue
Search and rescue 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, mostly based upon terrain considerations...
and special operations support, the squadron is part of the Norwegian Air Ambulance
Norwegian Air Ambulance
The Norwegian Air Ambulance is the air ambulance service in Norway organised through the government owned limited company Luftambulansetjenesten . The service provides helicopter emergency medical service and fixed wing air ambulance operations.Dedicated planes are provided at six airports, and...
system.
The 330 Squadron operates 12 Sea King helicopters on behalf of the Royal Norwegian Ministry of Justice and the Police and performed approximately 1,500 SAR and ambulance missions in 2008. At any given time 330 Squadron has one helicopter at each base on standby, on immediate readiness (15 minutes reaction time). For the primary SAR and ambulance missions, the helicopters are under command of the respective Joint Rescue Coordination Centres located at Sola for Southern Norway (Rygge, Sola, Florø and Ørland) and Bodø for Northern Norway (Bodø and Banak).