No. 333 Squadron RAF
Encyclopedia
No. 333 Squadron RAF was a 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...

 squadron
Squadron (aviation)
A squadron in air force, army aviation or naval aviation is mainly a unit comprising a number of military aircraft, usually of the same type, typically with 12 to 24 aircraft, sometimes divided into three or four flights, depending on aircraft type and air force...

 of the Second World War. After the war it became 333 Squadron 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...

.

Formation

The Squadron was established as a detachment
Detachment (military)
A detachment is a military unit. It can either be detached from a larger unit for a specific function or be a permanent unit smaller than a battalion. The term is often used to refer to a unit that is assigned to a different base from the parent unit...

 (No. 1477 (Norwegian) Flight) under the 210 Squadron
No. 210 Squadron RAF
No. 210 Squadron was a Royal Air Force unit established in World War I. Disbanded and reformed a number of times in the ensuing years, it operated as a fighter squadron during World War I and as a maritime patrol squadron during the Spanish Civil War, World War II and the Cold War before it was...

 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...

, on 8 February 1942, by Captain Finn Lambrechts
Finn Lambrechts
Finn Lambrechts was a Norwegian military officer, a Lieutenant General of the Royal Norwegian Air Force. He served as Chief of Defence of Norway from 1955 to 1956.-References:...

. The squadron was located in Woodhaven, Fife
Woodhaven, Fife
Woodhaven used to be a small village between Newport-on-Tay and Wormit in Fife, Scotland but over the years due to expansion of both these villages it is now just the name for a harbour.During World War II the RAF had a flying boat station at Woodhaven....

, 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...

. On 10 May 1943 333 squadron was formed from this flight with Mosquito Mk.IIs
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"...

 at RAF Leuchars
RAF Leuchars
RAF Leuchars is the most northerly air defence station in the United Kingdom. It is located in Leuchars, Fife, on the east coast of Scotland, near to the university town of St Andrews.-Operations:...

 and PBY-1b Catalinas
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...

 at 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...

. The Mosquitoes were operated on shipping reconnaissance flights along the Norwegian coast, whilst the Catalinas carried out anti-submarine patrols to the north of Scotland. The squadron's Catalinas also operated in the 'Special Duties' role landing both personnel and supplies at points along the Norwegian coast.
In September 1944 the Mosquito flight joined the Banff strike wing and acted in the Pathfinder role. However, on 30 May 1945 this flight was redesignated No. 334 (Norwegian) Squadron RAF
No. 334 Squadron RAF
No. 334 Squadron was a Royal Air Force aircraft squadron that operated during the Second World War. After the war it became 334 Squadron of the Royal Norwegian Air Force.-History:...

 and No. 333 became a pure Catalina unit.

On their first mission to Norway
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...

, the poet, and news-reporter Nordahl Grieg was with 333 Squadron to report from the flight. This was then a secret mission. After this mission, he wrote the poem Flagget. During the Second World War, the missions of 333 Squadron included dangerous search-and-destroy submarine missions, patrolling, and secret missions along the Norwegian coastline, behind the German defence lines. They landed and picked up agents, illegal radios, and transmitters. They also dropped Christmas presents to the Norwegian population, and did search and rescue missions.

Post-war

After the war, the squadron returned to Norway, being based at Fornebu
Fornebu
Fornebu is a peninsular area in the suburban municipality of Bærum in Norway, bordering western parts of Oslo.Oslo Airport, Fornebu served as the main airport for Oslo and the country since before WWII and until the evening of October 7, 1998, when it was closed down...

, helping to rebuild the northern parts of the country, transporting people and equipment from the south to the north. The oil-activity, establishment of the Norwegian economic zone, and establishment of the coast-guard, created new demands on the squadron. They had to carry out surveillance of large sea areas, requiring new airplanes, the P-3 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...

.

In the 1980s the squadron undertook search-and-destroy submarine missions along the coastline and in the fjord
Fjord
Geologically, a fjord is a long, narrow inlet with steep sides or cliffs, created in a valley carved by glacial activity.-Formation:A fjord is formed when a glacier cuts a U-shaped valley by abrasion of the surrounding bedrock. Glacial melting is accompanied by rebound of Earth's crust as the ice...

s. Several times they have dropped sharp weapons against submarines that were illegal in Norwegian territory. In the 1990s, the Russian Northern Fleet was reduced by half, although it still has 67 operational submarines, and a large fleet of ships, and is as powerful as it was before, because of new technology.

Today the squadron regularly does various missions, including surveillance of military maritime operations, patrolling the economic zone, controlling fishing and resources, submarine searches, and search and rescue missions. They also take part in international missions and training. The squadron is the only one that has been active continuously since 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...

, and is today a part of the 133 Air Wing.

Aircraft operated

! style="text-align: left;"|From
! style="text-align: left;"|To
! style="text-align: left;"|Aircraft
! style="text-align: left;"|Version
|-
| May 1943
| Nov 1943
| De Havilland 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"...


| Mk.II
|-
| May 1943
| Feb 1945
| Consolidated 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...


| Mk.Ib
|-
| Nov 1943
| Feb 1945
| De Havilland 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"...


| Mk.VI
|-
| May 1944
| Nov 1945
| Consolidated 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...


| Mk.IVa
|-
| 1945
| 1954
| Consolidated 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...


| PBY-5 (Vingtor, Jøssing, Viking, Ulabrand)
|-
| 1954
| 1961
| Consolidated 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...


| PBY-5A (21 aircraft in total) these were never owned by Norway, but were on loan to them
|-
| 1961
| 1969
| Grummann Albatross
HU-16 Albatross
The Grumman HU-16 Albatross is a large twin-radial engine amphibious flying boat that was utilized by the U.S. Air Force, the U.S. Navy and the U.S. Coast Guard, primarily as a search and rescue and combat search and rescue aircraft...


| HU-16 (amphibious)
|-
| 1969
| 1989
| Lockheed 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...


| P3-B*
|-
| 1989
| present
| Lockheed 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...


| P3-N
|-
| 1989
| present
| Lockheed 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...


| P3-C Update III (Vingtor, Jøssing, Viking, Ulabrand)
  • = Two of the P3-Bs were modified to P3-N and all still are in service (Fritjof Nansen, Roald Amundsen, Gunnar Isachsen, Otto Sverdrup, Hjalmar Riiser Larsen, Bernt Balchen, Finn Lambrechts)

Bases operated from

! style="text-align: left;"|From
! style="text-align: left;"|To
! style="text-align: left;"|Base
! style="text-align: left;"|Remarks
|-
| May 1943
| Aug 1944
| RAF Leuchars
RAF Leuchars
RAF Leuchars is the most northerly air defence station in the United Kingdom. It is located in Leuchars, Fife, on the east coast of Scotland, near to the university town of St Andrews.-Operations:...


|
|-
| May 1943
| Jun 1945
| 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...


| Detachment
|-
| Aug 1944
| Jun 1945
| Banff
Banff, Aberdeenshire
Banff is a town in the Banff and Buchan area of Aberdeenshire, Scotland. Banff is situated on Banff Bay and faces the town of Macduff across the estuary of the River Deveron...


|
|-
| Jun 1945
| 1963
| Fornebu
Fornebu
Fornebu is a peninsular area in the suburban municipality of Bærum in Norway, bordering western parts of Oslo.Oslo Airport, Fornebu served as the main airport for Oslo and the country since before WWII and until the evening of October 7, 1998, when it was closed down...

, Sola
Sola
Sola is a municipality in Rogaland county, Norway. It is part of the region of Jæren. The old municipality of Håland was divided into Sola and Madla in 1930....


| Detachments in Skattøra, Andøya
Andøya
Andøya is the northernmost island in the archipelago of Vesterålen. Andøya is located in the Andøy municipality in Nordland county, Norway.The island has an area of 489 km², making it the tenth largest island in Norway. The island is connected to the neighboring island of Hinnøya using the...

 and Bodø
Bodø
is a city and a municipality in Nordland county, Norway. It is part of the Salten region.The city of Bodø was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 . Bodin was merged with Bodø on 1 January 1968. Skjerstad was merged with Bodø on 1 January 2005...

.
|-
| 1963
| Present
| Andøya Air Station
Andøya Air Station
Andøya Air Station is situated in the north of Norway, in the municipality of Andøy. At Andøya, the 333 Squadron is based with P-3C Orions. The squadron is Norway's only surveillance squadron and stands as the airborne defence of northern Norway...

, Norway

Further reading

  • Joris Janssen Lok, 'Flying north for the winter,' Jane's Navy International, April 2001

External links

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