| 815 Naval Air Squadron | |
|---|---|
 Squadron badge | |
| Active |
|
| Country |  United Kingdom |
| Branch |  Royal Navy |
| Type | Torpedo Bomber Reconnaissance squadron |
| Role | Carrier-based:
|
| Size | Approx. 240 personnel[1] |
| Part of | Fleet Air Arm |
| Home station | RNAS Yeovilton (HMSHeron) |
| Motto | Strike Deep |
| Aircraft | AgustaWestland Wildcat HMA2 |
| Website | Official Twitter |
| Commanders | |
| Current commander | Commander James Woods[1] |
| Insignia | |
| Identification symbol | Barry wavy of six white and blue, a harpoon point downward winged gold (1949) |
815 Naval Air Squadron is aFleet Air Arm (FAA)naval air squadron of the United Kingdom’sRoyal Navy (RN). It currently operates theAgustaWestland Wildcat HMA.2 maritime attack helicopter and is the Royal Navy's front line Wildcat Naval Air Squadron. The squadron is based atRNAS Yeovilton (HMSHeron) inSomerset.
The squadron is capable of carrying out multiple roles such as: counter-narcotics, anti-piracy, Above Surface Warfare (ASuW), search and rescue, disaster relief and flying and engineering training.[2] In the early 2000s, the Navy said that the squadron was largest helicopter squadron in Europe.[3]
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The squadron formed atRNAS Worthy Down on 9 October 1939, from the remnants of811 and822 squadrons that had survived the sinking of their carrierHMS Courageous in September 1939, withFairey Swordfish aircraft.[4] The squadron disbanded in November 1939 and merged into774 Naval Air Squadron[5] but reformed the same month.[4][6]
In May 1940 the squadron provided support to theDunkirk evacuation.[4] In June 1940, the squadron embarked onHMS Illustrious and sailed for the Mediterranean in August, attacking and minelayingBenghazi,Rhodes andTobruk.[4]The squadron gained early fame with its involvement in theBattle of Taranto in 1940, when the Italian Battlefleet in harbour at Taranto was raided; which redefined the use of air power from the sea. The aircraft of the commanding officer was lost, against the crippling of half the Italian fleet.[4] In March 1941, the squadron fought in theBattle of Cape Matapan. The squadron re-equipped in August 1941, with a mixture of Swordfish andFairey Albacore aircraft, operating from shore bases in support of theNorth African campaign.[4]In July 1943, 815 Squadron was assigned toNo. 201 (Naval Co-operation) Group with a detachment of Swordfish assigned toAHQ Malta; the units participating inOperation Husky on 10 July 1943, before 815 Squadron was disbanded.
The squadron reformed on 1 October 1943 atRNAS Lee-on-Solent (HMSDaedalus), Hampshire, to operateFairey Barracuda torpedo bombers. In January 1944, it became part of the12th Naval TBR Wing.[7] On 27 February, the squadron's Barracuda Mk II aircraft were embarked in theRuler-class escort carrier,HMS Begum, while the squadron personnel were placed on the troopshipsSSStrathnaver and SSAronda. HMSBegum departed from theClyde on 3 March as part ofConvoy KMF.29A, heading towardsAlexandria. ViaCeylon, the ships eventually reachedMadras harbour on the 11, and unloading commenced on the 14, with 815 Squadron scheduled to be accommodated atRAF St. Thomas Mount.[8][9]
It operated from theIllustrious-class aircraft carrierHMS Indomitable with theEastern Fleet, It was part of the force which provided air-sea rescue and fighter cover for Operation Boomerang on 23 August, which was initiated to ensure air-sea rescue support during the air assaults conducted by XX Bomber Command on Sumatra prior to launching Operation Banquet on 24 August, which involved air strikes targeting Padang, Sumatra; Operation Light, a two-part initiative, aimed to execute air strikes against Japanese positions in Sigli,Northern Sumatra, Indonesia, along with conducting aerial reconnaissance over the Nicobar Islands on 17 and 18 September; Operation Millet, which entailed a naval bombardment and aerial attacks on Japanese positions in the Nicobar Islands from 17 to 20 October 1944, was strategically designed to serve as a diversion coinciding with the American invasion of Leyte in the Philippines.[10]
In November 1944 the squadron disbanded and reformed in December atRNAS Machrihanish (HMS Landrail), flying Barracudas for anti-submarine operations, the following month being spent doing DLT (deck landing training) onHMS Campania.[4] The squadron was transferred to the Far East aboardHMS Smiter but saw no action beforeVJ-Day and returned to the UK in September 1945 aboardHMS Fencer.[4] The squadron disbanded at RNAS Rattray (HMSMerganser), Aberdeenshire, in January 1946.[11]
The squadron was re-established on 1 December 1947 atRNAS Eglinton (HMSGannet),County Londonderry, designated as an anti-submarine squadron through the renumbering of744 Naval Air Squadron. It was equipped with twelve Fairey Barracuda Mk III aircraft and functioned as the Naval Anti-Submarine Squadron in collaboration with the Joint Anti-Submarine School located in Londonderry. Although primarily based on land, the squadron occasionally deployed on carriers for training exercises. By December 1951, the number of aircraft was reduced to ten.[5]
In May 1953, the squadron was re-equipped with eightGrumman Avenger TBM-3Es, which were subsequently replaced by AS.4 and later AS.5 variants. In January 1954, it embarked in theAudacious-classaircraft carrierHMS Eagle for operations in the Mediterranean and later that year it spent some time aboard thelead ship fo herclassHMS Illustrious inHome waters. A further deployment occurred in the Mediterranean starting in July 1955, this time aboard theCentaur classlight fleet carrierHMS Albion; however, in October, the squadron was disbanded upon disembarking.[12]
In February 1956, 815 Squadron was reformed at RNAS Eglinton as an anti-submarine unit, equipped with eightFairey Gannet AS.1 aircraft and a Gannet T.2 for shore training. The squadron embarked in theAudacious-class aircraft carrierHMS Ark Royal in January 1957, undertaking a three-week visit to theUnited States in May, which included cross-deck operations withUnited States Navy'sUSS Saratoga, before returning to the UK. After re-equipping with AS.4s in December, the squadron conducted additional missions to both northern and Mediterranean waters, ultimately disbanding atRNAS Culdrose (HMSSeahawk), Cornwall, in July 1958.[12]
In September 1958, the squadron reformed onWestland Whirlwind HAS.7 anti-submarine helicopters, moving toRNAS Portland (HMSOsprey), Dorset, when engine trouble started to plague the Whirlwinds.[13]
The final iteration of the Whirlwind utilised in FAA operations was the HAS.7, which was equipped with a British engine, theAlvis Leonides Mk.5. This model featured a torpedo bay. The prototype made its inaugural flight on 17 October 1956. The HAS.7 was specifically engineered for front-line operations in the anti-submarine role, marking it as the first British helicopter designed for such tasks. Its equipment comprisedradar and dippingAsdic for the purpose of submarine detection. Between April and November 1959, the HAS.7s were taken out of service to undergo modifications to both the engine and transmission systems. The first operational squadron to return to service with the upgraded Whirlwinds was 815.[14]
The squadron eventually disbanded here in August 1959 by being renumbered to737 Naval Air Squadron. The squadron reformed again on 8 September 1959, still on Whirlwinds and after a Far East tour on HMSAlbion, it disbanded again in December 1960.[13]
Developed as a substitute for the Whirlwind within the FAA, theWestland Wessex holds the distinction of being the first helicopter globally to be produced in significant numbers utilising a freegas turbine as its power source. The Wessex was the inaugural helicopter procured by the FAA that was specifically designed from the beginning to function as an anti-submarine aircraft. Equipped with anautomatic pilot, it was capable of operating during both day and night across all weather conditions. The first operational unit of the FAA to receive the Wessex HAS.1 was 815, under the command ofLieutenant Commander A.L.L Skinner,RN, which was commissioned at RNAS Culdrose on 4 July 1961.[15][16]
Equipped with eight Wessex HAS. 1s, it embarked on HMSArk Royal for the Mediterranean in November; however, engine defects required a return fromMalta aboardHMS Victorious, anIllustrious-class aircraft carrier, in December for modifications. By March 1962, the aircraft were ready to return to the Mediterranean on HMSArk Royal, subsequently proceeding to the Far East.[12] It was later honoured with the annualBoyd Trophy for its pioneering efforts in bringing the Wessex HAS. 1 into service.[17]
In October 1963, a unit relocated twenty endangeredHunter's hartebeest antelopes from an irrigation project area to a safe habitat inTsavo National Park,Kenya. By the end of the year, the squadron had reachedAden and completed one-hundred and twenty-four sorties to support Army operations against insurgents in theRadfan region in January 1964. They then joined the lead ship of her classHMS Centaur to land45 Commando inTanganyika to assist with a mutiny. In June 1965, the squadron re-joined HMSArk Royal for a Far East deployment, including a visit to Australia in December.[12] After a final deployment on HMSArk Royal, the unit disbanded at RNAS Culdrose in October 1966.[13]
In January 1981, after a gap of some 15 years, the squadron re-commissioned atRNAS Yeovilton (HMS Heron) with theLynx HAS.2 as the Headquarters Squadron for embarked Lynx Flights. It then moved to RNAS Portland (HMS Osprey) in 1982 and it saw action during theFalklands War of 1982. The flights were shared with829 Naval Air Squadron until they were amalgamated in 1993, to become the largest helicopter squadron in the world.[16] In 1998–99 after an absence of nearly 17 years, the unit moved back to RNAS Yeovilton, with the closure of RNAS Portland.
In September 2000 a Lynx Helicopter from 815 NAS took part in Operation Barras. The aircraft, flown by Lt Cdr Al Jones and Lt Nigel Cunningham as the Observer flew over 30 missions deep into the Sierra Leone Jungle.In 2002, a Lynx from 815 Squadroncrashed into the Atlantic Ocean while participating in a joint British–American exercise, with the loss of the pilot, Lieutenant Rod Skidmore and observer, Lieutenant Jenny Lewis.[18] Several of the Lynx helicopters are stated as part of theResponse Force Task Group.[19] In July 2012, three Lynx helicopters supported theOlympics security operation embarked onHMS Ocean tasked with intercepting aircraft that entered restricted airspace.[20][21] In November 2012, the Lynx of 217 Flight deployed to the Horn of Africa for four months on board theFrench frigate Surcouf, the first extended deployment of a British helicopter on a French warship.[22] The retirement of the Lynx fleet began in December 2014 and was completed in March 2017.[23][24]
The squadron currently operates theAgustaWestland Wildcat HMA.2 which replaced the Lynx HMA.8. The squadron received the first four of twelve Wildcats in April 2016.[25]
The primary function of the Wildcat HMA2 is to provide lethal firepower. This objective can be accomplished through Air to Surface missions that utilise the sophisticatedMartlet andSea Venommissiles, or theM3M heavy machine gun. Moreover, it is equipped to engage inAir-to-air combat with the Martlet missile or perform Air to Sub-Surface strikes using theSting Ray torpedo. In addition, the Wildcat HMA2 possesses the capability to carry out a wide range of secondary tasks, including reconnaissance, drug trafficking interdiction, search and rescue missions, load lifting, fast roping, troop transport, and offeringHumanitarian Aid andDisaster Relief (HADR).[26]
The squadron is composed of a Headquarters and fifteenflights and an attached Maritime Interdiction (MI) Flight.[1][3][2] The squadron's Small Ship's Flights embark inType 23 frigates,Type 45 destroyers orRoyal Fleet Auxiliary ships.[3][25] In September 2018, 213 Flight conducted the first Wildcat landing on aQueen Elizabeth-class aircraft carrier.[27][28] The Maritime Interdiction (MI) Flight is maintained at high readiness to provide support and assistance to counter-terrorism in the UK.[29][2]
In 2014, the Navy said after the squadron completes the transition from the Lynx to the Wildcat the squadron would consist of twelve single-manned flights at readiness for deployed operations worldwide and two double-manned Maritime Counter Terrorism (MCT) flights at very high readiness in the UK.[30]
A compilation of aircraft that have been piloted by 815 Naval Air Squadron. The squadron currently operates theWildcat HMA.2:[31][32]
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Thebattle honours awarded to 815 Naval Air Squadron are:[33]
815 Naval Air Squadron was assigned as needed to form part of a number of larger units:
List ofcommanding officers of 815 Naval Air Squadron, with date of appointment:[32]
1939
1939 - 1943
1943 - 1946
1947 - 1955
1956 - 1958
1958 - 1959
1959 - 1960
1961 - 1966
1981 - present
Note: Abbreviation (A) signifies Air Branch of the RN or RNVR.[47]
This article incorporates text published under the BritishOpen Government Licence v3.0:"815 Naval Air Squadron".Royal Navy. Archived fromthe original on 5 June 2014. This article incorporates text published under the BritishOpen Government Licence v3.0:"The Royal Navy supporting the 2012 Olympic Games"(PDF). Royal Navy. Archived fromthe original(PDF) on 17 August 2012. This article incorporates text published under the BritishOpen Government Licence v3.0:"The Lynx Wildcat evolution".Royal Navy (Press release). 23 May 2014. Archived fromthe original on 28 May 2014.