| 892 Naval Air Squadron | |
|---|---|
 Squadron badge | |
| Active |
|
| Disbanded | 15 December 1978 |
| Country |  United Kingdom |
| Branch |  Royal Navy |
| Type | Single-seat fighter squadron |
| Role | Carrier-basedfighter squadron |
| Part of | Fleet Air Arm |
| Home station | SeeNaval air stations section for full list. |
| Motto | Strike Unseen |
| Aircraft | SeeAircraft flown section for full list. |
| Engagements | World War II |
| Battle honours | Atlantic 1943 |
| Insignia | |
| Squadron Badge Description | Black, above water barry wavy of six white and black and below a flash of lightning white a human eye proper conjoined with two wings displayed gold (1946) |
| Identification Markings | single letters (Martlet) 05A+ later5A+ (Hellcat) 251-258 (Sea Venom) 445-452 (Sea Venom January 1956) 207-219 later301-314 (Sea Vixen) 001-017 (Phantom) |
| Fin Carrier Codes | Z (Sea Venom) J (Sea Venom January 1956) R:V:H:C laterH (Sea Vixen) R (Phantom) |
892 Naval Air Squadron (892 NAS), also known as 892 Squadron, was aFleet Air Arm (FAA)naval air squadron of the United Kingdom’sRoyal Navy (RN). It most recently operated thePhantom FG.1 all-weather, long-range supersonic jet interceptor and fighter-bomber, between March 1969 and December 1978.
Established in July 1942, as a fighter squadron in the United States (US), it embarked in HMSBattler in December for the United Kingdom, disembarking at HMSLandrail, RNAS Machrihanish. In February 1943, the squadron was assigned to HMSArcher to provide air cover for Atlantic convoys, but was officially disbanded aboard the ship in August. Re-established as a night fighter squadron, at HMSGannet, RNAS Eglinton, Northern Ireland, in April 1945, the squadron conducted training exercises at HMSNighthawk, RNAS Drem, before embarking in HMSOcean towards the end of the year, ultimately disbanding in the spring of 1946.
In July 1955, 892 Naval Air Squadron was reestablished as an All-Weather Fighter unit. The squadron embarked on HMSAlbion in January 1956, for operations in the Mediterranean and the Far East. In August it joined HMSEagle, participating in attacks on Egyptian airfields during the Suez Crisis. The squadron was officially disbanded aboard HMSEagle in January 1957. 892 Squadron was re-established at HMSHeron, RNAS Yeovilton, in July 1959, from 700Y Naval Air Squadron. It took part in exercises in the Mediterranean and the Far East, embarked in HMSArk Royal, HMSVictorious, HMSHermes and HMSCentaurus. The squadron disbanded at HMSHeron in October 1968.
In March 1969, it was reformed at HMSHeron from a core group of 700P Squadron, equipped with Phantom FG. 1. It joined the Air Group of HMSArk Royal alongside809 Naval Air Squadron (Blackburn Buccaneer),824 Naval Air Squadron (ASW Sea King), and B Flight of849 Naval Air Squadron, (AEW Gannet). In May, the squadron participated in the Daily Mail Transatlantic Air Race. It spent many periods on board HMSArk Royal, with deployments to the Mediterranean, the Caribbean, and the US. While stationed at RAF Leuchars from August 1973, it also provided aircraft for the Quick Reaction Alert. The squadron was disbanded in December 1978.
892 Naval Air Squadron was first formed on 15 July 1942 atNaval Air Station Norfolk,Virginia as a single-seat fighter squadron.[1][2] It was equipped with sixGrumman Martlet IV fighters when it embarked on the newly completedescort aircraft carrierBattler for passage across the Atlantic on 21 December 1942.[1][3] In February 1943, the squadron embarked aboardArcher, which supported convoys in the North Atlantic.[1][4] The squadron's strength was reduced to three Martlets in June 1943, and it was disbanded on 11 August 1943, passing its aircraft to819 Naval Air Squadron.[1]
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892 Squadron reformed on 1 April 1945 atRNAS Eglinton (nowCity of Derry Airport) in Northern Ireland as a night fighter squadron, equipped withGrumman Hellcat II NFs, being the first Fleet Air Arm squadron to be equipped with the night fighter version of the Hellcat.[1][2] The squadron moved toDrem in Scotland for training in its night fighter duties in July 1945, and in December 1945 embarked on the carrierOcean.[1][2]Ocean had been fitted out during construction as a dedicated nightfighter carrier, and was sent to the Mediterranean carrying 892 Squadron's Hellcats and1792 Squadron'sFairey Fireflys, in order to evaluate night carrier operations and compare the single-seat Hellcat against the two-seat Firefly as a night fighter. The trials continued into April 1946, showing that intensive night operations from aircraft carriers were practicable, and that the Firefly was more suitable for the Fleet Air Arm's short-term requirements for a night fighter.[5] The squadron disbanded atGosport on 19 April 1946.[1]
The squadron recommissioned atYeovilton on 4 July 1955, as an all-weather fighter squadron equipped with thede Havilland Sea Venom.[1] In January 1956, it embarked aboardAlbion for a deployment to the Mediterranean and Far East, the carrier returning to Britain in May 1956.[1] In July 1956, the squadron flew out toMalta to join the carrierEagle, and from 31 October took part inOperation Musketeer, the Anglo-French attack on theSuez Canal, attacking ground targets and providing air cover for the invasion forces.[6] The squadron was disbanded again on 26 December 1956, being incorporated into893 Naval Air Squadron.[1]
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On 1 July 1959 892 Squadron was reformed at Yeovilton from700Y Squadron withde Havilland Sea Vixen all-weather fighters, being the first operational fighter squadron to use the Sea Vixen.[1][2][7] Eight of the squadron's 12 Sea Vixens deployed aboardArk Royal in March 1960, while the remaining flight of four Sea Vixens were used to test theFirestreakair-to-air missiles that were the Sea Vixen's primary armament. The two flights rejoined aboardArk Royal in August 1960, before disembarking on 30 September.[7] In October 1960, the squadron deployed aboardVictorious, which sailed for the Far East in January, returning to Britain in December that year, while from May 1962 to October 1963, the squadron served aboardHermes on another deployment to the Far East.[8] In December 1963, the squadron was embarked aboardCentaur for a highly active deployment to the Middle and Far East. In April, the squadron's Sea Vixens carried out air strikes against rebelling tribesmen in theRadfan Campaign, while later in the year the squadron flew air defence and surface search patrols around southernMalaysia asCentaur took part in theIndonesia–Malaysia confrontation.[9][10]
The squadron returned to Yeovilton in July 1965 and re-equipped with the improved FAW2 version of the Sea Vixen by the end of the year.[11] In January 1967, the squadron sailed to the Far East aboardHermes, returning to Britain and disembarking in February 1968.[8] In 1968 the squadron provided the Fleet Air Arm's official air display team, known asSimon's Sircus [sic] aerobatic team, after the squadron's commanding officer,Lieutenant Commander Simon Idiens. It displayed atairshows throughout the summer of 1968 before disbanding on 4 October that year.[2][12]
892 Naval Air Squadron was officially reformed on 31 March 1969 at RNAS Yeovilton (HMSHeron), Somerset. This reformation was based on a core group from 700P Naval Air Squadron. The squadron was equipped withPhantom FG.1, marking it as the sole front-line operational unit of this aircraft type within the Royal Navy.[13] In this context,700P Naval Air Squadron served as the Intensive Flying Trials Unit (IFTU),[14] while767 Naval Air Squadron functioned as theOperational Conversion Unit (OCU).[15]
In 1964 theRoyal Navy had envisaged operating 140 Phantoms with a combined carrier fleet ofHMS Ark Royal,HMS Eagle, and the new super-carrierCVA-01. However, these plans were significantly curtailed when the government's1966 Defence White Paper cancelled the CVA-01 project in 1966, and, amid further defence cuts, only proceeded to refurbish HMSArk Royal and HMSEagle. As a result, the number of Phantoms planned to be operated was cut to 134 and then to 110. Eventually only 48 examples were ordered, which was enough for two squadrons of 12 aircraft each forArk Royal andEagle, and with additional aircraft for a training squadron (767 Naval Air Squadron) and reserves. However, as aircraft were beginning to be delivered during 1968Eagle’s refit was cancelled and 20 aircraft were allocated to theRoyal Air Force (RAF).[16]
_1972.jpg)
Against a backdrop of defence cuts 892 Squadron suspected that it would become the last fixed-wing squadron and poignantly adopted a largeΩ symbol on a white diamond placed on a redfin flash as its squadron symbol. Despite its (later to be proved unjustified) claim to being the last Royal Naval squadron to operate fixed wing fighters (Sea Harriers began equipping theFleet Air Arm in April 1980),[17] 892 gained worldwide exposure when one of their Phantoms won theDaily Mail Trans-Atlantic Air Race in May 1969.[18]Lieutenant Commander Brian Davies, and Lieutenant Commander Peter Goddard set a record for flight time from New York to London of 4 hours 46 minutes and 57 seconds.[19]
With HMSArk Royal ready, Phantoms from 892 NAS were embarked and operations could begin, with additional aircraft from 767 using the carrier for practice. Shortly afterwards 767 NAS was disbanded with the personnel and equipment moving to the Phantom Training Flight (a Royal Navy unit), and based atRAF Leuchars, Fife, Scotland in 1972. 892 was also to move base fromRNAS Yeovilton to RAF Leuchars in the same year.
Whilst disembarked at RAF Leuchars the squadron providedInterceptor Alert Force aircraft[13] with bothNo. 23 Squadron (English Electric Lightning)[20] andNo. 43 Squadron (Phantom FG.1) of the RAF,[21] who themselves had been equipped with the F4K Phantoms that became surplus when it was decided not to employ another Royal Navy Phantom FG.1 squadron in HMSEagle.[22]
Throughout the 1970s the unit was involved in a variety of NATO and Royal Navy exercises. However, the complex maintenance of the Phantom was to consistently plague the aircraft, despite great efforts by crew and maintainers. These efforts were depicted in theBBC documentarySailor.
With HMSArk Royal due to pay off in December 1978 it was confirmed that there was to be no future for 892 Naval Air Squadron. On 27 November 1978, Phantom FG.1, XT870/012, became the last aircraft to be catapulted from a British aircraft carrier.[23] 892 Naval Air Squadron was disbanded on 15 December 1978[13] and its Phantom FG.1s were transferred toNo. 111 Squadron at RAF Leuchars.[17]
Types of aircraft flown by 892 Naval Air Squadron include:[24]
The followingBattle Honours have been awarded to 892 Naval Air Squadron.
892 Naval Air Squadron operated from a number ofnaval air stations of the Royal Navy in the UK and overseas, and also a number ofRoyal Navy fleet carriers andescort carriers and other airbases overseas:[24]
1942 - 1943
1945 - 1946
1955 - 1957
List ofcommanding officers of 892 Naval Air Squadron:[26][24]
1942 - 1943
1945 - 1946
1955 - 1957
1959 - 1968
1969 - 1978