| 773 Naval Air Squadron | |
|---|---|
 Blackburn Roc; an example of the type used by 773 NAS | |
| Active |
|
| Disbanded | 31 March 1951[1] |
| Country |  United Kingdom |
| Branch |  Royal Navy |
| Type | Fleet Air Arm Second Line Squadron |
| Role |
|
| Size | Squadron |
| Part of | Fleet Air Arm |
| Home station | SeeNaval air stations section for full list. |
| Aircraft | SeeAircraft operated section for full list. |
| Insignia | |
| Identification Markings | R4A+ (all types 1940 - 1944) 103-106 (Sea Fury 1949) 510-515 (Seafire 1950)[2][3] |
| Fin Shore Code | LP (Sea Fury 1949) LP (Seafire 1950) |
773 Naval Air Squadron (773 NAS) was aFleet Air Arm (FAA)naval air squadron of the United Kingdom’sRoyal Navy (RN) which was last active between September 1950 and March 1951. 773 Naval Air Squadron initially formed during June 1940, as aFleet Requirements Unit in Bermuda, in support of ships on theNorth America and West Indies Station. It performed this role four almost four years and eventually disbanded, at Bermuda, in April 1944. The squadron reformed during June 1945 as aService Trials Unit, at HMSDaedalus, RNAS Lee-on-Solent. Tasked with investigating pilotless aircraft as targets, it was known as the Pilotless Aircraft Unit (PAU). It moved to HMSGoldcrest II, RNAS Brawdy where it disbanded in September 1946. The squadron reformed at the start of 1949 as aFleet Requirements Unit, out of 771 Naval Air Squadron, lasting around three months and repeated this at the start of 1950 and again at the end of 1950, into 1951.
As the waters around theImperial fortresscolony ofBermuda (the main base andRoyal Naval Dockyard of theAmerica and West Indies Station) became a working-up area forUnited States Navy (USN) andRoyal Canadian Navy (RCN) vessels, as well as for lend-lease ex-USN vessels of the Royal Navy (RN), preparing to join theBattle of the Atlantic, Fleet Air Arm target tugs were based atRoyal Naval Air Station Bermuda to assist in training anti-aircraft gunners afloat or ashore. 773 Fleet Requirements Unit was formed at Bermuda on the 3 June 1940, equipped withBlackburn Roc target tugs. These were normally meant to operate from carrier decks, and had retractable undercarriage. To operate from RNAS Bermuda, which was only able to handle flyingboats and floatplanes, they were fitted with floats. They towed targets for anti-aircraft gunnery practice by Allied vessels working-up at Bermuda, as well as by a USN anti-aircraft gunnery training centre operating on shore atWarwick Parish for the duration of the war.[4] When theKindley Air Force Base was theUnited States Army Air Force'sKindley Field (built under a 99-year free lease from the British Government on the understanding that it would be used jointly by theRoyal Air Force establishment in Bermuda and Fleet Air Arm) became operational in 1943, the floats were removed from the Blackburn Roc aircraft, which thenceforth operated from the British end of the airfield as landplanes, being the first aircraft based there. 773 Fleet Requirements Unit disbanded on 25 April 1944.[5][6][7]
773 Naval Air Squadron next reformed atRNAS Lee-on-Solent (HMSDaedalus),Hampshire, on 1 June 1945, as a Service Trials Unit. It was tasked with the development of pilotless aircraft using American electronic equipment, as controlled targets. Known as the Pilotless Aircraft Unit (PAU),[3] it moved toRNAS Brawdy (HMSGoldcrest),Pembrokeshire, Wales, on 29 March 1946.[8] The squadron operated threeMiles Martinet, M.50 Queen Martinet variant, an unmanned radio-controlled target drone aircraft,Avro Anson I, a twin-engined, multi-role aircraft andde Havilland Mosquito B.25, a twin-engined,bomber variant of themultirole combat aircraft.
Aircrew initially flew the Queen Martinet before it was put under radio control, then monitored the systems. The aircraft was designed to meet Air Ministry SpecificationQ.10/43, from anoperational requirement for a radio-controlledtarget drone. Other squadron aircraft operated as a shepherd aircraft, while the Martinet was operated via radio control. 773 Naval Air Squadron disbanded on the 30 September 1946.[3]
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773 Naval Air Squadron reformed out of771 Naval Air Squadron, on 6 January 1949, as a Fleet Requirements Unit, at RNAS Lee-on-Solent (HMSDaedalus). It was tasked with supporting the needs of theHome Fleet during its Spring Cruise in theWestern Mediterranean. On 27 January it embarked in theColossus-class light fleetaircraft carrier,HMS Theseus, it disembarked itsMiles Martinettarget tug aircraft andHawker Sea Furyfighter aircraft[3] to R.N. Air Section Gibraltar, atRAF North Front,Gibraltar, on 5 February, operating for just over one month. From here it then embarked in thename ship ofher class,HMS Implacable on 18 March,[9] being disbanded and reabsorbed into 771 Naval Air Squadron on 31 March.[3]
773 Naval Air Squadron next reformed, again out of 771 Naval Air Squadron at RNAS Lee-on-Solent (HMSDaedalus) as a Fleet Requirements Unit, on 4 January 1950 and much the same as the previous year, in support of the Home Fleet’s 1950 Spring Cruise. The squadron consisted five Miles Martinet target tug aircraft, sixSupermarine Seafire, anavalised version of theSupermarine Spitfire fighter aircraft and twode Havilland Mosquitomultirole combat aircraft.[3] It moved to R.N. Air Section Gibraltar, from RNAS Lee-on-Solent, on 3 February 1950. The squadron again embarked in HMSImplacable until 31 March and also in theColossus-class light fleet aircraft carrier,HMS Vengeance until 30 March, returning to RNAS Lee-on-Solent.[9] It disbanded into 771 Naval Air Squadron, on return, on 31 March.[3]
On 1 September 1950, 773 Naval Air Squadron reformed again for this purpose, as a Fleet Requirements Unit out of 771 Naval Air Squadron, at RNAS Lee-on-Solent (HMSDaedalus).[3] It moved to R.N. Air Section Gibraltar, at RAF North Front, on 14 September until 27 November, then returned to RNAS Lee-on-Solent.[9] It then spent January to March 1951 back at Gibraltar, returning to RNAS Lee-on-Solent at the start of March and disbanded on 31 March 1951, merging back into 771 Naval Air Squadron.[3]
The squadron operated a variety of different aircraft and versions:[3]
773 Naval Air Squadron operated from a number ofnaval air stations of the Royal Navy, both in the UK and overseas and a number of Royal Navy aircraft carriers:[2][3]
1940 - 1944
1945 - 1946
1949
1950
1950 - 1951
List ofcommanding officers of 773 Naval Air Squadron, with date of appointment:[2][3]
1940 - 1944
1945 - 1946
1949
1950
1950 - 1951