| 812 Naval Air Squadron | |
|---|---|
 Squadron Badge | |
| Active | Royal Air Force 1933–1939 Royal Navy
|
| Disbanded | 13 December 1956 |
| Country |  United Kingdom |
| Branch |  Royal Navy |
| Type | Torpedo Bomber Reconnaissance squadron |
| Role | Carrier-based:
|
| Size | twelve / eighteen aircraft |
| Part of | Fleet Air Arm |
| Mottos | Dex aie (Norman : "God aid us") |
| Aircraft | SeeAircraft flown section for full list. |
| Engagements | |
| Battle honours |
|
| Insignia | |
| Squadron Badge Description | Blue, above water wavy green a flying fish gold (1937)[1] |
| Identification Markings |
|
| Fin Carrier/Shore Codes | |
812 Naval Air Squadron (812 NAS), also referred to as 812 Squadron, was aFleet Air Arm (FAA)naval air squadron of the United Kingdom’sRoyal Navy (RN). It most recently operated withFairey Gannet between November 1955 and December 1956.
It was active from 1933 and saw service in bothWorld War II and theKorean War. During its service with the Royal Air Force (RAF), the squadron utilised aircraft such as theBlackburn Ripon,Blackburn Baffin, andFairey Swordfish. After its transfer to the Royal Navy and the latter part of the Second World War, it alo operated theFairey Barracuda. During the lateforties and earlyfifties the squadron operated a number of variants ofFairey Firefly.
The squadron was first formed on 3 April 1933 aboard the aircraft carrierHMS Glorious, then part of theMediterranean Fleet,[2][3] by amalgamating No 461 and 462 (Fleet Torpedo)Flights.[2] Originally equipped with theBlackburn Ripon,[2] these were replaced with theBlackburn Baffin in January 1934, with the squadron being the first to be fully equipped with this improved derivative of the Ripon.[4] In June 1934, whenGlorious returned to Britain for a refit, the Squadron transferred over toHMS Furious and in February 1935, moved over toHMS Eagle, disembarking in March and remaining shore based atHal Far airfield inMalta untilGlorious returned to the Mediterranean in September that year.[5] On 24 November 1936, acyclone hit Hal Far, destroying three hangars and wrecking seven of the squadron's Baffins. As a result, the squadron was re-equipped with theFairey Swordfish in December 1936.[6][2] Apart from a short visit to the UK to take part in the1937 Coronation Review atSpithead, the squadron remained in the Mediterranean until the outbreak of the war in September 1939.[2]
Glorious was then sent to patrol theIndian Ocean, but was recalled to home waters in early 1940, and 812 Squadron was transferred toRAF Coastal Command[3] to take part in mining and bombing operations in theLow Countries and in theDunkirk evacuation.[7]
In March 1941 the squadron left Coastal Command to take part inMalta convoy protection duties aboardHMS Argus. In July, aboardHMS Furious, they participated in theattack on Petsamo. Further Malta convoy duties followed aboardFurious, transferring toHMS Ark Royal in September. After theArk Royal was torpedoed and sunk on 13 November, the squadron regrouped atGibraltar. While based atRNAS North Front, late on 30 November the U-boat was spotted by a Fairey Swordfish from No. 812 Squadron FAA and heavily damaged by two bombs dropped by the aircraft. Unable to reach her destination, U-96 made for the port of Saint Nazaire. The squadron received new aircraft equipped with ASV (Air to Surface Vessel)radar, enabling them to sink theU-boatU-451 on the night of 21 December 1941,[8] and to damage five others. The squadron returned to the UK in April 1942 aboardUSS Wasp (CV-7), and were reattached to Coastal Command in September to fly operations over theEnglish Channel. On 18 December 1942, it was amalgamated into811 Squadron.[3]
No. 812 Squadron was reformed on 1 June 1944 atRNAS Stretton (HMSBlackcap) and equipped with theFairey Barracuda.[3] After short spells atRNAS Ballyhalbert (HMSCorncrake), Northern Ireland, andRAF Heathfield (HMSWagtail), Scotland, the squadron embarked onHMS Vengeance in February 1945, along with1850 Squadron, flying theVought F4U Corsair,[9] to form the13th Carrier Air Group.[10] Returning to the Mediterranean, 13 CAG were based at HMSFalcon atHal Far, Malta, and flew exercises over Sicily. After the German surrender on 8 May 1945, the group were assigned to serve with theBritish Pacific Fleet.[9]
The group sailed for Australia aboardVengeance, and were based atHMSNabswick (MONAB V) atJervis Bay from 22 July 1945, where they trained for the plannedinvasion of Japan. After theJapanese surrender on 8 August, they were temporarily based at Ponam in theAdmiralty Islands, before being sent toHong Kong, arriving at HMSNabcatcher (MONAB VIII) atKai-Tak, in October 1945, and remaining there until the end of the year.[9]
No. 812 Squadron was re-equipped with theFairey Firefly, and returned to Australia in January 1946, where they were basedHMS Nabthorpe (MONAB VI) atSchofields, New South Wales, whileVengeance was in dry dock for repairs. In March 1946Vengeance and her squadrons returned to the UK, viaCeylon, and arrived atRNAS Lee-on-Solent (HMSDaedalus) on 12 August 1946, where 812 Squadron was disbanded.[9]
The squadron was reformed again on 1 October 1946 atRNAS Eglinton (HMSGannet) inDerry, Northern Ireland,[3] and joined804 Squadron, flying theSupermarine Seafire,[11] to form the14th Carrier Air Group. In February 1947, 14 CAG sailed aboardHMS Theseus on a lengthy Far Eastern cruise, eventually returning in December.[3]
In August 1948 the group sailed for the Mediterranean aboardHMS Ocean, where Hal Far was used as a shore base. The group was transferred toHMS Glory in November 1949, and participated in several cruises and exercises, with landings being made onUSS Midway (CV-41) in October.[3]
In March 1951Glory sailed for Korea, where 812 Squadron flew 852sorties over the next six months, during which three aircraft were lost and several others damaged byAA fire. After two months based in Australia,Glory returned to Korean operations, where the squadron flew another 689 sorties, with 104 of them flown in one day. In May 1952 the squadron transferred its aircraft toOcean, and the crews sailed home inTheseus.[3]
In June 1952, the squadron was re-equipped with the Firefly AS.6 atRNAS Anthorn (HMSNuthatch), and in September sailed aboardHMS Eagle for exercises and a visit toOslo. In January 1953 the squadron joinedTheseus for a cruise, returning toEagle in June for exercises off northern Scotland. It was disbanded at Eglinton on 20 October 1953.[3]
The squadron was reformed for a third time at Eglinton on 7 November 1955 as ananti-submarine squadron, flying theFairey Gannet. In April 1956 it sailed to the Mediterranean inEagle, taking part in visits and exercises before flying home from Malta, and was disbanded on arrival at Lee-on-Solent on 13 December 1956.[3]
The squadron has flown a number of different aircraft types, including:[12]
TheBattle Honours awarded to 812 Naval Air Squadron are:
812 Naval Air Squadron was assigned as needed to form part of a number of larger units:
List ofcommanding officers of 812 Naval Air Squadron:[19][12]
1933 - 1942
1944 - 1946
1946 - 1953
1955 - 1956
Note: Abbreviation (A) signifies Air Branch of the RN orRNVR.[20]