143-564: Royal Naval Air Station Lee-on-Solent , ( RNAS Lee-on-Solent ; or HMS Daedalus 1939–1959 & 1965–1996 and HMS Ariel 1959–1965), is a former Royal Naval Air Station located near Lee-on-the-Solent in Hampshire , approximately 4 miles (6.44 km) west of Portsmouth , on the coast of the Solent . It was one of the primary shore airfields of the Fleet Air Arm and was first established as
286-701: A seaplane base in 1917 during the First World War . The aerodrome being opened in 1934, it commissioned as HMS Daedalus on 24 May 1939, the day administrative control of the Fleet Air Arm was transferred to the Admiralty from the Royal Air Force and one of the four airfields in the UK that were transferred to the Fleet Air Arm. Many first line squadrons were formed here and it facilitated reserve aircraft storage. During
429-572: A Long Range catapult squadron, operating with Fairey Seafox from armed merchant cruisers, with its shore-base being HMS Daedalus . Improvements to the airbase were ongoing during the next three years. Additional land was acquired and a third runway was constructed. The existing shorter runway was re-aligned and extended, and by 1942 the lengths, width and orientation were: 18/00 975 yards (892 m), 24/06 1,420 yards (1,300 m) and 11/29 1,100 yards (1,000 m), all by 50 yards (46 m) wide. Construction of dispersal hangars also continued over
572-625: A RAF Hawker Typhoon flight and a United States Navy artillery observer aircraft squadron, equipped with Supermarine Spitfire , a British single-seat fighter aircraft. The 3rd Naval Fighter Wing had formed in October 1943, consisting three Supermarine Seafire , a navalised Spitfire, equipped squadrons: Nos 808 , 886 and 897 Naval Air Squadrons . The wing arrived at Lee-on-Solent on 25 February 1944 and added 885 Naval Air Squadron , which had just reformed again on 15 February, to its formation. Its role altered to that of an air spotting pool supporting
715-462: A Torpedo Bomber Reconnaissance squadron with nine Fairey Swordfish. Six aircraft were detached to RAF Manston ready for the break out of the German battlecruisers Scharnhorst and Gneisenau. On 12 February 1942, the detachment attacked the battlecruisers in poor weather and failing light. All six aircraft were lost and only five of the eighteen aircrew survived. The CO, Lieutenant Commander Eugene Esmonde ,
858-597: A carrier. The Air Arm continued with high-powered prop aircraft alongside the new jets resulting in the FAA being woefully outpowered during the Korean War . Nevertheless, jets were not yet wholly superior to propeller aircraft and a flight of ground attack Hawker Sea Furies downed a MiG-15 and damaged others in an engagement. As jets became larger, more powerful and faster they required more space to take off and land. The US Navy simply built much larger carriers. The Royal Navy had
1001-399: A conversion course tasked with training experienced civilian pilots in naval flying. It operated a variety of aircraft, including Blackburn Shark, de Havilland Gipsy Moth , de Havilland Hornet Moth, de Havilland Tiger Moth , Fairey Swordfish, Hawker Hart , Hawker Nimrod , Percival Proctor , and Percival Vega Gull. Then at the end of 1940 702 Naval Air Squadron reformed at Lee-on-Solent as
1144-561: A couple of different helicopter types: The Royal Navy Station Flight at Lee-on-Solent was equipped with various aircraft over different periods, from 1944 to 1959. List of past flying units and major non-flying units based at Lee-on-Solent, for both the Royal Air Force and the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm. Both RAF Coastal Area and RAF Coastal Command were located here at times. The following units were here at some point: Since 2015
1287-417: A few large carriers built and completed after the end of the war but another solution was sought. This was partly overcome by the introduction of a Royal Navy idea to angle the flight deck away from the centre line so that the aircraft landing had a clear run away from the usual forward deck park. An associated British invention, intended to provide more precise optical guidance to aircraft on final approaching
1430-634: A maximum of around 80 to hopefully equip four "deployable squadrons". In April 2022, the Deputy Chief of Defence Staff, Air Marshal Richard Knighton, told the House of Commons Defence Select Committee that the MoD was in discussions to purchase a second tranche of 26 F-35B fighters. Plans for frontline F-35B squadrons had been modified and now envisaged a total of three squadrons (rather than four) each deploying 12-16 aircraft. In surge conditions 24 F-35s might be deployed on
1573-772: A pilot reserve for Fleet Air Arm catapult squadrons. The other unit was 771 Naval Air Squadron , formed out of a fleet requirements unit, with a northern 'X' flight and southern 'Y' flight, equipped with Fairey Swordfish torpedo bomber and Supermarine Walrus. 753 and 754 Naval Air Squadrons also formed on 24 May 1939, out of the disbanded RAF unit, the School of Naval Co-operation RAF , which had itself formed at Lee-on-Solent in 1919. 753 NAS operated Blackburn Shark torpedo-spotter-reconnaissance biplane and Fairey Seal spotter-reconnaissance biplane. 754 NAS used Supermarine Walrus amphibian and Fairey Seafox floatplane along with Percival Vega Gull military trainer aircraft. May 1939 also saw
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#17328842662981716-509: A separate helicopter Search and Rescue (SAR) Flight at RNAS Lee-on-Solent which formed in November 1972. This effectively replaced the disbanded Royal Air Force SAR Flight at RAF Thorney Island , from 12 February 1973. There was a need to provide a civil Search And Rescue service at 15 minutes' notice, from dawn to dusk, covering from Beachy Head in East Sussex to Start Point, Devon , tasked by
1859-603: A threat to Britain's sea lanes. The Air Ministry, keen to concentrate on strategic air forces, did not dispute the Admiralty's conclusions and Coastal Command did not receive any guidance from the Air Ministry. The saving grace for both services was the construction of the Combined Headquarters which enabled rapid collaboration in maritime operations. This was one of the few successes in organisation and preparation made before
2002-490: A torpedo bomber reconnaissance squadron, it was initially equipped with two Hawker Sea Hurricane fighter aircraft and two Vought SB2U Vindicator , an American carrier-based dive bomber which was known as the Chesapeake in Royal Navy service. Working up for deployment on escort carriers, it soon replaced its initial aircraft with six Fairey Swordfish. 825 Naval Air Squadron reformed on New Year’s Day 1942, at Lee-on-Solent, as
2145-621: A total of six squadrons including the OCU and OEU. Under the Strategic Defence and Security Review of November 2015, the UK Government made a commitment to buying 138 F-35B, with at least 24 available for carrier use by 2023. Subsequently, following on the 2021 defence review , the First Sea Lord indicated that the new envisaged number was to be 60 aircraft initially and "then maybe more", up to
2288-509: A twin-engine monoplane training aircraft and Avro Anson , a British twin-engine, multi-role aircraft. The unit left Lee-on-Solent nine months after forming, moving to RNAS Worthy Down (HMS Kestrel ) on 1 September 1943. 1944 saw an increase in activity at HMS Daedalus especially in the build up to Operation Overlord and the Normandy Landings . Both Fleet Air Arm and Royal Air Force squadrons operated out of Lee-on-Solent, supported by
2431-586: A variety of flying test bed aircraft including a Hawker Hunter and a de Havilland Devon . During the Second World War the search and rescue (SAR) duties at Lee-on-Solent were carried out by the Search and Rescue Flight of 781 Naval Air Squadron, which used Supermarine Sea Otter amphibious aircraft. This operation continued until October 1952 when the Sea Otter aircraft were withdrawn. The Fleet Air Arm operated
2574-440: Is a tri-Service organisation consisting of civilian and military instructors (including Naval instructors and a Naval Air Squadron) that take the student from basic flying through to more advanced flying such as instrument flying, navigation, formation and captaincy. Its aviators fly one of four types of helicopters: The HC4/4A AW101 Merlin (nicknamed "Junglie Merlin") serves as a medium lifter and troop transporter in support of
2717-643: Is also a Fleet Air Arm museum inside the Museum of Transport & Technology in Auckland , New Zealand. On display there is a full-size replica Fairey Swordfish , along with historic items and memorabilia. In 1938, Admiralty Fleet Orders 2885 announced the formation of an Air Branch of the Royal Naval Reserve . Thirty three unmarried men signed up for eighteen months full-time flying training; however, before these first volunteers were able to gain their wings Britain
2860-703: Is the FAA's primary anti-submarine warfare (ASW) helicopter, having replaced the Sea King HAS6 in the role. It is presently deployed with various ships of the Royal Navy. Merlin HM2 also incorporates an airborne early warning and surveillance (AEW) variant, known as Crowsnest, which replaced the ASaC7 variant of the Sea King . The first Merlin HM2 test flight with Crowsnest was completed in April 2019. However, initial operating capability of
3003-469: Is then conducted on the Grob Prefect T1 . From there, pilots are streamed to either Rotary or Fast-Jet. Observer grading and training is done using four Beechcraft Avenger T1 before observers join their frontline aircraft. Today the largest section of the FAA is the rotary wing section. Pilots designated for rotary wing service train under No. 1 Flying Training School at RAF Shawbury . The school
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#17328842662983146-628: The Invincible -class anti-submarine warfare ships (known as "through deck cruisers") were built and equipped with the Sea Harrier a derivative of the Hawker Siddeley Harrier VTOL aircraft. These carriers incorporated an upswept forward section of the flight deck that deflected the aircraft upward on launch and permitted heavier loads to be carried by the Harrier, for example in weaponry, and
3289-516: The Luftwaffe attacked the airbase and caused considerable damage. In the air raid by Junkers Ju 88 multirole combat aircraft and Messerschmitt Bf 110 fighter bomber aircraft, a number of people were killed and several buildings were seriously damaged, including destroying two of the Bellman hangars. 780 Naval Air Squadron arrived at HMS Daedalus from RNAS Eastleigh in October. This unit provided
3432-615: The Air Spotting Pool , operated by No. 34 Reconnaissance Wing , of the RAF Second Tactical Air Force. On 6 June 1944, at 0441 hours, the first allied aircraft to take part in Operation Overlord took off from HMS Daedalus . The Air Spotting Pool operated as pairs with one aircraft covering against an air attack while the other aircraft provided aerial spotting for naval gunfire support . A large number of aircraft
3575-453: The Atlantic Gap , which was a stretch of water in the central Atlantic beyond the range of most Allied aircraft. The covering of the gap by very-long-range aircraft equipped with radar helped reduce the effectiveness of U-boats. In May 1943 the campaign reached a peak, when a large number of U-boats were sunk with little loss to Allied shipping; Coastal Command had gained the initiative and it
3718-550: The Avro Lancaster was finally phased out of Coastal Command service. The Command was too expensive to maintain and cost cuts were made during the 1950s which caused a reduction in strength. By mid-1957 the Command had been cut to 82 aircraft. By mid-1958 it had shrunk to just 67. The Shackletons dominated the core of this force, numbering 54 aircraft. The Neptune was cut from the service altogether, beginning on 31 August 1956. There
3861-459: The Department of Trade and Industry . The flight was not in use from April 1982, but from February 1983, 772 Naval Air Squadron at RNAS Portland (HMS Osprey ) , operated a detachment at HMS Daedalus : 'C' Flight, covering SAR, which became and independent unit from August 1985 until March 1988. (replaced temporarily by No. 22 Sqn detachment, followed by civilian coastguard helicopter ). It flew
4004-665: The Dunkirk evacuation and the commencement of the Battle of Britain , the Royal Air Force soon found itself critically short of fighter pilots. In the summer of 1940, the RAF had just over 800 fighter pilots and as personnel shortages worsened; the RAF turned to the Admiralty to ask for help from the Fleet Air Arm. Fleet Air Arm crews under RAF Fighter Command were either seconded individually to RAF fighter squadrons or entire as with 804 and 808 Naval Air Squadrons. The former provided dockyard defence during
4147-502: The F-4K (FG.1) Phantom II and Buccaneer S.2 to the Royal Air Force, and cancellation of large replacement aircraft carriers, including the CVA-01 design. The last conventional carrier to be retired was HMS Ark Royal in 1978. When HMS Hermes was converted in 1980/81 to a STOVL carrier to operate Sea Harriers, a 'Ski-jump ramp' was fitted to aid take-off. A new series of small carriers,
4290-823: The Hampshire Police Air Support Unit . All RN Air Engineering training was conducted at Lee-on-Solent from September 1970. As well as the flying and AE training tasks, a number of technical and administration sections were based at Lee-on-Solent, including the Fleet Air Arm Drafting Authority, Naval Aircrew Advisory Board, Naval Air Technical Evaluation Centre, Naval Aircraft Maintenance Development Unit, Naval Air Trials Installation Unit, Mobile Aircraft Repair Transport and Salvage Unit, Safety Equipment School, Photographic School. The airfield closed for military use in 1996 and passed through several owners until 2014 when Fareham Borough Council bought
4433-478: The Home Fleet to judge the surface fleet's defence against submarine and air attack. Despite the experiences of the First World War, no attention was paid to the problem of attacking submarines from the air as part of trade protection measures. Owing to misplaced faith in the imperfect ASDIC invention which was never intended to detect surface-running submarines, it appeared the Royal Navy no longer considered U-boats
RNAS Lee-on-Solent (HMS Daedalus) - Misplaced Pages Continue
4576-485: The Nazi threat that "Area" formations were now to be called "Commands". Fighter and Bomber Areas became Fighter and Bomber Commands and Coastal Area was renamed Coastal Command. Its headquarters was located at Lee-on-Solent . Air Marshal Sir Arthur Longmore , Air Officer Commanding (AOC) RAF Coastal Area oversaw the renaming and handed over command to Air Marshal Philip Joubert de la Ferté on 24 August 1936. In March 1935
4719-616: The North Sea , Arctic , Mediterranean and Baltic , strike wings attacked German shipping carrying war materials from Italy to North Africa and from Scandinavia to Germany. By 1943 Coastal Command finally received sufficient Very Long Range [VLR] aircraft and its operations proved decisive in the victory over the U-boats. These aircraft were Consolidated B-24 Liberators and from early 1943, these and other Coastal Command aircraft, were fitted with ASV Mark III [air-to-surface vessel] centimetric radar,
4862-622: The RAF Second Tactical Air Force for the Normandy landings. They were joined by United States Navy’s VCS-7 artillery observation aircraft squadron, on 28 May 1944. For Operation Neptune seventeen pilots from the United States Navy’s cruiser and battleship observation units were trained to fly Supermarine Spitfire Vb fighter aircraft and Cruiser Scouting Squadron (VCS) 7 was formed. No. 26 Squadron arrived at Lee-on-Solent at
5005-700: The RAF's Harrier GR7 fleet to form Joint Force Harrier . The Fleet Air Arm began withdrawing the Sea Harrier from service in 2004 with the disbandment of 800 NAS . 801 NAS disbanded on 28 March 2006 at RNAS Yeovilton (HMS Heron ) . 800 and 801 NAS were then combined to form the Naval Strike Wing , flying ex-RAF Harrier GR7 and GR9s. On 1 April 2010, NSW reverted to the identity of 800 Naval Air Squadron. The Harrier GR7 and GR9 retired from service in December 2010 following
5148-539: The Royal Air Force . The RAF was formed by the 1918 merger of the RN's Royal Naval Air Service with the British Army 's Royal Flying Corps . The FAA did not come under the direct control of the Admiralty until mid-1939. During the Second World War, the FAA operated aircraft on ships as well as land-based aircraft that defended the Royal Navy's shore establishments and facilities. British naval flying started in 1909, with
5291-912: The Royal Marines . The FAA received the Merlin HC3/HC3A fleet from the RAF, replacing the Commando Sea King in September 2014. These have been marinised and replaced with HC4s/HC4As, under the Merlin Life Sustainment Programme (MLSP) that was placed on contract in December 2013. The AW159 Wildcat : the BRH (Battlefield Reconnaissance Helicopter) replaces the Westland Lynx as the Battlefield Reconnaissance Helicopter of
5434-542: The Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS) opened the Naval Seaplane Training School as an extension to the seaplane training station at nearby Calshot (under 5 miles across Southampton Water by seaplane, but over 30 miles by the shortest land route). The school's first commander was Squadron Commander Douglas Evill . Initially, aircraft had to be transported from their temporary hangars to the top of
5577-600: The Second World War it was home to the office of the Admiral (Air) and was the main depot for Naval Air Ratings. In October 1959 it recommissioned as HMS Ariel as a ground training establishment. It again became HMS Daedalus in October 1965, and routine service flying continued until April 1993, including a helicopter SAR Flight of 772 Naval Air Squadron , the Southampton University Air Squadron and
5720-464: The Second World War . Maritime Aviation had been neglected in the inter-war period, due to disagreements between the Royal Navy (RN) and RAF over the ownership, roles and investment in maritime air power. The Admiralty's main concern until 1937 was the return of the Fleet Air Arm to the Royal Navy while the RAF concentrated on the development of a bombing force to provide a deterrent. Coastal Command
5863-630: The Strategic Defence and Security Review 2010 . Two new Queen Elizabeth -class carriers able to operate the F-35B short take-off and landing variant of the US Lockheed Martin Lightning II aircraft were constructed. In the Strategic Defence and Security Review 2015 , it was announced that the carriers would enter service "from 2018". The procurement plan is for a force of 138 F-35 aircraft, which are intended to be operated by both
RNAS Lee-on-Solent (HMS Daedalus) - Misplaced Pages Continue
6006-535: The U.S. Air Force 's 33rd Fighter Wing at Eglin Air Force Base , Florida, for training on the F-35B. 809 Naval Air Squadron will be the first FAA unit to operate the F-35B and will be based at RAF Marham . Helicopters also became important combat platforms since the Second World War. Initially used in the search and rescue role, they were later developed for anti-submarine warfare and troop transport ; during
6149-659: The seaplane tender HMS Albatross . At the outbreak of the Second World War more Fleet Air Arm second line squadrons either formed or deployed at Lee-on-Solent, 772 Naval Air Squadron formed out of 'Y' Flight of 771 Naval Air Squadron, as a Fleet Requirements Unit, equipped with four Fairey Swordfish Floatplanes. At the same time a Service Trials Unit was stood up, with 778 Naval Air Squadron tasked with testing aircraft and armament, and assessing tactics, it operated with Blackburn Roc and Skua , along with Fairey Swordfish and Supermarine Walrus at HMS Daedalus and adding Fairey Albacore and Fulmar soon afterwards. In November
6292-400: The "Cinderella service" until about 1943. The situation would not improve until 1942. Coastal Command did operate with effect alongside RAF Bomber Command in disrupting enemy shipping during the Battle of Britain in 1940. Coastal Command attacked shipping and mined waters around invasion ports. The German invasion of Britain in 1940, Operation Sea Lion , was eventually cancelled owing to
6435-635: The "high readiness" aircraft carrier. Challenges involved in the Crowsnest program have led the Royal Navy to seek a replacement for its helicopter-based AEW platform with a new fixed-wing UAV, under Project Vixen , by 2030. As of 2024, the Royal Navy operated a number of small UAVs, including the AeroVironment Puma AE and Ebee Vision. In 2024, the Navy reported that there were a total of nine qualified Puma teams, six of which were dedicated to supporting
6578-632: The 1700 and 1800 ranges were also used for operational squadrons. An additional flying unit of the Royal Navy is the FOST Helicopter Support Unit based at HMS Raleigh in Cornwall. This unit is not part of the Fleet Air Arm, but is directly under the control of Fleet Operational Sea Training , operated by British International Helicopters (BIH). BIH also support various Royal Navy and NATO exercises with passenger and freight transfer services and transfers by hoist, for ships exercising both in
6721-421: The 1920s under the RAF with both Calshot and Lee-on-Solent providing training in operating seaplanes - initially using the wartime Short Type 184s and, from late 1921, the new Fairey III D. On 1 April 1924, the Fleet Air Arm of the Royal Air Force was formed, encompassing those RAF units that normally embarked on aircraft carriers and fighting ships (including those at shore bases such as Lee-on-Solent). In 1931
6864-522: The 1956 Suez Crisis they were used to land Royal Marine Commando forces, the first time this had ever been done in combat. Originally operated only from carriers, the development of the Westland Wasp in the 1960s allowed helicopters to operate on all ships of frigate size or larger. Wasps, Sea Kings and Wessex helicopters all played an active part in the 1982 Falklands War, while Lynx helicopters played an attack role against Iraqi patrol boats in
7007-693: The 1991 Gulf War and Commando Sea King HC4s as well as the Lynx HMA Mk 8 from HMS Argyll , assisted in suppressing rebel forces in the British intervention in the Sierra Leone Civil War in 2000. The Fleet Air Arm has a museum near RNAS Yeovilton (HMS Heron ) in Somerset , England, at which many of the great historical aircraft flown by the Service are on display, along with aircraft from other sources. There
7150-422: The Atlantic and the North Sea. The Royal Navy share both operational and training duties on the Lightning II with the RAF under a banner organisation called the Lightning Force , which will operate in the same manner as Joint Force Harrier . Until March 2019, the Fleet Air Arm had responsibility for the Royal Navy Historic Flight , a heritage unit of airworthy aircraft representing the history of aviation in
7293-468: The Atlantic shipping lanes. German medium bombers could also reach British ports on the westernmost and northernmost coasts. The advantage enjoyed by the Germans, allowed them to interdict merchant shipping supplying food and war materials to Britain much more effectively, which had the potential to starve Britain. While merchant shipping was suffering these losses, Coastal Command had proven ineffective at countering German air and sea attacks on shipping. But
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#17328842662987436-419: The Atlantic shipping routes and thus contributed half of the Allied forces available. The events of April to June 1940 overturned the balance of naval and air power , as the Germans conquered Denmark , Norway , The Netherlands , Belgium and France . The occupation of these countries permitted the Luftwaffe and Kriegsmarine to operate from French ports on the Atlantic coast, hundreds of miles closer to
7579-474: The Battle of Britain with Sea Gladiators . In British home waters and out into the Atlantic Ocean, operations against Axis shipping and submarines in support of the RN were mounted by RAF Coastal Command with large patrol bombers, flying boats and land-based fighter-bombers. The aircraft carrier had replaced the battleship as the capital ship of the RN and its aircraft were now its principal offensive weapons. The top scoring fighter ace with 17 victories
7722-474: The British re-armament programme) and renamed the Air Branch of the Royal Navy. At the onset of the Second World War, the Fleet Air Arm consisted of 20 squadrons with only 232 frontline aircraft, and 191 additional trainers. By the end of the war the strength of the Fleet Air Arm was 59 aircraft carriers, 3,700 aircraft, 72,000 officers and men and 56 Naval air stations. During the war, the FAA operated fighters, torpedo bombers and reconnaissance aircraft. Following
7865-445: The Command from its main concern: ASW. In October the Deputy Chief of the Air Staff (DCAS) Air Vice Marshal Richard Peirse confirmed that there was no formal role for the service or location of its units. Peirse did reverse the decision to have strategic bombing support as the primary function. This was changed to trade defence, Coastal Command was only to be used for other purposes if trade routes were suffering little interference and
8008-418: The Deck Landing Training unit 770 Naval Air Squadron formed with a variety of aircraft, using de Havilland Moth , Gloster Sea Gladiator , Blackburn Skua and Fairey Swordfish. A Communications Squadron was formed in March 1940, 781 Naval Air Squadron . It was equipped with a variety of aircraft including de Havilland Hornet Moth, Fairey Fulmar, Fairey Swordfish and Supermarine Walrus. 764 Naval Air Squadron
8151-490: The FAA. Along with the Commando Merlin, these squadrons operate under Commando Helicopter Force , which provides airborne support to UK Commando Force of the Royal Marines. The Wildcat HMA2 became the standard small ship borne helicopter in the FAA, with 28 Wildcats replacing the Lynx HMA8 in 2017. Twenty-eight AW159 Wildcat HMA2 helicopters perform a range of roles including anti-surface and anti-submarine warfare and airborne surveillance. The Merlin HM2 ("Grey Merlin")
8294-459: The Fleet Air Arm continue to be known as WAFUs. WAFU ("wet and f**king useless") is said to actually derive from "Weapon and Fuel Users", a stores category for clothing. The RNR Air Branch was commissioned at RNAS Yeovilton on 16 July 1980, and shortly afterwards 38 ex-regular aircrew began refresher training. Today the RNR Air Branch comprises approximately 250 ex-regular service Officers and Ratings, covering all aviation trades, tasked to support
8437-404: The Fleet Air Arm. The Air Branch has its roots in the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve Air Branch, whose members served with distinction between 1937 through the Second World War until 1950 when it was disbanded. Formed on 3 April 1980, the Air Branch was initially established to provide additional Pilots and Observers to the Royal Navy, but later expanded to include all trades and specialisations of
8580-403: The Fleet Air Arm. Currently comprising some 320 personnel, HMS Pegasus is one of the biggest Units in the Royal Naval Reserve. The name HMS Pegasus has a long and interesting history in the Royal Navy, dating back to 1585. The second HMS Pegasus was commanded by Prince William Henry, who later became King William IV, known as the Sailor King. In late 1786, the third HMS Pegasus was stationed in
8723-440: The German Kriegsmarine . It also protected Allied shipping from aerial attacks by the Luftwaffe . The main operations of Coastal Command were defensive, defending supply lines in the Battle of the Atlantic , as well as the Mediterranean, Middle East, and African theatres. It operated from bases in the United Kingdom, Iceland , Gibraltar , the Soviet Union , West Africa and North Africa. It also had an offensive capacity, in
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#17328842662988866-421: The German defeat in the Battle of Britain. During the first three years of the Second World War, Coastal Command and the Admiralty fought a battle with the RAF and Air Ministry over the primacy of trade defence, in relation to the bomber effort against mainland Germany, a strategic tussle which conceivably could have cost the Western Alliance the Battle of the Atlantic . The Air Staff and Bomber Command enjoyed
9009-399: The Middle East and Palestine as part of an air policing policy, in co-operation with the Israeli Air Force and Egyptian Air Force to prevent conflict between the two countries owing to the formation of the state of Israel in 1948. While there, they undertook a major operation, Operation Bobcat , to prevent illegal Jewish migrants coming into Palestine. In May 1948 the variety of aircraft
9152-437: The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, began preparations for a military defence of Western Europe by incorporating most West European nations into a defence pact against alleged Soviet aggression in April 1951. This led to the militarisation of West Germany in 1955 and was met with the militarisation of East Germany soon after and its merger into the Warsaw Pact alliance with the Soviet Union . The purpose of Coastal Command
9295-443: The Queen Elizabeth-class carriers but a routine deployment would likely involve 12 aircraft. In January 2019, initial operating capability for the UK's F-35B was announced with 18 F-35Bs jointly delivered to the UK. As of December 2022, 26 aircraft were operational in the UK and were based at RAF Marham . These aircraft regularly deployed for operations on the Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carriers. Another 3 F-35s remained in
9438-414: The RAF and FAA from a common pool, in the same manner as the Joint Force Harrier. With the introduction of the F-35, the Fleet Air Arm will return to the operation of fixed-wing strike aircraft at sea. In 2013, an initial cadre of Royal Air Force and Royal Navy pilots and aircraft maintenance personnel were assigned to the U.S. Marine Corps ' Marine Fighter Attack Training Squadron 501 ( VMFAT-501 ), part of
9581-412: The Rolls Royce engine that powered the BAE Sea Harrier. And, of course, the Parachute Regiment use Pegasus as their emblem. The FAA is known for its use of the 'Fleet Air Arm Zig Zag': a light blue zig zag on a dark blue background. The pattern is thought to have belonged to the "Perch Club", membership of which was restricted to those who had completed 100 deck landings without an accident. The zig zag
9724-401: The Royal Marines in 40 and 45 Commando . The FAA's inventory was further boosted with the addition of the Peregrine rotary-wing UAV which started trials on HMS Lancaster in August 2024. A number of unmanned systems are under development for the Fleet Air Arm including fixed-wing UAVs, envisaged for potential operation from the Queen Elizabeth -class carriers. These programs are in
9867-465: The Royal Navy reformed its air branch, under the Air Department of the Admiralty , naming it the Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS). By the outbreak of the First World War, in August 1914, the RNAS had more aircraft under its control than the remaining RFC. The roles of the RNAS were fleet reconnaissance, patrolling coasts for enemy ships and submarines, attacking enemy coastal territory and defending Britain from enemy air raids, along with deployment along
10010-409: The Royal Navy's Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carriers . The first Fleet Air Arm squadron to operate the F-35B is 809 Naval Air Squadron which formally stood-up in December 2023, joining other F-35B squadrons within the RAF that are formally part of No. 1 Group RAF . An initial order of 48 airframes was made in 2012 to equip the air wings of the two Queen Elizabeth -class aircraft carriers, with
10153-426: The Royal Navy's total strength (excluding Royal Marines ). The Assistant Chief of the Naval Staff (Aviation & Carriers) , the professional head (and also Rear Admiral Fleet Air Arm), is Rear Admiral Martin Connell as of February 2019. Under First Sea Lord Admiral Tony Radakin ’s plans, the professional head of the Fleet Air Arm is set to shortly change to a one-star role, headed by a Commodore . Members of
10296-529: The Royal Navy. The Historic Flight was disbanded on 31 March 2019, with responsibility for maintaining and operating the aircraft transferred to Navy Wings, a charitable body that also runs the Fly Navy Heritage Trust. RAF Coastal Command RAF Coastal Command was a formation within the Royal Air Force (RAF). It was founded in 1936, when the RAF was restructured into Fighter , Bomber and Coastal commands and played an important role during
10439-636: The Shackletons from RAF Ballykelly and frigates from Londonderry would 'ping' the Soviet submarines carrying out surveillance off the mouth of Lough Foyle. In at least one instance, a Ballykelly-based Shackleton lost its radome when making a mock attack on the Russian sub. In 1969 the special-purpose Hawker-Siddeley Nimrod , based on the de Havilland Comet airliner, was introduced into RAF service and Coastal Command duties were passed on to general squadrons. The Nimrod
10582-853: The South-Western Approaches in the Atlantic and three more covering the North-Western Approaches. This force numbered 64 aircraft. A further four Sunderland squadrons with 20 aircraft were split between the North-Western and South-Western Approaches. The Neptunes, numbering 32 aircraft in four squadrons, covered the North-Eastern and Eastern Approaches. The Helicopter also joined Coastal Command. Bristol Sycamores entered service in 1953 and 16 aircraft were dispersed in Britain for ASW. In March
10725-470: The US for testing and evaluation purposes. While 33 F-35B aircraft (including 3 or 4 based in the U.S.) were in the U.K. inventory by March 2024, former U.K. Defence Secretary Ben Wallace reported that the RAF and Royal Navy faced a considerable challenge in providing even the existing modest F-35B fleet with qualified pilots. As of late 2022 there were only 30 qualified British pilots (plus three exchange pilots from
10868-584: The United States and Australia) for the F-35. The average wait time for RAF trainee Typhoon and F-35 pilots, after completing the Military Flying Training System, was approximately 11 and 12 months respectively. A further gap of 68 weeks existed between completing Basic Flying Training and beginning Advanced Fast Jet Training. The resulting pilot shortage was a factor in delaying the ability to stand up
11011-657: The West Indies under then Captain Horatio Nelson, earning three of her four Battle Honours. The fourth and last HMS Pegasus served as a prototype fighter catapult ship, originally commissioned as HMS Ark Royal, serving primarily on convoy duty in the Second World War. The name Pegasus has associations outside of the Royal Navy, including the Bristol Aeroplane Company engine that powered the Fairey Swordfish and
11154-585: The Western Front. In April 1918 the RNAS, which at this time had 67,000 officers and men, 2,949 aircraft, 103 airships and 126 coastal stations, merged with the RFC to form the Royal Air Force . On 1 April 1924, the Fleet Air Arm of the Royal Air Force was formed, encompassing those RAF units that normally embarked on aircraft carriers and fighting ships. The year was significant for British naval aviation as only weeks before
11297-512: The airfield and re-branded it as Solent Airport Daedalus . It hosts the Solent Enterprise Zone . The airfield is situated 4 miles (6.44 km) north west of the entrance to Portsmouth Harbour . Lee-on-the-Solent adjoins along the south east boundary, with the town of Gosport 2.5 miles (4.02 km) east and the port city of Southampton 8 miles (12.87 km) north west. Naval aviation began at Lee-on-Solent on 30 July 1917 when
11440-479: The area of research and development. In the case of Coastal Command, it continued to come third in the Air Ministry's list of priorities, after Fighter and Bomber Commands, well into the late 1930s. From its formation in 1936, Coastal Command did not receive the support it required to be an effective naval air service. In September 1939 Nazi Germany invaded Poland beginning the war in Europe . The Command's position
11583-444: The arm, the Air Ministry was content to let the matter rest. Any threat to the Air Ministry's existence had long since passed; budgetary constraint and the reluctance to engage in another battle which would waste resources were also factors in the Air Ministry's decision not to contest the issue further. Inter-service squabbling assured maritime aviation's stagnation, especially in shore-based elements. Virtually no co-operation existed in
11726-755: The arrival and departure routes for Royal Navy nuclear submarine forces. Soon after, counter operations such as Operation Adjutant were carried out, which was aimed at searching for Soviet submarines. The main threat from the Soviets in the Atlantic came from the Soviet Northern Fleet and in early 1965 most of the Command's units were concentrated in No. 18 Group RAF , based in Scotland to monitor their activities. No recorded confrontation took place between Coastal Command and Soviet naval forces during this time, although both
11869-538: The attack of the vessels by Coastal Command aircraft. Since the late 1920s the tension between the air and naval services had declined. It arose briefly again in 1937 when the question of the FAA operational control arose. On this occasion the British Government sided with the Admiralty. Despite a spirited defence of its asset, once the Minister for Co-ordination of Defence , Sir Thomas Inskip had decided to transfer
12012-477: The backing of Churchill and the maritime air effort struggled to receive the recognition it needed. On the outbreak of war, the order of battle listed just 298 aircraft, of which only 171 were operational. On 15 February 1941, Coastal Command was placed under the operational control of the Admiralty. Instrumental in improving the strike rate against submarines was scientific advisor and assistant director of research E. J. Williams , who applied scientific analysis to
12155-449: The bomber forces received no less than 50 per cent which averaged 57 per cent over all schemes. Maritime air units never made up more than 12 per cent of British air strength. From a pre-expansion strength of just five squadrons, four of which were flying boats, the figure of maritime squadrons rose to 18 by September 1939, with a strength of just 176 aircraft. Some 16 of these were allocated to trade defence but given Trenchard's policy (which
12298-510: The city which was jointly occupied by the four major powers, the Soviets in the east, and the Americans, French and British in the west. The joint American-British operation continued for almost a year. Coastal Command aircraft were involved as flying boats were the only aircraft with internal anti-corrosion treatment allowing bulk salt to be transported. The Command's operations grew in intensity. By 13 July daily sorties had risen to 16. By October it
12441-423: The command could not protect English Channel convoys, and was forced to abandon operations until July 1940. RAF Fighter Command was given the task, supplying air attack and defence with the enemy. Warning signs after the First World War, that U-boats could become a serious threat once again, meant that aircraft would be the best counter to their operations. This fact not being fully understood, Coastal Command became
12584-525: The conceptual or planning stages under a program known as Project Vixen . A Fleet Air Arm flying squadron is formally titled Naval Air Squadron (NAS), a title used as a suffix to the squadron number. The FAA assigns numbers in the 700–799 range to training and operational conversion squadrons and numbers in the 800–899 range to operational squadrons. Exceptions to the 700–799 include operational conversion squadrons which also hold some form of operational commitment where they are then titled 800–899. During WWII
12727-448: The construction commence of concrete runways begin thus making RNAS Lee-on-Solent one of the early airbases to move away from grass airstrips. The two runways in question: heading 13/31 and 2,250 feet (690 m) in length and heading 24/06 with a length of 3,000 feet (910 m). Later on, in August, 710 Naval Air Squadron formed. This was a seaplane squadron with six Supermarine Walrus for
12870-517: The construction of an airship for naval duties. In 1911 the Royal Navy graduated its first aeroplane pilots at the Royal Aero Club flying ground near Eastchurch , Isle of Sheppey under the tutelage of pioneer aviator George Bertram Cockburn . In May 1912, naval and army aviation were combined to become the Royal Flying Corps (RFC). The Naval Wing of the RFC lasted until July 1914 when
13013-789: The crisis, although the Shackleton squadrons at RAF Ballykelly were sent to Macrihanish as it was known that Ballykelly was on the Soviet IRBM target list. In the early 1960s the Soviet Navy and Communist Bloc's fishing fleets began operating around the British Isles in increasing numbers. The British public began taking an interest in their operations as civilian fisherman began complaining about their presence. Operation Chacewater began, in which Coastal Command began monitoring their movements, in particular other vessels that loitered in areas covering
13156-567: The deck, was the Fresnel lens optical landing aid . Another Royal Navy invention was the use of a steam-powered catapult to cater for the larger and heavier aircraft (both systems were adopted by the US Navy). Defence cuts across the British armed forces during the 1960s and 1970s led to the withdrawal of existing Royal Navy aircraft carriers, transfer of Fleet Air Arm fixed-wing jet strike aircraft such as
13299-579: The difficulties faced by the Kriegsmarine in 1939 and early 1940. The entire strategic position, which had been the foundation of the U-boat war since June 1940 had been undermined. In the last three years of the war, Coastal Command sank more U-boats than any other service and continued to hold the technological advantage from 1943. A brief threat, in the shape of the German Type XXI submarine emerged but
13442-590: The disastrous 1940–1942 period, known to the Germans as the " First " and " Second Happy Time ", the Air Ministry refused to invest in trade defence. Further delays in resource procurement might have led to German success, which could have defeated Britain and forced it out of the war or at least caused a postponement of Operation Torch , the Allied landings in French North-West Africa in 1942 and Operation Overlord ,
13585-536: The end of April, operating with Supermarine Spitfire Vb and was joined by the Supermarine Spitfire Va aircraft of No. 63 Squadron at the end of May and the British single-seat fighter-bomber Hawker Typhoon Ib equipped, No. 1320 ('Abdullah') Flight . Together with No. 268 Squadron , equipped with North American Mustang II an American long-range, single-seat fighter and No. 414 Squadron RCAF operating North American Mustang I, this mixture of units formed
13728-702: The end of May 1940. (The Admiralty had taken over Jersey Airport, to use as a Naval air station . However, due to the German occupation of France and the proximity to the Channel Islands , the Government concluded the Islands weren't defendable). The squadron remained at Lee-on-Solent for around one month before moving to RNAS Worthy Down in July. Four Bellman hangars were initially erected at HMS Daedalus , but on 16 August 1940
13871-609: The expansion of the RAF during the 1930s, however, Parliament decided that the Fleet Air Arm should transfer to the Admiralty. Four airfields in the United Kingdom were transferred over to the Fleet Air Arm, these were the air stations at Donibristle , Lee-on-Solent, Ford , and Worthy Down . As a consequence, on 24 May 1939, HQ RAF Coastal Command moved to Northwood and Lee-on-Solent was commissioned as HMS Daedalus . It become, it appears, Headquarters of Rear Admiral, Naval Air Stations , Richard Bell Davies . Captain T Bulteel
14014-593: The first Fleet Air Arm Squadron (809 Squadron) on a timely basis. In February 2023, the Chief of the Air Staff , Air Chief Marshal Sir Mike Wigston, reported that the number of F-35 pilots had grown to 34 UK pilots with a further 7 to complete training by August 2023. Four types of fixed wing aircraft are operated by the FAA for training purposes: Pilot Grading is carried out using the Grob Tutor T1. Elementary flying training
14157-457: The first grass airstrip at Lee was constructed to the west of the town, Lee-on-Solent became HQ RAF Coastal Area , and a major rebuilding programme ensued. On 14 July 1936, an expanded RAF Coastal Area became RAF Coastal Command , with the HQ remaining at Lee-on-Solent. The Royal Air Force Station Flight at Lee-on-Solent was equipped with various aircraft over different periods, from 1918 to 1939. With
14300-475: The first people sent aloft in tethered balloons to spot the fall of shot were Royal Artillery observers. It was these observers who became early members of the Royal Flying Corps. Aircrew wear flying badges, such as pilots wearing a pair of gold albatross wings. The wings badges also feature a crown and fouled anchor in the centre, to reflect the maritime element of the flying undertaken. Wings are worn on
14443-453: The founding of the Fleet Air Arm, the Royal Navy had commissioned HMS Hermes , the world's first ship to be designed and built as an aircraft carrier. Over the following months RAF Fleet Air Arm Fairey IIID reconnaissance biplanes operated off Hermes, conducting flying trials. On 24 May 1939 the Fleet Air Arm was returned to Admiralty control under the " Inskip Award " (named after the Minister for Co-ordination of Defence overseeing
14586-534: The intensity of air attack on Britain, or air attacks on enemy targets, required all available air units for those purposes. In December 1937, the Naval and Air Staffs met again and changed the priority to North Sea reconnaissance. The Naval Staff insisted that surface commerce raiders presented the greatest danger and aircraft could prove decisive only in locating enemy warships. ASW remained in third place, after direct co-operation with surface fleets. In December 1938, this
14729-459: The landing in France, in 1944. Other research indicates that losses unquestionably affected the build-up for Operation Neptune , the naval phase of the landings in Europe. Eventually the Command was given the investment it needed. Radar and long-range aircraft enabled the Command to hunt and destroy U-boats with growing efficiency. German submarines had been sinking a large number of Allied ships in
14872-541: The latest depth charges, including homing torpedoes, officially classed as Mark 24 mines [nicknamed 'Wandering Annie' or 'Wandering Willie'] and even rockets. The Command saw action from the first day of hostilities until the last day of the Second World War. Coastal Command completed one million flying hours, 240,000 operations and destroyed 212 U-boats. Coastal Command casualties amounted to 2,060 aircraft to all causes. From 1940 to 1945 Coastal Command sank 366 German transport vessels and damaged 134. The total tonnage sunk
15015-520: The left sleeve of naval aviators, unlike their other service counterparts. The FAA operates fixed wing and rotary wing aircraft. It uses the same aircraft designation system as the RAF. The introduction of the F-35B Lightning II saw a restoration of fixed wing, front-line operations to the FAA after the retirement of Joint Force Harrier in 2010. The Lightning Force is a joint RAF-Fleet Air Arm formation with all F-35Bs capable of operating from
15158-543: The logistical problems to great effect. Williams was present at some meetings of the Cabinet Anti-U-boat Committee at 10 Downing Street, under the chairmanship of the Prime Minister. Owing to the starvation of resources, even as late as March 1943, the Atlantic supply lines were being threatened. This situation arose as a direct result of the lack of very long-range aircraft. Despite the enormous losses of
15301-505: The nearby cliff, then lowered by crane onto a trolley which ran on rails into the sea. Permanent hangars, workshops, accommodation and a new double slipway were soon constructed, however. On 1 April 1918, the RNAS combined with the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) to form the Royal Air Force (RAF) and the Lee-on-Solent Naval Seaplane Training School became an RAF station. Naval aviation training continued throughout
15444-521: The need for ASW aircraft in the Eastern Atlantic. The Avro Shackleton was the main operational aircraft in the 1950s, replacing the wartime Liberator GRs , along with the Neptune MR.1s . At the end of August 1951, No. 201 Squadron RAF became the first unit to complete training on the type. In mid-1953 the order of battle consisted of eight Shackleton squadrons; one at Gibraltar , four covering
15587-476: The operation split between the FAA and the Royal Air Force , as was the case with Joint Force Harrier. 809 Naval Air Squadron was announced as the second UK unit to fly the F-35B (the first being 617 Squadron RAF ) and is the first FAA unit to operate the aircraft. It is understood that at least two further frontline squadrons will stand up in the future alongside 809, 617, 17(R) Test and Evaluation Squadron and an RAF-numbered Operational Conversion Unit, creating
15730-605: The other three as the target aircraft. December saw the unit move to RAF Ford to join the RAF Fighter Interception Unit. 739 Naval Air Squadron formed on 15 December 1942 at Lee-On-Solent. It was designated as the Blind Approach Development Unit. Its first commanding officer was Lieutenant G. Smith, RN, and its initial equipment was a single Fairey Swordfish alongside one Fairey Fulmar for trials work. The squadron later acquired Airspeed Oxford ,
15873-597: The outbreak of war. When the review of the role Coastal Command was to play in war was assessed in 1937, the AOC Sir Frederick Bowhill was informed by his Senior Air Staff Officer, Air Commodore Geoffrey Bromet , that the other two commands (Bomber and Fighter) had clear mission objectives while Coastal Command had been given no clear mandate. It was assumed that Coastal Command was to keep sea communications open for merchant shipping and prevent seaborne raids on British coastlines and ports. No mention of U-boats
16016-512: The promising Avro Lincoln had yet to be ordered by the time the Lend-Lease programme ended in August 1945. The Short Sunderland was forced to continue as the main operational type until the end of 1946. Most of the aircraft that operated in the command were the Second World War types; the Spitfire, Lancaster, Mosquito and Beaufighter. The Command was kept busy in the late 1940s. Units were sent to
16159-444: The same period. There was eventually eight Fromson-Massillion hangars with a footprint measuring 70 yards (64 m) x 60 yards (55 m), these were hangars designated F, H, L, M, N, O, P and R. They were augmented with eleven hangars by A&J Main & Co Ltd, their footprint was identical to the fromson type, but had slightly lower doors. These hangars were designated A, B, C, D, E, G, J, K, Q, T and U. The original Watch Office
16302-517: The site is now Solent Airport Daedalus [REDACTED] Media related to RNAS Lee-on-Solent (HMS Daedalus) at Wikimedia Commons Royal Naval Air Station The Fleet Air Arm ( FAA ) is the naval aviation component of the United Kingdom's Royal Navy (RN). The FAA is one of five RN fighting arms . As of 2023 it is a primarily helicopter force, though also operating the F-35 Lightning II carrier-based stealth fighter jointly with
16445-508: The system was significantly delayed. While Crowsnest was deployed with the U.K. carrier strike group in 2021, it experienced operating challenges and finally achieved initial operating capability in July 2023. Full operating capability is expected in 2024/25. While all Merlins in the Royal Navy will be equipped to operate Crowsnest, only ten kits for the system are being acquired. It has been reported that initially five Merlins will be equipped with Crowsnest, three of these being normally assigned to
16588-639: The system was used extensively in the Falklands War, with both Hermes and Invincible part of the Task Force. At the end of the Cold War in 1989 the Fleet Air Arm was under the command of the Flag Officer Naval Air Command , a rear admiral based at RNAS Yeovilton . The inventory of the Fleet Air Arm in 1989 consisted of the following aircraft: In 2000 the Sea Harrier force was merged with
16731-450: The threat from Nazi Germany prompted a series of expansion schemes which pushed the number of squadrons up to 163 (as per Expansion Scheme M, the last before the outbreak of war) and the number of aircraft to 2,549. The scheme was never fully implemented, and Scheme F, 124 Squadrons and 1,736 aircraft, was the only scheme that ran its full course. It did produce modern aircraft and it made adequate provision for reserves (75 per cent) but again,
16874-459: The war the FAA needed to fly jet aircraft from their carriers. The jet aircraft of the era were considerably less effective at low speeds than propeller aircraft, but propeller aircraft could not effectively fight jets at the high speeds flown by jet aircraft. The FAA took on its first jet, the Sea Vampire , in the late 1940s. The Sea Vampire was the first jet credited with taking off and landing on
17017-621: The war, 17 George Medals , and 82 Distinguished Service Orders . The capitulation of Germany in May 1945 was followed by a rapid rundown of Coastal Command with the immediate disbandment of combat units and the transfer of aircraft to the RAF Transport Command . Commonwealth personnel were also sent home and the powerful Bristol Beaufighter and de Havilland Mosquito wings were reduced. The Command still maintained strong air-sea-rescue Air-sea rescue (ASR) and reconnaissance forces but its ASW
17160-724: The work of the Royal Naval Air Electrical Training Establishment, Worthy Down prior to its closure in 1961. In 1962 the Joint Service Hovercraft Unit was formed with the aim of testing hovercraft in an operational military environment, and soon after the Air Station reverted to the name HMS Daedalus on 5 October 1965. She was home to the Naval Air Trial Installation Unit (NATIU), formed to install and test new systems in
17303-682: Was 214 sorties (other RAF Commands were also flying in supplies). The flying boats made their flight in using the Elbe river , but these operations came to a close on 14 December 1948, when the hazard from uncharted sandbanks and wreckage which, in some cases had been deliberately placed there by the Soviets to prevent the Western Allies from supplying the city, made operations impractical. Over 1,000 sorties had been made, and 4,500 tons of supplies were flown in and 1,113 people, mainly children, evacuated. NATO ,
17446-457: Was 512,330 tons and another 513,454 tons damaged. 10,663 persons were rescued by the Command, comprising 5,721 Allied crew members, 277 enemy personnel and 4,665 non-aircrews. A total of 5,866 Coastal Command personnel were killed in action. During the Cold War , Coastal Command concentrated on anti-submarine warfare preparations against the fleets of the Warsaw Pact . In 1969, Coastal Command
17589-681: Was Commander Stanley Orr , the Royal Marine ace was Ronald Cuthbert Hay with 13 victories. A number of Royal Marines were FAA pilots during the war. Notable Fleet Air Arm operations during the war included the Battle of Taranto , the sinking of the Bismarck , the attempt to prevent the Channel Dash , Operation Tungsten against the Tirpitz and Operation Meridian against oil plants in Sumatra . After
17732-664: Was at war. At the end of hostilities in 1945 the RNVR(A) was 46,000 strong, with over 8,000 aircrew. Post war the RNVR(A) comprised 12 dedicated reserve squadrons, grouped regionally into Air Divisions. However, defence cuts in 1957 disbanded the five Air Divisions, and the following year the RNVR was merged with the RNR. As of 1 December 2013, the Regular Fleet Air Arm has a reported strength of 5,000 personnel, which represents approximately 20% of
17875-536: Was awarded a posthumous Victoria Cross . The unit regrouped at Lee-on-Solent, on 2 March 1942, again equipped with Fairey Swordfish Il, before later moving to RNAS Machrihanish (HMS Landrail ). Later in the same year 746 Naval Air Squadron formed as the Naval Night Fighter Interception Unit, during November 1942, at Lee-on-Solent. It initially operated with six Fairey Fulmar reconnaissance / fighter aircraft, three as night fighter aircraft with
18018-540: Was changed again and ASW moved up to second priority. In August 1939 it was moved to first priority. When Coastal Command went to war, its first task was to co-operate with the Navy to prevent enemy vessels from escaping into the North Sea and Atlantic Oceans. Secondly, it was to provide ASW support where and when it could. These steps are significant as the language indicates a change from passive reconnaissance of enemy warships and submarines to an active directive which involved
18161-561: Was comfortable for the first nine months of the war, the period known as the Phoney War . German submarines were not able to reach the Atlantic unless they undertook a dangerous transit journey through the North Sea and around Britain's northern waters or through the English Channel , which was guarded by the Royal and French Navies . The powerful French Navy was responsible for covering half of
18304-636: Was damaged during the August 1940 attack by the Luftwaffe’ and a new Admiralty designed control tower was constructed to replace it. By the middle of the Second World War the airbase had the capacity for five first line and three second line squadrons, at any one time. 809 Naval Air Squadron formed at Lee-on-Solent, on 15 January 1941, as a fleet fighter squadron, equipped with Fairey Fulmar Il aircraft. The squadron worked-up for embarkation on HMS Victorious , but prior to this left HMS Daedalus after three months and moved to Gosport in March. In July 811 Naval Air Squadron reformed at Lee-on-Solent. Tasked as
18447-557: Was formed in April 1940 as an Advance Seaplane Training Squadron. It was equipped with Supermarine Walrus amphibian aircraft, and Fairey Seafox and Fairey Swordfish floatplanes. When the trainees had passed the conversion course at Lee-on Solent they boarded the Seaplane carrier, HMS Pegasus , for catapult training. The squadron left HMS Daedalus for RAF Pembroke Dock on the 3 July 1940, leaving behind its Seafox floatplanes. 763 Naval Air Squadron , Torpedo, Spotter, Reconnaissance Pool No.1, arrived at HMS Daedalus from RNAS Jersey at
18590-440: Was known by the Germans as Black May . Thereafter the suppression of German submarines was effective in the Atlantic and in their transit routes through the Bay of Biscay in 1942, 1943 and 1944. In June 1944 the Normandy landings and subsequent Operation Overlord liberated France and cost the Germans their air and submarine bases won in 1940. The U-boats were forced to relocate to Norway and Germany in August, restoring many of
18733-465: Was little operational action for the Command at this point. It airlifted British Army forces into Egypt during the Suez Crisis which was its major action during this period. The lack of funds and any active conventional military role saw the Command struggle to keep its front-line strength high. There was a brief alert in October 1962, during the Cuban Missile Crisis , when all six squadrons it then possessed were put on high alert, but nothing came of
18876-434: Was lopsided. With a few exceptions, only a handful of squadrons with ASW aircraft remained by January 1946. While the Command retained a minimum peacetime force and the Air Ministry had every intention of maintaining it as such, the fleet was further reduced and suffered from procurement problems. The Short Shetland and Short Seaford were rejected as replacements for the Consolidated B-24 Liberator . A maritime version of
19019-415: Was made by either man. Both apparently assumed aircraft and surface raiders presented the greater threat in British waters, thus following the Admiralty line that U-boats were no longer a threat. When Admiral Sir Dudley Pound enquired about aerial assets in trade and commerce defence, Chief of the Air Staff Cyril Newall , replied that there was not enough " jam " [resources] to go around and stated it
19162-425: Was more advisable to risk losses on trade routes than weaken the RAF's ability to protect Britain from air attack and bomb its enemies. In March 1937, the Director of Operations, Group Captain Robert Saundby , complained that the role for Coastal Command in war, namely supporting the bomber offensive and second, the support of naval forces along the British coastline, were too limited and was in danger of diverting
19305-402: Was reduced despite increasing demand for operations. In May, Palestinians began attacking British military installations throughout the region. In the largest British post-war action, Operation Dawn (13 to 14 May 1948) was launched with the support of Coastal Command. On 28 June 1948 Coastal Command was also involved in the Berlin Airlift . The Soviet Union attempted to cut off all aid to
19448-410: Was referred to as the "Cinderella Service" by A V Alexander , the First Lord of the Admiralty in November 1940. Soon after RAF Coastal Area was elevated to Coastal Command, its headquarters moved from Lee-on-Solent to Northwood in northwest London. During the Second World War , Coastal Command's most important contribution was the protection of Allied convoys from attacks by the U-boats of
19591-484: Was required for this work because of the need to maintain aircraft over the beaches used for the invasion but with aircraft that had a limited endurance . The number of sorties from HMS Daedalus in support of Operation Neptune was 435 and this was the highest total achieved by any UK airfield on D-Day. Post-war she continued to play a significant role, being renamed HMS Ariel on 31 October 1959 to reflect her electrical, radar and ground training emphasis; she took over
19734-476: Was still in place after his retirement) of developing bombers for the maritime arm which could bolster the air offensive, most were not specialised anti-submarine warfare (ASW) aircraft. The Air Ministry was thoroughly uninterested in any aircraft which fell outside the bomber function. De la Ferté was highly critical of the Air Ministry's attitude to his service. In 1937 several exercises were carried out by Coastal Command in co-operation with submarines against
19877-400: Was subsumed into the new Strike Command, which had also absorbed the former Bomber, Fighter and Signals Commands and later absorbed Air Support Command, the former Transport Command. In 1936, almost 18 years after the end of the First World War, there was a change in the command structure of the RAF. Several Expansion Schemes were heading at such pace to re-arm the British military in face of
20020-465: Was the first Royal Navy station commander of Lee-on-Solent and took up post the following day on 25 May 1939. The first two units to take up residence at HMS Daedalus , on 24 May, 765 Naval Air Squadron , as a Basic Seaplane Training and Pool Squadron. It was initially equipped with Supermarine Walrus amphibian aircraft and, Fairey Seafox and Fairey Swordfish Seaplane aircraft. The squadron trained pilots in operating seaplane aircraft and provided
20163-411: Was thought to have been taken from a Creeping Line Ahead, a parallel search pattern performed by FAA aircraft in a carrier task group. Today, the dark blue background represents the Royal Navy; the colour of the zigzag represents the Royal Flying Corps, from which the Royal Naval Air Service was born; and the zigzag shape represents a nod to the Royal Artillery (red zigzag on blue background), given that
20306-451: Was to help bolster the defence and guard against a potential Soviet naval threat in Atlantic and European waters. For Coastal Command the main concern was the Atlantic. On 1 March 1950 it had lost the photo reconnaissance units to RAF Bomber Command . The transfer was not complete when North Korea invaded South Korea beginning the Korean War . Handley Page Hastings were hastily modified and ready for operations but were not sent, owing to
20449-465: Was too late to alter the course of the war. Technological answers to the Type XXI were available in the form of 3-centimetre radar and magnetic anomaly detectors in aircraft. At midnight 4 June 1945, official wartime operations ceased. The last mission was flown by Wing Commander J. Barret DFC , commanding officer of No. 201 Squadron RAF . By that time over 2,000 decorations had been awarded. These included four Victoria Crosses, of whom only one survived
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