804 Naval Air Squadron
Encyclopedia
804 Naval Air Squadron was a Naval Air Squadron of the Royal Navy
, formed in November 1939 from part of 769 NAS Sea Gladiators which had been detached to RNAS Hatston
. The squadron was merged into 800 NAS in June 1944 and subsequently reformed in September.
During World War II
, she was equipped with various aircraft types in differing roles. When formed at Hatston, 804 used Gloster Sea Gladiators in defence of the naval base at Scapa Flow
, but was transferred in April 1940 to HMS Glorious to provide air cover for the ferrying of 269 Squadron RAF
's Gladiators to Norway
after the German invasion
. This was a brief assignment and in early May the squadron was transferred to HMS Furious
at Campbeltown
, thus missing Glorious sinking. Between May and September 1940 804 squadron returned to Hatston, and was subsequently recognised as one of the two FAA squadrons that operated with RAF Fighter Command
in the Battle of Britain
.
In October 1940 804 Squadron was re-equipped with Martlet I
fighters, and first operated the new fighters out of RNAS Skaebrae in the Orkney Islands
in October 1940. On 25 December 1940, two of the squadrons Martlets shot down a Junkers Ju 88
off Scapa Flow
, thus scoring the first aerial victory in Europe by an American-made aircraft in history and the first by any variant of the Grumman F4F Wildcat. Further re-equipping occurred in February 1941 at RNAS Yeovilton with Fulmar II
s and Sea Hurricanes.
In April 1941 the squadron was assigned to operate from catapult-armed ships (CAM ship
s and fighter catapult ship
s) until this role was taken over by the RAF's Merchant Ship Fighter Unit
in May 1942. During this assignment, the squadron had aircraft on HMS Ariguani, Springbank (until sunk on 27 September 1940), Maplin, and SS Michael (until sunk on 2 June 1941). In August 1941, an 804 Squadron Sea Hurricane from HMS Maplin, piloted by Robert Everett
, shot down an Fw 200 Condor, the first such victory for a catapult launched aircraft.
In July 1942, the squadron escorted Gibraltar convoy
s on board HMS Argus
and later, in October, now equipped with the Sea Hurricane IIc, joined HMS Dasher
for the North African landings
. The squadron was re-equipped yet again in August 1943 Hellcat I
s and in October joined No 7 Naval Fighter Wing. Two months later they embarked on HMS Emperor
and accompanied a US-bound convoy.
The squadron participated in the successful attack on 3 April 1944 on the German battleship Tirpitz
(Operation Tungsten
) in Altafjord
, northern Norway. Fleet Air Arm Barracuda
dive-bombers from HMS Furious
and HMS Victorious
were covered by the 7th Naval Fighter Wing, including 804 NAS.
In June 1944, 804 was absorbed into 800 squadron.
The squadron reformed in September 1944 at Wingfield airfield, South Africa
with 24 Hellcat IIs and in January 1945, they embarked on HMS Ameer
to provide cover during the landings on Ramree Island
, and subsequently missions over Sumatra
and Malaya
. In April 1945 the squadron embarked on HMS Empress
and also HMS Shah
for attacks on the Andaman Islands
and the coast of Burma, returning to HMS Ameer in June for attacks on Sumatran airfields and Phuket Island, only returning to the United Kingdom after VJ Day in November 1945.
aircraft under the command of Lieutenant Commander
T. Binney RN. The 800 Series of Naval Air Squadrons were allocated to carrier and land based operational squadrons of the Fleet Air Arm
. After a four month work up period the Squadron embarked in HMS Hermes
. Other than for two periods ashore at Lossiemouth
, the squadron operated from Hermes until the unit disbanded in September 1961. The squadron took part in both the Farnborough Airshow and the Paris Air Show
in 1961, operating from the deck of Hermes rather than a shore base and flying directly to and from the shows.
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
, formed in November 1939 from part of 769 NAS Sea Gladiators which had been detached to RNAS Hatston
RNAS Hatston
RNAS Hatston, also called HMS Sparrowhawk, was a Royal Naval Air Station.It was situated one mile to the north west of Kirkwall on the island of Mainland, Orkney...
. The squadron was merged into 800 NAS in June 1944 and subsequently reformed in September.
World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, she was equipped with various aircraft types in differing roles. When formed at Hatston, 804 used Gloster Sea Gladiators in defence of the naval base at Scapa Flow
Scapa Flow
right|thumb|Scapa Flow viewed from its eastern endScapa Flow is a body of water in the Orkney Islands, Scotland, United Kingdom, sheltered by the islands of Mainland, Graemsay, Burray, South Ronaldsay and Hoy. It is about...
, but was transferred in April 1940 to HMS Glorious to provide air cover for the ferrying of 269 Squadron RAF
No. 269 Squadron RAF
No. 269 Squadron RAF was a maritime patrol unit of the Royal Air Force that saw service in World War I, World War II, and the Cold War.-World War I:...
's Gladiators to Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
after the German invasion
Operation Weserübung
Operation Weserübung was the code name for Germany's assault on Denmark and Norway during the Second World War and the opening operation of the Norwegian Campaign...
. This was a brief assignment and in early May the squadron was transferred to HMS Furious
HMS Furious (47)
HMS Furious was a modified cruiser built for the Royal Navy during the First World War. Designed to support the Baltic Project championed by the First Sea Lord of the Admiralty, Lord John Fisher, they were very lightly armoured and armed with only a few heavy guns. Furious was modified while...
at Campbeltown
Campbeltown
Campbeltown is a town and former royal burgh in Argyll and Bute, Scotland. It lies by Campbeltown Loch on the Kintyre peninsula. Originally known as Kinlochkilkerran , it was renamed in the 17th century as Campbell's Town after Archibald Campbell was granted the site in 1667...
, thus missing Glorious sinking. Between May and September 1940 804 squadron returned to Hatston, and was subsequently recognised as one of the two FAA squadrons that operated with RAF Fighter Command
RAF Fighter Command
RAF Fighter Command was one of three functional commands of the Royal Air Force. It was formed in 1936 to allow more specialised control of fighter aircraft. It served throughout the Second World War, gaining recognition in the Battle of Britain. The Command continued until 17 November 1943, when...
in the Battle of Britain
Battle of Britain
The Battle of Britain is the name given to the World War II air campaign waged by the German Air Force against the United Kingdom during the summer and autumn of 1940...
.
In October 1940 804 Squadron was re-equipped with Martlet I
F4F Wildcat
The Grumman F4F Wildcat was an American carrier-based fighter aircraft that began service with both the United States Navy and the British Royal Navy in 1940...
fighters, and first operated the new fighters out of RNAS Skaebrae in the Orkney Islands
Orkney Islands
Orkney also known as the Orkney Islands , is an archipelago in northern Scotland, situated north of the coast of Caithness...
in October 1940. On 25 December 1940, two of the squadrons Martlets shot down a Junkers Ju 88
Junkers Ju 88
The Junkers Ju 88 was a World War II German Luftwaffe twin-engine, multi-role aircraft. Designed by Hugo Junkers' company through the services of two American aviation engineers in the mid-1930s, it suffered from a number of technical problems during the later stages of its development and early...
off Scapa Flow
Scapa Flow
right|thumb|Scapa Flow viewed from its eastern endScapa Flow is a body of water in the Orkney Islands, Scotland, United Kingdom, sheltered by the islands of Mainland, Graemsay, Burray, South Ronaldsay and Hoy. It is about...
, thus scoring the first aerial victory in Europe by an American-made aircraft in history and the first by any variant of the Grumman F4F Wildcat. Further re-equipping occurred in February 1941 at RNAS Yeovilton with Fulmar II
Fairey Fulmar
The Fairey Fulmar was a British carrier-borne fighter aircraft that served with the Fleet Air Arm during the Second World War. A total of 600 were built by Fairey Aviation at its Stockport factory between January 1940 and December 1942...
s and Sea Hurricanes.
In April 1941 the squadron was assigned to operate from catapult-armed ships (CAM ship
CAM ship
CAM ships were World War II-era British merchant ships used in convoys as an emergency stop-gap until sufficient escort carriers became available. CAM is an acronym for catapult aircraft merchantman. A CAM ship was equipped with a rocket-propelled catapult launching a single Hawker Sea Hurricane,...
s and fighter catapult ship
Fighter catapult ship
Fighter catapult ships also known as Catapult Armed Ships were an attempt by the Royal Navy to provide air cover at sea. Five ships were acquired and commissioned as Naval vessels early in the Second World War and these were used to accompany convoys....
s) until this role was taken over by the RAF's Merchant Ship Fighter Unit
Merchant Ship Fighter Unit
The Merchant Ship Fighter Unit was a Royal Air Force operational aircraft unit based at RAF Speke during World War II. The aircraft operated by the MSFU were Hawker Sea Hurricanes. These planes were operated from 35 merchant ships outfitted with a catapult on the bow, referred to as Catapult...
in May 1942. During this assignment, the squadron had aircraft on HMS Ariguani, Springbank (until sunk on 27 September 1940), Maplin, and SS Michael (until sunk on 2 June 1941). In August 1941, an 804 Squadron Sea Hurricane from HMS Maplin, piloted by Robert Everett
Robert W H Everett
Robert William Hanmer Everett, DSO was a British jockey and World War II pilot. In 1929, on Gregalach, he won the prestigious steeplechase the Grand National and in 1941 as a Fleet Air Arm pilot, he achieved the first "kill" by a rocket-launched fighter, shooting down a long-range Focke-Wulf Fw...
, shot down an Fw 200 Condor, the first such victory for a catapult launched aircraft.
In July 1942, the squadron escorted Gibraltar convoy
Convoy
A convoy is a group of vehicles, typically motor vehicles or ships, traveling together for mutual support and protection. Often, a convoy is organized with armed defensive support, though it may also be used in a non-military sense, for example when driving through remote areas.-Age of Sail:Naval...
s on board HMS Argus
HMS Argus (I49)
HMS Argus was a British aircraft carrier that served in the Royal Navy from 1918–1944. She was converted from an ocean liner under construction when the First World War began, and became the world's first example of what is now the standard pattern of aircraft carrier, with a full-length flight...
and later, in October, now equipped with the Sea Hurricane IIc, joined HMS Dasher
HMS Dasher (D37)
HMS Dasher was a British Royal Navy aircraft carrier, of the Avenger class – converted merchant vessels – and one of the shortest lived escort carriers.-Design and description:...
for the North African landings
Operation Torch
Operation Torch was the British-American invasion of French North Africa in World War II during the North African Campaign, started on 8 November 1942....
. The squadron was re-equipped yet again in August 1943 Hellcat I
F6F Hellcat
The Grumman F6F Hellcat was a carrier-based fighter aircraft developed to replace the earlier F4F Wildcat in United States Navy service. Although the F6F resembled the Wildcat, it was a completely new design powered by a 2,000 hp Pratt & Whitney R-2800. Some tagged it as the "Wildcat's big...
s and in October joined No 7 Naval Fighter Wing. Two months later they embarked on HMS Emperor
HMS Emperor (D98)
The USS Pybus was laid down 23 June 1942 as MC Hull No. 245 by Seattle-Tacoma Shipbuilding, Washington; originally classified AVG-34, she was reclassified as ACV-34 on 20 August 1942; launched 7 October 1942; commissioned 31 May 1943 at the Puget Sound Navy Yard, Wash.; reclassified as CVE-34 15...
and accompanied a US-bound convoy.
German battleship Tirpitz
Tirpitz was the second of two s built for the German Kriegsmarine during World War II. Named after Grand Admiral Alfred von Tirpitz, the architect of the Imperial Navy, the ship was laid down at the Kriegsmarinewerft in Wilhelmshaven in November 1936 and launched two and a half years later in April...
(Operation Tungsten
Operation Tungsten
Operation Tungsten was a British naval operation during World War II. it was one of a number of aerial attacks on the German battleship Tirpitz while she was in Norwegian waters...
) in Altafjord
Altafjord
Altafjord is a fjord in the municipality Alta in Finnmark county, Norway, and is about 38 kilometres long. In the inner southern part of the fjord, near the town of Alta, is the outlet of the 200 kilometre long river Altaelva...
, northern Norway. Fleet Air Arm Barracuda
Fairey Barracuda
The Fairey Barracuda was a British carrier-borne torpedo- and dive bomber used during the Second World War, the first of its type used by the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm to be fabricated entirely from metal. It was introduced as a replacement for the Fairey Swordfish and Fairey Albacore biplanes...
dive-bombers from HMS Furious
HMS Furious (47)
HMS Furious was a modified cruiser built for the Royal Navy during the First World War. Designed to support the Baltic Project championed by the First Sea Lord of the Admiralty, Lord John Fisher, they were very lightly armoured and armed with only a few heavy guns. Furious was modified while...
and HMS Victorious
HMS Victorious (R38)
HMS Victorious was the second Illustrious-class aircraft carrier ordered under the 1936 Naval Programme. She was laid down at the Vickers-Armstrong shipyard at Newcastle-Upon-Tyne in 1937 and launched two years later in 1939...
were covered by the 7th Naval Fighter Wing, including 804 NAS.
In June 1944, 804 was absorbed into 800 squadron.
The squadron reformed in September 1944 at Wingfield airfield, South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
with 24 Hellcat IIs and in January 1945, they embarked on HMS Ameer
HMS Ameer (D01)
The escort carrier USS Baffins was launched 18 October 1942 by Seattle-Tacoma Shipbuilding, Tacoma, Washington; sponsored by Mrs. Laurence Bennett, wife of Commander Bennett; and commissioned 28 June 1943, Captain W. L. Rees in command...
to provide cover during the landings on Ramree Island
Battle of Ramree Island
The Battle of Ramree Island was fought for six weeks during January and February 1945, as part of the Indian XV Corps 1944/45 offensive on the Southern Front of the Burma Campaign during World War II....
, and subsequently missions over Sumatra
Sumatra
Sumatra is an island in western Indonesia, westernmost of the Sunda Islands. It is the largest island entirely in Indonesia , and the sixth largest island in the world at 473,481 km2 with a population of 50,365,538...
and Malaya
British Malaya
British Malaya loosely described a set of states on the Malay Peninsula and the Island of Singapore that were brought under British control between the 18th and the 20th centuries...
. In April 1945 the squadron embarked on HMS Empress
HMS Empress (D42)
The USS Carnegie was an escort aircraft carrier built in 1942-43 for transfer to the United Kingdom. She was reclassified ACV-38 on 20 August 1942, and CVE-38 on 15 July 1943...
and also HMS Shah
HMS Shah (D21)
The USS Jamaica , was an escort aircraft carrier of World War II that served in the British Royal Navy as HMS Shah . Returned to the USA at War's end, she was converted into a merchant vessel and she was sold into civilian service in 1946 as Salta...
for attacks on the Andaman Islands
Andaman Islands
The Andaman Islands are a group of Indian Ocean archipelagic islands in the Bay of Bengal between India to the west, and Burma , to the north and east...
and the coast of Burma, returning to HMS Ameer in June for attacks on Sumatran airfields and Phuket Island, only returning to the United Kingdom after VJ Day in November 1945.
Post-war
She was recommissioned at RNAS Lossiemouth on 1 March 1960. The squadron was equipped with 6 Supermarine Scimitar F MK1Supermarine Scimitar
-References:NotesBibliography* Andrews, C.F. and E.B. Morgan. Supermarine Aircraft since 1914. London: Putnam, 1987. ISBN 0-85177-800-3.* Birtles, Philip. Supermarine Attacker, Swift and Scimitar . London: Ian Allan, 1992. ISBN 0-7110-2034-5.* Buttler, Tony. "Database: Supermarine Scimitar"....
aircraft under the command of Lieutenant Commander
Lieutenant Commander
Lieutenant Commander is a commissioned officer rank in many navies. The rank is superior to a lieutenant and subordinate to a commander...
T. Binney RN. The 800 Series of Naval Air Squadrons were allocated to carrier and land based operational squadrons of the Fleet Air Arm
Fleet Air Arm
The Fleet Air Arm is the branch of the British Royal Navy responsible for the operation of naval aircraft. The Fleet Air Arm currently operates the AgustaWestland Merlin, Westland Sea King and Westland Lynx helicopters...
. After a four month work up period the Squadron embarked in HMS Hermes
HMS Hermes (R12)
HMS Hermes was a Centaur-class British aircraft carrier, the last of the postwar conventional aircraft carriers commissioned into the Royal Navy.-Construction and modifications:...
. Other than for two periods ashore at Lossiemouth
Lossiemouth
Lossiemouth is a town in Moray, Scotland. Originally the port belonging to Elgin, it became an important fishing town. Although there has been over a 1,000 years of settlement in the area, the present day town was formed over the past 250 years and consists of four separate communities that...
, the squadron operated from Hermes until the unit disbanded in September 1961. The squadron took part in both the Farnborough Airshow and the Paris Air Show
Paris Air Show
The Paris Air Show is the world's oldest and largest air show. Established in 1909, it is currently held every odd year at Le Bourget Airport in north Paris, France...
in 1961, operating from the deck of Hermes rather than a shore base and flying directly to and from the shows.