Royal Norwegian Navy Air Service
Encyclopedia
The Royal Norwegian Navy Air Service (Marinens Flyvevesen) was alongside the Norwegian Army Air Service
the forerunner to the modern-day Royal Norwegian Air Force
.
, piloted by Hans Dons
. The founding of the Air Service was based largely on pride. On 19 April 1912 newspapers had reported that a Swedish
pilot was planning to fly over Moss
and Horten
. Horten was the site of the main base of the Royal Norwegian Navy
. Three officers of the Norwegian
submarine
Kobben decided that it would be a shame if they were not able to beat him to it.
Later that year, the Maurice Farman
biplanes Njaal and Gange Rolf were purchased.
In 1915 the Navy established its own aircraft factory
and a flying school.
The main flight base was established in Horten. Other naval air stations were established in Kristiansand
in 1918, Bergen
in 1919 and in Tromsø
shortly before the invasion in 1940.
_f.60_of_the_royal_norwegian_navy_air_service.jpg)
In 1940 most of the planes in Norwegian service were outdated, and the 1 100 transport and figher planes of the Luftwaffe
soon gained air superiority. The armed resistance in Norway was abandoned 9 June 1940, although some Norwegians would continue the fight abroad. The aircraft of the Norwegian Naval Airforce were the only ones which had the range to fly all the way from the remaining bases in Northern Norway
to Britain. Amongst the Norwegian aircraft which reached Britain were four German made Heinkel He 115
sea planes, a fifth escaping to Finland
. Three Marinens Flyvebaatfabrikk M.F.11 maritime reconnaissance aircraft also made it to Finland, landing on Lake Salmijärvi in Petsamo
on 8 June. Six He 115s were bought before the war, and another two were captured from the Germans during the Norwegian Campaign
. A captured Arado Ar 196
from the German heavy cruiser
Admiral Hipper
was also flown from Norway to Britain for testing.
The Army and Navy air forces established themselves in Britain under the command of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
. Norwegian air and ground crews operated as part of the British Royal Air Force
, both in wholly Norwegian squadrons, and in others. The first exile air unit was the 330 Squadron
equipped with Northrop
torpedo-bombers. This squadron was established in the autumn of 1940 and was operating from Akureyri
, Iceland
, from July 1941. On 28 January 1943 the entire squadron relocated to Oban
, Scotland
where it began to re-equip with Short Sunderland
s. The second maritime squadron was the 333 squadron
established in 1943 in Woodhaven
, Scotland equipped with Catalina
sea planes and Mosquito
fighter-bomber
s. At the start of the war, Norwegian personnel received flight training at Toronto
, Canada, at Toronto Island Airport. The advantage of this site was its ability to provide both basic flight and seaplane training. Although the airport is located on an island in the harbour, personnel were housed in barracks on the mainland, in a neighbourhood which is still known today as Little Norway
. On 10 May 1945 the Mosquitos were formed into a third separate squadron - 334 Squadron
. Both planes and running costs were financed by the exiled Norwegian
government.
was established.
In honour of the achievements of the RNoAF Squadrons of the WWII The Royal Norwegian Air Force has maintained the RAF squadron names. Thus Norway still has 330 and 333 squadrons, respectively flying Sea King
helicopters and Orion
Maritime Patrol Aircraft. 334 Squadron is currently deactivated and is going to reform with NH90
utility helicopter
s sometime in 2007.
Norwegian Army Air Service
The Norwegian Army Air Service ' was established in 1914. Its main base and aircraft factory was at Kjeller. On 10 November 1944 the NoAAS was joined with the Royal Norwegian Navy Air Service to form the Royal Norwegian Air Force....
the forerunner to the modern-day Royal Norwegian Air Force
Royal Norwegian Air Force
The Royal Norwegian Air Force is the air force of Norway. It was established as a separate arm of the Norwegian armed forces on 10 November 1944. The RNoAF's peace force is approximately 1,430 employees . 600 personnel also serve their draft period in the RNoAF...
.
History
The RNNAS was established on 1 June 1912, with the maiden flight of the HNoMS StartHNoMS Start
Start was the Royal Norwegian Navy's very first aeroplane. It was bought in Germany and arrived in Horten 25 May 1912. The cost was 30 000 Norwegian kroner and the funding came from private contributions after a speedy initiative from the commander and officers of the submarine HNoMS Kobben . One...
, piloted by Hans Dons
Hans Dons
Hans Fleischer Dons was a naval officer and the first Norwegian to fly in Norway.Dons was born in Eiker, Norway and from 1909 he served as second in command on board Norway's first submarine the Kobben . On June 1, 1912 Dons performed the first flight in Norway, in a Etrich Taube monoplane named...
. The founding of the Air Service was based largely on pride. On 19 April 1912 newspapers had reported that a Swedish
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
pilot was planning to fly over Moss
Moss, Norway
is a coastal city and a municipality in Østfold county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Moss. The city of Moss was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838...
and Horten
Horten
is a town and municipality in Vestfold county, Norway—located along the Oslofjord. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Horten. The municipality also includes the villages of Borre, Åsgårdstrand, Skoppum, and Nykirke....
. Horten was the site of the main base of the Royal Norwegian Navy
Royal Norwegian Navy
The Royal Norwegian Navy is the branch of the Norwegian Defence Force responsible for naval operations. , the RNoN consists of approximately 3,700 personnel and 70 vessels, including 5 heavy frigates, 6 submarines, 14 patrol boats, 4 minesweepers, 4 minehunters, 1 mine detection vessel, 4 support...
. Three officers of the Norwegian
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...
submarine
Submarine
A submarine is a watercraft capable of independent operation below the surface of the water. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability...
Kobben decided that it would be a shame if they were not able to beat him to it.
Later that year, the Maurice Farman
Maurice Farman
Maurice Alain Farman was a French Grand Prix motor racing champion, an aviator, and an aircraft manufacturer and designer.-Biography:...
biplanes Njaal and Gange Rolf were purchased.
In 1915 the Navy established its own aircraft factory
Marinens Flyvebaatfabrikk
Marinens Flyvebaatfabrikk - The Navy's Flying Boat Factory - was the Royal Norwegian Navy Air Service' aeroplane producer. It was established in Horten in 1915.It produced a total of 120 planes from 1915 to 1940.-Planes produced:...
and a flying school.
The main flight base was established in Horten. Other naval air stations were established in Kristiansand
Kristiansand
-History:As indicated by archeological findings in the city, the Kristiansand area has been settled at least since 400 AD. A royal farm is known to have been situated on Oddernes as early as 800, and the first church was built around 1040...
in 1918, Bergen
Bergen
Bergen is the second largest city in Norway with a population of as of , . Bergen is the administrative centre of Hordaland county. Greater Bergen or Bergen Metropolitan Area as defined by Statistics Norway, has a population of as of , ....
in 1919 and in Tromsø
Tromsø
Tromsø is a city and municipality in Troms county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the city of Tromsø.Tromsø city is the ninth largest urban area in Norway by population, and the seventh largest city in Norway by population...
shortly before the invasion in 1940.
The Norwegian Campaign
Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1935 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956....
soon gained air superiority. The armed resistance in Norway was abandoned 9 June 1940, although some Norwegians would continue the fight abroad. The aircraft of the Norwegian Naval Airforce were the only ones which had the range to fly all the way from the remaining bases in Northern Norway
Nord-Norge
North Norway or Nord-Noreg , North Sámi: Davvi-Norga) is the geographical region of northern Norway, consisting of the three counties Nordland, Troms and Finnmark, in total about 35% of the Norwegian mainland. Some of the largest towns in North Norway are Mo i Rana, Bodø, Narvik, Harstad, Tromsø...
to Britain. Amongst the Norwegian aircraft which reached Britain were four German made Heinkel He 115
Heinkel He 115
The Heinkel He 115 was a World War II Luftwaffe seaplane with three seats. It was used as a torpedo bomber and performed general seaplane duties, such as reconnaissance and minelaying. The plane was powered by two 720 kW BMW 132K nine-cylinder air-cooled radial engines...
sea planes, a fifth escaping to Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
. Three Marinens Flyvebaatfabrikk M.F.11 maritime reconnaissance aircraft also made it to Finland, landing on Lake Salmijärvi in Petsamo
Pechengsky District
Pechengsky District is an administrative and municipal district , one of the five in Murmansk Oblast, Russia. It is located to the northwest of the Kola Peninsula on the coast of the Barents Sea and borders with Finland in the south and southwest and with Norway in the west, northwest, and north...
on 8 June. Six He 115s were bought before the war, and another two were captured from the Germans during the Norwegian Campaign
Norwegian Campaign
The Norwegian Campaign was a military campaign that was fought in Norway during the Second World War between the Allies and Germany, after the latter's invasion of the country. In April 1940, the United Kingdom and France came to Norway's aid with an expeditionary force...
. A captured Arado Ar 196
Arado Ar 196
-See also:-Bibliography:* Dabrowski, Hans-Peter and Koos, Volker. Arado Ar 196, Germany's Multi-Purpose Seaplane. Atglen, PA: Schiffer Military History, 1993. ISBN 0-88740-481-2....
from the German heavy cruiser
Heavy cruiser
The heavy cruiser was a type of cruiser, a naval warship designed for long range, high speed and an armament of naval guns roughly 203mm calibre . The heavy cruiser can be seen as a lineage of ship design from 1915 until 1945, although the term 'heavy cruiser' only came into formal use in 1930...
Admiral Hipper
German cruiser Admiral Hipper
Admiral Hipper, the first of five ships of her class, was the lead ship of the Admiral Hipper–class of heavy cruisers which served with the German Kriegsmarine during World War II. The ship was laid down at the Blohm & Voss shipyard in Hamburg in July 1935 and launched February 1937; Admiral Hipper...
was also flown from Norway to Britain for testing.
The RNNAS in exile
Joint Chiefs of Staff
The Joint Chiefs of Staff is a body of senior uniformed leaders in the United States Department of Defense who advise the Secretary of Defense, the Homeland Security Council, the National Security Council and the President on military matters...
. Norwegian air and ground crews operated as part of the British Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
, both in wholly Norwegian squadrons, and in others. The first exile air unit was the 330 Squadron
No. 330 Squadron RAF
No. 330 Squadron RNoAF is a helicopter squadron in the Royal Norwegian Air Force which at all times has a helicopter stationed on each of five Norwegian air stations. The squadron's current missions are search and rescue , air ambulance, disaster relief as well as special operations support.The...
equipped with Northrop
Northrop N-3PB
The Northrop N-3PB Nomad was a single-engined American floatplane of the 1940s. Northrop developed the N-3PB as an export model based on the earlier Northrop A-17 design. A total of 24 were purchased by Norway, but were not delivered until after the Fall of Norway during the Second World War...
torpedo-bombers. This squadron was established in the autumn of 1940 and was operating from Akureyri
Akureyri
Akureyri is a town in northern Iceland. It is Iceland's second largest urban area and fourth largest municipality ....
, Iceland
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
, from July 1941. On 28 January 1943 the entire squadron relocated to Oban
Oban
Oban Oban Oban ( is a resort town within the Argyll and Bute council area of Scotland. It has a total resident population of 8,120. Despite its small size, it is the largest town between Helensburgh and Fort William and during the tourist season the town can be crowded by up to 25,000 people. Oban...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
where it began to re-equip with Short Sunderland
Short Sunderland
The Short S.25 Sunderland was a British flying boat patrol bomber developed for the Royal Air Force by Short Brothers. It took its service name from the town and port of Sunderland in northeast England....
s. The second maritime squadron was the 333 squadron
No. 333 Squadron RAF
No. 333 Squadron RAF was a Royal Air Force squadron of the Second World War. After the war it became 333 Squadron of the Royal Norwegian Air Force.-Formation:...
established in 1943 in Woodhaven
Woodhaven
The name Woodhaven may represent any of the following:United States* Woodhaven, Michigan, a city* Woodhaven, Queens, New York, a neighborhood in the borough of Queens in New York City* Woodhaven, Fort Worth, Texas, a neighborhood...
, Scotland equipped with Catalina
PBY Catalina
The Consolidated PBY Catalina was an American flying boat of the 1930s and 1940s produced by Consolidated Aircraft. It was one of the most widely used multi-role aircraft of World War II. PBYs served with every branch of the United States Armed Forces and in the air forces and navies of many other...
sea planes and Mosquito
De Havilland Mosquito
The de Havilland DH.98 Mosquito was a British multi-role combat aircraft that served during the Second World War and the postwar era. It was known affectionately as the "Mossie" to its crews and was also nicknamed "The Wooden Wonder"...
fighter-bomber
Fighter-bomber
A fighter-bomber is a fixed-wing aircraft with an intended primary role of light tactical bombing and also incorporating certain performance characteristics of a fighter aircraft. This term, although still used, has less significance since the introduction of rockets and guided missiles into aerial...
s. At the start of the war, Norwegian personnel received flight training at Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, Canada, at Toronto Island Airport. The advantage of this site was its ability to provide both basic flight and seaplane training. Although the airport is located on an island in the harbour, personnel were housed in barracks on the mainland, in a neighbourhood which is still known today as Little Norway
Little Norway
The Flyvåpnenes Treningsleir , the official name) or "Little Norway" was a Norwegian Army Air Service/Royal Norwegian Air Force training camp in Canada during the Second World War.-Origins:...
. On 10 May 1945 the Mosquitos were formed into a third separate squadron - 334 Squadron
No. 334 Squadron RAF
No. 334 Squadron was a Royal Air Force aircraft squadron that operated during the Second World War. After the war it became 334 Squadron of the Royal Norwegian Air Force.-History:...
. Both planes and running costs were financed by the exiled Norwegian
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...
government.
The Royal Norwegian Air Force
The Royal Norwegian Navy Air Service ceased to exist on 10 November 1944 when the Royal Norwegian Air ForceRoyal Norwegian Air Force
The Royal Norwegian Air Force is the air force of Norway. It was established as a separate arm of the Norwegian armed forces on 10 November 1944. The RNoAF's peace force is approximately 1,430 employees . 600 personnel also serve their draft period in the RNoAF...
was established.
In honour of the achievements of the RNoAF Squadrons of the WWII The Royal Norwegian Air Force has maintained the RAF squadron names. Thus Norway still has 330 and 333 squadrons, respectively flying Sea King
Westland Sea King
The Westland WS-61 Sea King is a British licence-built version of the American Sikorsky S-61 helicopter of the same name, built by Westland Helicopters. The aircraft differs considerably from the American version, with Rolls-Royce Gnome engines , British made anti-submarine warfare systems and a...
helicopters and Orion
P-3 Orion
The Lockheed P-3 Orion is a four-engine turboprop anti-submarine and maritime surveillance aircraft developed for the United States Navy and introduced in the 1960s. Lockheed based it on the L-188 Electra commercial airliner. The aircraft is easily recognizable by its distinctive tail stinger or...
Maritime Patrol Aircraft. 334 Squadron is currently deactivated and is going to reform with NH90
NHI NH90
The NHIndustries NH90 is a medium sized, twin-engine, multi-role military helicopter manufactured by NHIndustries. The first prototype had its maiden flight in December 1995...
utility helicopter
Utility helicopter
A Utility Helicopter is a multi-purpose helicopter. A utility military helicopter can fill roles such as ground attack, air assault, cargo, surveillance and troop transport. Their size is generally between cargo helicopters and light observation helicopters....
s sometime in 2007.
See also
- Marinens FlyvebaatfabrikkMarinens FlyvebaatfabrikkMarinens Flyvebaatfabrikk - The Navy's Flying Boat Factory - was the Royal Norwegian Navy Air Service' aeroplane producer. It was established in Horten in 1915.It produced a total of 120 planes from 1915 to 1940.-Planes produced:...
- Norwegian Army Air ServiceNorwegian Army Air ServiceThe Norwegian Army Air Service ' was established in 1914. Its main base and aircraft factory was at Kjeller. On 10 November 1944 the NoAAS was joined with the Royal Norwegian Navy Air Service to form the Royal Norwegian Air Force....
- Royal Norwegian Air ForceRoyal Norwegian Air ForceThe Royal Norwegian Air Force is the air force of Norway. It was established as a separate arm of the Norwegian armed forces on 10 November 1944. The RNoAF's peace force is approximately 1,430 employees . 600 personnel also serve their draft period in the RNoAF...