806 Naval Air Squadron

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806 Naval Air Squadron was a fighter squadron in the Fleet Air Arm.

Contents

[edit] History

In May 1940, three months after its formation at Worthy Down in February with 8 Skua and 4 Rocs, it saw its first action in bombing raids on Bergen and providing cover for the Dunkirk evacuation. The Rocs were later replaced with Fairey Fulmars, soon after which 806 Squadron embarked for Bermuda on HMS Illustrious. On Illustrious 's return to the UK, 806 was sent to the Mediterranean (with its existing aircraft as well as some Sea Gladiators), there shooting down 20 enemy aircraft and fighting in the Battle of Crete. It remained in the Mediterranean (moving to HMS Formidable after Crete) until its ship was badly bombed in May 1941. 806 then disembarked at Aboukir to fight in the Western Desert as part of Royal Navy Fighter Squadron from August 1941 to February 1942, re-equipping with RAF Hawker Hurricanes for that purpose. On the RNFS's disbandment, 806 changed aircraft again (to 12 Fulmars) and moved to Ceylon, based at Ratmalana and fighting against the Easter Sunday Raid.

In May 1942, the squadron then split into A Flight (with Martlet IIs on HMS Indomitable, fighting in Operation Pedestal) and B Flight (with Fulmars on Illustrious). The former was disbanded in the UK when its ship was damaged in Pedestal and returned to the UK, whilst B Flight disembarked at Port Reitz in East Africa in October 1942, only to be disbanded at Tanga in January 1943. The Squadron re-formed two years later, in August 1945, ready for the Far Eastern theatre of war, but its 12 Seafire L.IIIs had only reached Machrihanish by the time that campaign ended.

[edit] World War II battle honours

  • Norway 1940
  • Dunkirk 1940
  • Mediterranean 1940 - 1
  • Libya 1940 - 1
  • Matapan 1941
  • Crete 1941
  • Diego Suarez 1942

[edit] Post World War II engagements

[edit] Aircraft flown

[edit] External links