736 Naval Air Squadron | |
---|---|
Active | 24 May 1943 - 25 August 1952 26 August 1952 - 26 March 1965 26 March 1965 - 25 February 1972 7 June 2013 - 31 March 2022 |
Country | United Kingdom |
Branch | Royal Navy |
Type | Fleet Air Arm Second Line Squadron |
Role |
|
Size | Squadron |
Part of | Fleet Air Arm
|
Motto(s) | Aquila suos educit (Latin for 'The eagle trains its young') (1962) [1] |
Aircraft | See Aircraft operated section for full list. |
Commanders | |
Notable commanders | Rear Admiral Phillip David “Percy” Gick CB , OBE , DSC & Bar , RN Vice Admiral Sir Michael Frampton Fell, KCB , DSO , DSC & Bar , RN Rear Admiral Ray Rawbone, CB , AFC , RN [2] |
Insignia | |
Squadron Badge Description | Black, an eagle volant gold surmounting a flash of lightning white (1948) [1] |
Identification Markings | ACA+ (All types to 1946) S3A+ to S6A+ (to 1947) Y0A+ (B Flight 1945) 100-109 (Seafire/Sea Fury) 201-287 (Harvard/Firefly) 551-553 (Martinet) (from 1947) 100-189 (Seafire) 270-271 (Firefly) 291-296 (Sea Fury) (February 1950) 100-119, 150-158 & 176(Attacker) 180-189 (Seafire) 405-408 (Meteor) 150-156 (Sea Hawk) 211-242 (Sea Vampire) (August 1952) 600-625 (Sea Hawk/Hunter/Scimitar) 630-657 (Buccaneer) (March 1965) 840-850, 860-880 (Hawk) [3] [4] |
Tail Codes | JB (Seafire, Firefly & Sea Fury from 1947) CW (Seafire, Sea Fury, Harvard & Firefly February 1950) CW:LM (Attacker & Meteor August 1952) CW (Seafire August 1952) LM (Sea Hawk & Sea Vampire August 1952) LM (Sea Hawk, Hunter & Scimitar from November 1953) [4] |
736 Naval Air Squadron (736 NAS) was a Naval Air Squadron of the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm. It was most recently recommissioned at HMS Seahawk, RNAS Culdrose in June 2013 to fly the BAE Systems Hawk, mainly in the maritime aggressor role, following the disbandment of the Fleet Requirements and Aircraft Direction Unit (FRADU) and operated up until March 2022. It initially formed as the School of Air Combat in May 1943 at HMS Heron, RNAS Yeovilton. In September 1943 it moved to HMS Vulture, RNAS St Merryn, where it became the Fighter Combat School and it created an independent 'B' Flight for fighter affiliation work between March and September 1945. 736 Naval Air Squadron moved to HMS Seahawk, RNAS Culdrose in February 1950 as the Naval Air Fighter School in the 52nd Training Air Group, but disbanded in August 1952. Immediately the following day, the squadron reformed at HMS Seahawk, RNAS Culdrose out of 702 Naval Air Squadron as an Advanced Jet Flying School and in November 1953 it moved to HMS Fulmar, RNAS Lossiemouth. 736 Naval Air Squadron disbanded there in March 1965, but what was left became 764 Naval Air Squadron ‘B’ Flight. The squadron reformed the same day at Lossiemouth from 809 Naval Air Squadron as a Jet Strike Training Squadron. 1966. In March 1967, its aircraft were part of the group that bombed and set on fire the supertanker SS Torrey Canyon aground and leaking crude oil on Seven Sisters rocks off Cornwall. The squadron disbanded in February 1972.
736 Naval Air Squadron formed as the School of Air Combat at RNAS Yeovilton (HMS Heron), Somerset, England, on 24 May 1943. It was equipped with Supermarine Seafire, a navalised version of the Supermarine Spitfire single-seat single-engine fighter aircraft and was tasked with teaching the latest techniques to experienced naval fighter leaders. [3]
In September the squadron moved to RNAS St Merryn (HMS Vulture), Cornwall, England, and it became the Fighter Combat School, part of the School of Naval Air Warfare. [5] The squadron received Miles Master, an advanced trainer aircraft, and Fairey Barracuda, a British carrier-borne torpedo and dive bomber, which enabled a TBR flight to be created providing a TBR Air Strike Course and an Air Instructors Course. [3]
In March 1945 the squadron took 787 Naval Air Squadrons ’Y’ Flight and formed its own ’B’ Flight for affiliation work, equipped with Supermarine Seafire aircraft. ‘B’ Flight embarked in HMS Colossus for Malta and gave training on gyro gunsight tactics [3] to the 11th Carrier Air Group, working up in the Mediterranean Sea prior to their sailing to Ceylon (Sri Lanka) to join the British Pacific Fleet. The Flight returned to RNAS Woodvale (HMS Ringtail II), Merseyside, in June. Here it continued operating with Supermarine Seafire, but also used Bristol Beaufighter a British multi-role aircraft and a de Havilland Dominie short-haul airliner. It moved to RNAS Fearn (HMS Owl), Scottish Highlands, in July, returning to RNAS Woodvale in August, [1] with the Flight disbanding in September. [3]
736 Naval Air Squadron moved RNAS Culdrose (HMS Seahawk), Cornwall, as the Naval Air Fighter School within the 52nd Training Air Group on 1 February 1950. It was now equipped with Hawker Sea Fury, a British carrier-based fighter-bomber aircraft. It was split in half to enable 738 Naval Air Squadron to be formed, however it disbanded on 25 August 1952, its remaining Hawker Sea Fury aircraft going to 738 NAS. [1]
736 Naval Air Squadron reformed the following day as an Advanced Jet Flying School out of 702 Naval Air Squadron, still as part of the Naval Air Fighter School (NAFS) at RNAS Culdrose. It was initially equipped with Gloster Meteor T.7, a two-seat trainer variant of the F.4 jet fighter, and Supermarine Attacker, a British single-seat naval jet fighter. [6]
The squadron relocated with the NAFS to RNAS Lossiemouth (HMS Fulmar), Moray, Scotland in November 1953. Here it was tasked with providing pilots experience in jet aircraft and it received de Havilland Sea Vampire T.22, a two-seat trainer for Royal Navy, and Hawker Sea Hawk, a British single-seat jet day fighter, with the Gloster Meteor and Supermarine Attacker aircraft being withdrawn. March 1955 saw the Hawker Sea Hawk aircraft transferred to 738 Naval Air Squadron and the squadron focused on converting American trained pilots to British aircraft and practices, flying practice for HMS Fulmar based pilots and train a number of pilots up to Air Warfare Instructors. [1]
A reorganisation in 1958 resulted in 736 Naval Air Squadron becoming a Hawker Sea Hawk flying school and the de Havilland Sea Vampire aircraft were withdrawn from the squadron. The course consisted army co-operation and low-level navigation. Photographic reconnaissance flying and interception using AIM-9 Sidewinder air-to-air missiles was also included, as was ground attack flying, which involved AGM-12 Bullpup air-to-surface missile firing, rocket guns and bombs. [1]
Mid 1959 saw the squadron start to receive Supermarine Scimitar, a single-seat naval strike fighter. It remained operational until 26 March 1965 when it was disbanded, and its aircraft were passed onto 764B Flight. [6]
On the same day at RNAS Lossiemouth (HMS Fulmar), 809 Naval Air Squadron was downgraded to second line status and redesignated 736 Naval Air Squadron, [7] equipped with Blackburn Buccaneer S.1, a British carrier-capable attack aircraft, and tasked as a Jet Strike Training Squadron. The S.1 were partially replaced by Blackburn Buccaneer S.2, various improvements and a more powerful engine over the S.1, from May 1966, [4] using aircraft and aircrews from the recently disbanded 700B Flight (the Buccaneer S.2 Intensive Flying Trials Unit) in order to train aircrews for the aircraft.[ citation needed ]
Still based at RNAS Lossiemouth, from 1967 onwards the unit shared a pool of aircraft with 803 NAS, the Buccaneer HQ and weapons trials unit. With the decision to transfer all the RN's Buccaneers to the RAF, 736 NAS took on the extra task of training RAF crews. To cope with this, several Buccaneer S.1s were taken out of storage to increase the numbers of aircraft available, and a number of RAF aircrew who had previously served exchange tours with FAA Buccaneer squadrons were posted to 736 NAS as instructors. After a few accidents due to engine problems the S.1s were withdrawn from service in 1970. In 1971 the RAF stood up their own operational conversion unit (237 OCU) to take over the training of both their own and the dwindling number of RN aircrews.[ citation needed ]
In 1967 736 Naval Air Squadron (along with 800 Naval Air Squadron)) used RNAS Brawdy (HMS Goldcrest), as a base to attack and bomb the oil tanker SS Torrey Canyon from, [8] which had struck Pollard's Rock on West end of the Seven Stones between the Cornish mainland and the Isles of Scilly on 18 March, in an attempt to release and burn off its residual cargo of oil. [9]
736 Naval Air Squadron disbanded on 25 February 1972 at RNAS Lossiemouth (HMS Fulmar). [4]
736 Naval Air Squadron reformed on 7 June 2013, under the command of Lieutenant Commander Tim Flatman. Operating the Fleet Air Arm's British Aerospace Hawk T1/T1A twin-seat fast-jet aircraft, the squadron replaced the Fleet Requirements and Aircraft Direction Unit (FRADU), acting as the Royal Navy's Adversary squadron. [4] In 2014 the squadron's aircraft began to be re-painted in its new markings and the first aircraft to receive the new look was XX240.[ citation needed ]
After the squadron reformed it supported numerous exercises within the UK (including Joint Warrior, which is held in Scotland) and overseas. These overseas exercises included 'Cougar 14' and 'Cougar 16' where the squadron operated in Albania and Deep Blue 2 in 2016 when the squadron operated from Gibraltar.[ citation needed ]
The Hawk's role was to be replaced by the Air Support to Defence Operational Training (ASDOT) programme which would have provided aggressor training to all three British armed services, however the project was cancelled in March 2019. [10] The Royal Navy announced that the squadron was to disband after a final fly past on 22 March 2022. [11] [12] The squadron decommissioned on 31 March 2022 after its aircraft departed Culdrose the week before. [13]
The squadron operated a variety of different aircraft and versions: [4] [6]
736 Naval Air Squadron operated from a number of naval air stations of the Royal Navy and airbases overseas: [4]
1943-1952
1952-1965
1965 - 1972
2013 - 2022
List of Commanding Officers of 736 Naval Air Squadron with date, month and year of appointment: [14] [4]
1943 - 1952
1952 - 1965
1965 - 1972
2013 - 2022
The 15th Carrier Air Group was an aircraft carrier air group of the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm. It was initially formed in June 1945, for service in the British Pacific Fleet, until disbanding in March 1947. The group was embarked on the Colossus-class aircraft carrier, HMS Venerable (R63).
800 Naval Air Squadron was a Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm carrier-based squadron formed on 3 April 1933 by amalgamating No's 402 and 404 Flights.
803 Naval Air Squadron was a Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm squadron.
809 Naval Air Squadron, nicknamed the Immortals, is a squadron of the Fleet Air Arm of the United Kingdom. It was first formed in 1941 and flew in the Soviet Union, the Mediterranean and the Far East during the Second World War. After active service during the Suez Crisis, 809 was disbanded in 1959. Reformed in 1963 to fly Blackburn Buccaneers, the squadron was disbanded briefly in 1965–66, and then again in 1978. A brief period during the Falklands War saw 809 reformed to bring Sea Harrier FRS.1 aircraft south to the UK task group and to fly from HMS Illustrious.
778 Naval Air Squadron was a Naval Air Squadron of the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm. During the Second World War the squadron was a Service Trials Unit (STU) initially based at HMS Daedalus, RNAS Lee-on-Solent, Hampshire, England before moving to HMS Condor, RNAS Arbroath, Angus, Scotland on 6 July 1940. The squadron tested all types of aircraft that could be used by the Royal Navy. Key to this was testing new types for deck landing on aircraft carriers. Such aircraft included various types of Supermarine Seafires, Grumman Hellcats, Grumman Martlets, Grumman Avengers, and Vought Corsairs. The squadron was reformed on 5 November 1951 with Douglas Skyraider AEW.1 but was disbanded on 7 July 1952 to form the basis of 849 Naval Air Squadron.
887 Naval Air Squadron was a Naval Air Squadron of the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm, which last disbanded during March 1946. It was formed as a Fleet Fighter squadron in May 1942 at HMS Daedalus, RNAS, Lee-on-Solent. The squadron embarked in HMS Unicorn during 1943 for convoy escort duties and later in the year to cover the allied landings at Salerno, Italy. At the end of 1943 it formed part of the 24th Naval Fighter Wing. 1944 saw it embark in HMS Indefatigable and the squadron saw action in operations against the german battleship Tirpitz during early 1944 and then joined the British Pacific Fleet at the end of the year. It was part of the attacks on the oil refineries at Palembang at the start of 1945 and later in the year it was involved in sorties around Tokyo, as part of the 7th Carrier Air Group, before V-J Day.
715 Naval Air Squadron was a Naval air squadron of the Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm created in July 1936 to serve as a catapult flight of the Fleet Air Arm of the Royal Air Force. It was elevated to squadron status at the end of 1937, before being disbanded in January 1940. It was re-formed in August 1944 to operate as the Fighter Wing of the School of Air Combat, before being disbanded in March 1946, and absorbed into 736 Naval Air Squadron.
738 Naval Air Squadron was a Naval Air Squadron of the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm (FAA), which last disbanded during May 1970 at HMS Goldcrest, RNAS Brawdy. It initially formed as a Pilot Training Squadron formed at HMS Asbury, RNAS Quonset Point, Rhode Island, in February 1943. The squadron moved to RNAS Lewiston, Maine, United States, at the end of July 1943 and also providing advanced carrier training to American-trained Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve (RNVR) pilots and it later provided complete Torpedo Bomber Reconnaissance (TBR) aircrew for Grumman Avenger FAA squadrons. The squadron moved to RNAS Brunswick, Maine, in February 1945 and disbanded there in July 1945. 738 Naval Air Squadron was next active as part of the Naval Air Fighter School, between May 1950 and March 1954, providing newly qualified FAA pilots the operational techniques of air-to-air and air-to-ground firing. It had formed at HMS Seahawk, RNAS Culdrose, Cornwall, England, moving to HMS Fulmar, RNAS Lossiemouth in 1953. It reformed in April 1954 at HMS Fulmar and now the squadron’s role was to instruct United States trained pilots on the British method and was also responsible for converting the FAA piston-engined pilots onto jet aircraft. It became an Advanced Flying Training Squadron in June 1962 providing training for low-level navigation, ground attack and air-to-air weapons training.
748 Naval Air Squadron was a Naval Air Squadron of the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm. It was initially formed, at HMS Vulture, RNAS St Merryn, as a Fighter Pool Squadron, before becoming No. 10 Naval Operational Training Unit. The squadron moved to HMS Dipper, RNAS Henstridge, in February 1944 and then onto HMS Heron, RNAS Yeovilton in the March. In September 1944, 748 Naval Air Squadron moved to HMS Goldcrest, RNAS Dale, in Wales, remaining for just under twelve months, before moving back to HMS Vulture, RNAS St Merryn in August 1945, where it disbanded in February 1946. During its existence, the squadron was equipped with numerous aircraft and various marks, operated by the Fleet Air Arm.
751 Naval Air Squadron was a Naval Air Squadron of the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm. It was initially active as an Observer Training Squadron from 1939 to 1944 as part of No.1 Observer School. 751 Naval Air Squadron formed at RNAS Ford in May 1939. Ford was attacked and bombed, in August 1940, and the following day the squadron relocated to RNAS Arbroath. Twelve months later it moved to RNAS Dundee, remaining there until disbanding at Dundee in May 1944.
759 Naval Air Squadron was a Naval Air Squadron of the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm. It was created on November 1, 1939, and was disbanded on December 24, 1969. It was initially intended as a Telegraphist Air Gunner Training Squadron but became a Fighter School and Pool Squadron in 1939, at RNAS Eastleigh. It operated out of RNAS Yeovilton from 1940 to 1946, as part of the Naval Air Fighter School. In 1943 a detachment operated out of RNAS Angle, working with 794 NAS and known as the Naval Air Firing Unit. It was again the Naval Air Fighter School upon reformation in 1951 and disbandment in 1954, firstly at RNAS Culdrose and then moving to RNAS Lossiemouth, in 1953. The squadron reformed again, this time at RNAS Brawdy in 1963, as the Naval Advanced Flying Training School, before finally disbanding in 1969.
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761 Naval Air Squadron was a Naval Air Squadron of the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm. It was formed at HMS Heron, RNAS Yeovilton, as the Advanced Training Squadron of the Fleet Fighter School, in 1941. The squadron moved to HMS Dipper, RNAS Henstridge, in 1943, as part of the No. 2 Naval Air Fighter School. It remained at HMS Dipper and in this role, until January 1946, when the squadron disbanded.
764 Naval Air Squadron was a Naval Air Squadron of the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm. It initially formed in April 1940, at HMS Daedalus, RNAS Lee-on-Solent, as an Advance Seaplane Training Squadron. The Squadron moved to RAF Pembroke Dock in July 1940, and later to HMS Daedalus II, RNAS Lawrenny Ferry in October 1941 and remaining there until the Squadron disbanded in November 1943. It reformed at HMS Siskin, RNAS Gosport, in February 1944, as the User Trials Unit, however, the squadron was decommissioned for the second time in September 1945. 764 Naval Air Squadron reformed again, at HMS Fulmar, RNAS Lossiemouth, in May 1953, where it became an Advanced Training Unit. It moved to HMS Heron, RNAS Yeovilton, in September 1953, where it received its first jet aircraft. In November 1954 the Squadron disbanded.
766 Naval Air Squadron was a Naval Air Squadron of the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm. It was to have initially formed in 1939 at HMS Daedalus, RNAS Lee-on-Solent, as a Seaplane School, however, it formed at HMS Landrail, RNAS Machrihannish, as a Night ALT Course, in 1942. It moved to HMS Nightjar, RNAS Inskip, in 1943, to become part of No. 1 Naval Operational Training Unit. By 1944, it was operating over 30 Swordfish aircraft, but, during the year, also acquired Firefly aircraft from 1772 NAS, and Sea Hurricane aircraft from 760 NAS. It moved to HMS Merganser, RNAS Rattray, early in 1946, but later that year, moved to HMS Fulmar, RNAS Lossiemouth, where it received Seafire aircraft, along with being Part 1 of the Operational Flying School. By late 1951, Sea Fury trainer aircraft were also added to its varied list of types operated. In 1953, the squadron moved to HMS Seahawk, RNAS Culdrose, where it disbanded in 1954.
767 Naval Air Squadron was a Naval Air Squadron of the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm. It was initially formed as a Deck Landing Training Squadron in 1939, when 811 Naval Air Squadron was renumbered 767 Naval Air Squadron, at HMS Merlin, RNAS Donibristle. A detachment went to Hyeres de la Palyvestre in the south of France, enabling training in fairer conditions. While here, the squadron took on an operational mission, with a bombing attack on the Italian port of Genoa. With the fall of France the squadron evacuated to French Algeria, where it split. Part went to Malta, forming 830 Naval Air Squadron, the other part to HMS Ark Royal, with personnel returning to the UK via Gibraltar. The squadron regrouped at HMS Condor, RNAS Arbroath, and moved to the Deck Landing School at HMS Peewit at RNAS East Haven in 1943.
768 Naval Air Squadron was a Naval Air Squadron of the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm (FAA). It last disbanded at HMS Gannet, RNAS Eglinton, Northern Ireland, in March 1949, having been formed as a Deck Landing Control Officer Training Squadron, in December 1948, to ensure one American-style signal trained DLCO could be located at every FAA station. It first formed as part of the Deck Landing Training School at HMS Condor, RNAS Arbroath, in January 1941, as a Deck Landing Training Squadron. Advanced training was in HMS Argus, for which a detachment was maintained at HMS Landrail, RNAS Machrihanish, where it wholly moved to in March 1943. September saw a move to RAF Heathfield, Ayr, followed by a further move to HMS Sanderling, RNAS Abbotsinch in January 1944. Training used escort carriers on the Firth of Clyde and a detachment was maintained at (Heathfield)Ayr throughout this period, with the squadron returning there in July 1945, at this time HMS Wagtail, RNAS Ayr. In August the squadron moved to HMS Corncrake, RNAS Ballyhalbert in Northern Ireland but then in October it joined up with the Deck Landing School at HMS Peewit, RNAS East Haven, Scotland, where it disbanded in April 1946.
780 Naval Air Squadron was a Naval Air Squadron of the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm which last disbanded at HMS Seahawk, RNAS Culdrose in November 1949. 780 Naval Air Squadron formed at HMS Raven, RNAS Eastleigh as a Conversion Course Unit, in October 1939, to train experienced civilian pilots in naval flying. It moved to HMS Daedalus, RNAS Lee-on-Solent, in October 1940, and later, its role had changed to converting pilots to Fairey Barracuda aircraft. It spent a year at RNAS Charlton Horethorne, before returning to HMS Daedalus and disbanded, early 1945. In March 1946, the squadron reformed at HMS Godwit, RNAS Hinstock, as the Naval Advanced Flying School, to give flying instructors' courses, and later provided Instrument Flying Training. In December, the squadron moved to HMS Jackdaw, RNAS Crail, then in March 1947 moved to HMS Merlin, RNAS Donibristle, and in May to HMS Seahawk as the first resident unit.
787 Naval Air Squadron was a Naval Air Squadron of the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm which disbanded in January 1956. It formed in March 1941, at HMS Heron, RNAS Yeovilton, out of 804 Naval Air Squadron as a Fleet Fighter Development Unit. Almost every type of fighter was received by the squadron for testing and evaluation for naval use. A move to RAF Duxford in June 1941 saw it become the Naval Air Fighting Development Unit, attached to the Royal Air Force's Air Fighting Development Unit. The squadron undertook rocket projectile test, continuous development of fighter tactics and even helping Torpedo Bomber Reconnaissance squadrons in evading fighter attack. Post Second World War it continued its trials task and also undertook Rebecca radar trials and ASH, US-built air-to-surface-vessel radar trials.
790 Naval Air Squadron was a Naval Air Squadron of the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm which disbanded in November 1949 at RNAS Culdrose. It initially formed during 1941 as an Air Target Towing Unit, at HMS Landrail, RNAS Macrihanish, in Scotland, from elements of two other Fleet Air Arm squadrons, however, this only lasted for three months and the unit was disbanded, absorbed into 772 Naval Air Squadron. It reformed the following year, in July 1942, tasked as a Fighter Direction Training Unit, at RNAS Charlton Horethorne. It provided support for the Fighter Direction School and had short spells at RAF Culmhead and RNAS Zeals, before reloacting to RNAS Dale in Pembrokeshire, next to the new purpose built Air Direction School, HMS Harrier or RNADC Kete, in 1945. The squadron moved to HMS Seahawk in Cornwall during December 1947.