778 Naval Air Squadron

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778 Naval Air Squadron
778 Naval Air Squadron Badge.gif
778 NAS badge
Active28 September 1939 - 16 August 1948
5 November 1951 - 7 July 1952 [1]
CountryFlag of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom
BranchNaval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  Royal Navy
TypeFleet Air Arm Second Line Squadron
Role
  • Service Trials Unit
  • Airborne Early Warning
Size Squadron
Part of Fleet Air Arm
Motto(s)Ex quaestione veritas
(Latin for 'From examination the truth emerges') [2]
Commanders
Notable
commanders
Admiral Sir John Devereux Treacher, KCB
Insignia
Squadron BadgeBlue, a pair of inside and outside callipers interlaced gold (1945) [2]
Identification MarkingsCO (from March 1943)
AO (from August 1944 no individual letters)
FDA+ (all types January 1946)
000-042 (1946)
001-029 (1947)
301-304 (Skyraider) [3] [4]
Tail CodesFD (1946)
LP (1947)
CW (Skyraider) [4]
Hawker Sea Fury FB.11, an example of the type used by 778 NAS Hawker Sea Fury FB.11, Private JP441901.jpg
Hawker Sea Fury FB.11, an example of the type used by 778 NAS

778 Naval Air Squadron (778 NAS) 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. [1]

Contents

History of 778 NAS

Service Trials Unit (1939 - 1948)

778 Naval Air Squadron formed on 28 September 1939 at RNAS Lee-on-Solent (HMS Daedalus), Hampshire. The Squadron’s role was as a Service Trials Unit Squadron. This task included the evaluation and testing of tactics, the approval of all front line aircraft types, the equipment, including armaments, such as flame floats and aerial mines. [3] It was later tasked with approving new aircraft carrier catapult and arrester systems. Essentially new aircraft went via the squadron for approval for future Fleet Air Arm use and this included some Royal Air Force and experimental aircraft. [2] The squadron initially operated with Blackburn Roc, a naval turret fighter aircraft, Blackburn Skua, a carrier-based dive bomber and fighter aircraft, Fairey Swordfish, a biplane torpedo bomber and Supermarine Walrus, an amphibious biplane. Fairey Albacore, a biplane torpedo bomber and Fairey Fulmar, a carrier-based reconnaissance and fighter aircraft were added soon after. [3]

Vought Kingfisher of 778 Naval Air Squadron going down the slipway at Arbroath Vought Kingfisher 778 NAS at Arbroath c1942.jpg
Vought Kingfisher of 778 Naval Air Squadron going down the slipway at Arbroath

The squadron moved to RNAS Arbroath (HMS Condor), Angus, Scotland, on 6 July 1940. [5] enabling the unit to utilise the new Dummy Deck there also equipped with arrestor cable. [2] While at HMS Condor the squadron first received Grumman Martlet, an American carrier-based fighter aircraft (known as Wildcat by US forces and then also Wildcat by the Fleet Air Arm from 1944), and Hawker Sea Hurricane, a navalised version of the Hawker Hurricane fighter aircraft. The following couple of years at HMS Condor saw Fairey Barracuda, a British carrier-borne torpedo/dive bomber, Vought Chesapeake, an American carrier-based dive bomber, Vought Kingfisher, an American catapult-launched observation floatplane and Supermarine Seafire, a navalised version of the Supermarine Spitfire fighter aircraft, arrive. [3]

778 NAS moved to RNAS Crail (HMS Jackdaw), Fife, Scotland, on 5 March 1943. [5] On 26 July 1943, 'B' Flight was formed for deck trials aboard HMS Pretoria Castle, a converted armed merchant cruiser to escort carrier of the Royal Navy, and this Flight eventually became 777 Naval Air Squadron, in 1945. [3] The deck trials were to support development work on aircraft carrier equipment, including flight deck lighting and beam approach trials. [4]

The squadron returned RNAS Arbroath (HMS Condor) on 15 August 1944. [5] It received Grumman Avenger, an American torpedo bomber, Vought Corsair, a carrier-based fighter aircraft, Blackburn Firebrand, a strike fighter and Fairey Firefly, a carrier-based fighter and anti-submarine aircraft. On 7 March 1945, 'C' Flight was formed out of the disbanded 739 Naval Air Squadron, to undertake blind approach trials. [3] Then in August that year the squadron moved south, relocating to RNAS Gosport (HMS Siskin), Hampshire, England, on 9 August [5] and in the October it absorbed 707 Naval Air Squadron, taking on its radar trials. [4]

778 Naval Air Squadron moved to RNAS Ford (HMS Peregrine), Sussex, England, on 3 January 1946. [6] Here it absorbed 777 Naval Air Squadron, adding Carrier Trials Unit to its tasks. February 1947 saw Hawker Sea Fury, a British carrier-based fighter aircraft, tested by the Intensive Flying Development Flight, [4] and later, the squadron moved to nearby RAF Tangmere, Sussex, on 18 July, [6] due to runway repairs. May 1948 saw the squadron move again when it returned to RNAS Lee-on-Solent (HMS Daedalus). 778 Naval Air Squadron disbanded, into 703 Naval Air Squadron, on 16 August 1948. [4]

Airborne Early Warning (1951 - 1952)

Douglas Skyraider AEW.1 WT944 '301' of 778 Naval Air Squadron Img869 FAA Douglas Skyraider AEW.1 WT944 '301'.jpg
Douglas Skyraider AEW.1 WT944 '301' of 778 Naval Air Squadron

778 Naval Air Squadron reformed at RNAS Culdrose (HMS Seahawk), Cornwall, England, on 5 November 1951 as the Airborne Early Warning squadron. It was equipped with four Douglas Skyraider AEW.1, an American single-seat attack aircraft. [4] This was the AD-4W aircraft, a three-seat airborne early warning variant, which were acquired by the Royal Navy through the Mutual Defense Assistance Act. These aircraft were introduced into the Fleet Air Arm by the squadron, [7] led by Lieutenant J.D. Treacher, RN. [4]

Following an exhaustive training approach it was decided to organise the unit into a first-line squadron. [7] 778 Naval Air squadron disbanded on 7 July 1952, and became 849 Naval Air Squadron. [4]

Aircraft operated

The squadron operated a number of different aircraft types. There are around seventy-eight different marks of aircraft known to have been operated by the squadron between 1939 & 1952: [4]

Grumman Martlet Mk I Grumman F4F-4 Grumman Martlet I AL246 Fleet Air Air Museum Yeovilton (16940713117).jpg
Grumman Martlet Mk I
Fairey Fulmar Mk.I The Royal Navy during the Second World War A1976.jpg
Fairey Fulmar Mk.I
Hawker Sea Hurricane Mk IB Sea Hurricane - Shuttleworth Spring Airshow 2009 (3511383032).jpg
Hawker Sea Hurricane Mk IB
Grumman Hellcat F. Mk. I The Royal Navy during the Second World War A19792.jpg
Grumman Hellcat F. Mk. I
Supermarine Seafire F Mk XVII Seafire - RIAT 2015 (20592827530).jpg
Supermarine Seafire F Mk XVII
Grumman TBM-3E Avenger Grumman (General Motors) TBM-3E Avenger AN2144962.jpg
Grumman TBM-3E Avenger
Fairey Firefly 15 Fairey Firefly (15812158256).jpg
Fairey Firefly
Vought Corsair The Royal Navy during the Second World War A21398.jpg
Vought Corsair

778 Naval Air Squadron operated from a number of naval air station of the Royal Navy, in the United Kingdom, a Royal Navy Fleet Carrier, a Royal Navy Escort Carrier and a Royal Air Force station: [4]

1939 - 1948

1951 - 1952

778B Flight

Commanding Officers

List of commanding officers of 778 Naval Air Squadron with day, month and year of appointment: [3] [4]

1939 - 1948

1951 - 1952

778B Flight

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">791 Naval Air Squadron</span> Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm Squadron

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">794 Naval Air Squadron</span> Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm Squadron

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">798 Naval Air Squadron</span> Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm Squadron

798 Naval Air Squadron was a Naval Air Squadron of the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm which disbanded in March 1946. It formed at RNAS Lee-on-Solent, in October 1943, to provide advanced conversion courses, it initially operated with various single and twin-engined aircraft. Twin-engined aircraft broke away to become 762 Naval Air Squadron during March 1944. It had a detachment at RNAS Stretton for operational training for new Fairey Barracuda squadrons, but returned to HMS Daedalus at the beginning of August. The unit’s role changed slightly during 1945, providing refresher training, including Fleet Air Arm ex-Prisoners of War at RNAS Halesworth. The squadron moved to RNAS Hinstock, although operated out of its satellite RNAS Peplow, during November 1945.

References

Citations

  1. 1 2 Sturtivant & Ballance 1994, p. 99.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Ballance, Howard & Sturtivant 2016, p. 80.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Wragg 2019, p. 133.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Ballance, Howard & Sturtivant 2016, p. 81.
  5. 1 2 3 4 "Arbroath". Royal Navy Research Archive - Fleet Air Arm Bases 1939 - present day. Retrieved 13 February 2024.
  6. 1 2 "Ford". Royal Navy Research Archive - Fleet Air Arm Bases 1939 - present day. Retrieved 13 February 2024.
  7. 1 2 Thetford 1991, p. 115.

Bibliography