802 Naval Air Squadron (802 NAS), colloquially called 802 Squadron, was a Fleet Air Arm (FAA) naval air squadron of the United Kingdom's Royal Navy (RN).[3] It most recently operated the Hawker Sea Hawk between 1956 and 1959, notably during the Suez crisis.
Established in April 1933, the squadron flew various biplane fighter aircraft and was initially deployed from HMS Glorious, but was ultimately lost when the carrier was sunk in June 1940. Reformed in November with Grumman Martlet, these aircraft were assigned to operate from HMS Audacity and HMS Argus during July and August 1941; the latter detachment, designated 802B Flight, was soon reassigned to HMS Victorious. The squadron regrouped aboard HMS Audacity, however, it faced its second loss at sea when HMS Audacity was sunk by U-741 in December 1941.
Reformed in February 1942 with Hawker Sea Hurricane, the squadron embarked in HMS Avenger in September for an Arctic convoy and later to offer air cover for a segment of the North African invasion force. However, the squadron was lost when the carrier was torpedoed by U-155 in November 1942. It did not reform until May 1945 and operated with Supermarine Seafire. During the Korean War of 1950 to 1953 the squadron flew Hawker Sea Fury where notably one of the squadron was credited with shooting down a MiG-15.
In April 1940 802 Squadron was serving aboard Glorious with twelve Gloster Sea Gladiators when the ship was recalled to participate in the defence of Norway. The squadron ceased to exist after Glorious was sunk by the German battleships Scharnhorst and Gneisenau on 8 June 1940 during the defence of Norway.[2]
Reformed from part of 804 Squadron on 21 November 1940 with Martlet Is, the squadron sub-flights embarked on HMSAudacity in July 1941, with B flight serving on HMSArgus in August. In the following month the whole squadron was involved in Gibraltar escort convoys from Audacity from which it shot down four Focke-Wulf Fw 200's. The squadron was lost on 21 December 1941 when Audacity was sunk by U-751.[2]
Inside the hangar of HMS Avenger, showing the lift bringing down a Hawker Sea Hurricane of 802 NAS
The strength of 802 Squadron was later increased to nine aircraft. These were Sea Hurricane Mk II Bs.[8] Subsequently, the squadron re-embarked on HMS Avenger, in October, which was designated to the escort force of the 49-ship slow convoy KMS1 that departed from Loch Ewe on 22 October, heading towards Algiers. This convoy, along with others, constituted the elements of the invasion force for Operation Torch, the Allied landings in North Africa. The aircraft operating from HMS Avenger conducted strikes against coastal defences as well as the airfields located in Blida and Maison Blanche.[10]
While returning to the UK the squadron was lost with the ship when HMS Avenger was torpedoed and sunk by U-155 on 15 November 1942.[2]
802 squadron lay dormant until May 1945 when it reformed at RNAS Arbroath (HMS Condor), Angus, as a single-seat fighter squadron[12] with twelve Supermarine Seafire L Mk.IIIs and twelve F Mk.XVs. In August the L Mk.IIIs were replaced with twelve F Mk.XVs.[13] By VJ day, the squadron had spent a short period in HMSQueen, and had been anticipated to leave for the British Pacific Fleet with 9th Carrier Air Group.[3][14] In December the squadron disbanded at RNAS Ayr (HMS Wagtail).[15]
In January 1946, the squadron reformed with Seafire F Mk.XVIIs and personnel set sail for the Far East in April without their aircraft, with the intention of relieving 1851 Naval Air Squadron aboard the Colossus-class light aircraft carrier HMSVengeance. However, upon receiving twelve new Seafire F Mk.XVs, the squadron instead embarked in sister ship HMSVenerable. In March 1947, the ship returned home, and upon arrival in Plymouth, 802 Squadron disembarked at RNAS Eglinton (HMS Gannet) in County Londonderry and subsequently disbanded on 30 March.[15]
When the squadron was re-established with twelve aircraft at RNAS Eglinton on 1 May 1947, the Seafire F.15s were once more the aircraft utilised, as a component of the 15th Carrier Air Group. In September, the Group boarded HMS Vengeance and subsequently departed for the Mediterranean; however, 802 was returned to the UK in March 1948.[14][15]
The squadron re-equipped with thirteen Sea Fury F.10s.[15] The Hawker Sea Fury represented the final piston-engine fighter utilised by the Fleet Air Arm in front-line squadrons, operating from 1947 to 1955. It was notable for being the first British naval aircraft to feature power-folding wings in regular service. The Sea Fury commenced its operational service in the late summer of 1947.[16]
These were quickly replaced with FB. 11s and the squadron re-boarded HMS Vengeance in August for a trip to South Africa, where a disembarkation period featured an eight-day goodwill tour by seven Sea Furies throughout the nation. In February 1949, the Air Group carried out Arctic trials, subsequently spending the years 1950-51 primarily in the UK and Home waters. In September 1951, the squadron embarked in the Colossus-class light fleet carrier HMSTheseus.[15]
Korean War (1950-1953)
During the Korean War 802 Squadron was assigned to HMSOcean. In July, the newly appointed Commanding Officer did not return from a sortie just days after assuming Command.[17] In August, a Mig-15 was attributed to a pilot from the squadron. Squadron pilot Lieutenant "Hoagy" Carmichael was thought to have shot down a Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15 on 9 August 1952. Carmichael was recorded to have achieved this feat during a dogfight which started when a formation of four Sea Furys under his command were attacked by eight MiGs during a fighter bomber mission over Chinnampo.[18] It was later confirmed by squadron testimony and comparison against the squadron diary that the kill was achieved by Sub Leiutenant Brian 'Shmoo' Ellis, making the more junior 'Shmoo' one of only a handful of pilots of propeller planes to have shot down a jet.[19]
Approximately 4,000 sorties were conducted from 11 May to 31 October. In November, the squadron relocated the majority of its aircraft to the Colossus-class light fleet carrier HMSGlory or to RNAS Sembawang (HMS Simbang), Singapore, subsequently moving to HMS Theseus at Malta, where it was disbanded upon reaching RNAS Lee-on-Solent (HMS Daedalus), Hampshire, in December. It jointly received the Boyd Trophy with 825 Naval Air Squadron for its operations in Korea throughout 1952.[15]
Post Korean War
In February 1953, 802 Squadron was re-established with twelve Sea Fury TB.11s at RNAS Arbroath, subsequently embarking its aircraft aboard HMS Theseus in April.[12] Following the squadrons participation in the Coronation Review of the Fleet flypast,[20] it re-embarked for a cruise in the Mediterranean before returning to the United Kingdom.[15]
In February 1954, 802 Naval Air Squadron transitioned to the Sea Hawk F1 at RNAS Lossiemouth (HMS Fulmar), located in Moray. The inaugural production Hawker Sea Hawk took to the skies in November 1951, and it was integrated into FAA squadrons in 1953, replacing the Supermarine Attacker jet fighter and the Hawker Sea Fury piston-engined fighter. Similar to other FAA Sea Hawk units during that period, the squadron utilised later variants of the Sea Hawk as they were made available, culminating in the FGA. 4 by the time it set sail on HMS Eagle for the Mediterranean in May 1955. However, 802 Squadron disbanded in November of that year.[21][22]
Suez Crisis (1956)
By the time of the Suez Crisis, 802 Squadron had already reformed at RNAS Lossiemouth and was equipped with Sea Hawk FB3s, one of these aircraft lost the front of a drop tank to ground fire[23] while the squadron was embarked aboard HMSAlbion in September 1956. In November, during Operation Musketeer, assaults were conducted on airfields, followed by attacks on artillery positions primarily located in the Port Said region.[24]
Post Suez
802 Squadron re-equipped with Sea Hawk FB5s before transferring to the Audacious-class aircraft carrier HMSArk Royal in May 1957. Following a trip to the United States, which included cross-operations with the United States Navy's USSSaratoga, 802 Squadron completed two tours in the Mediterranean, the second of these starting in September 1958 aboard HMS Ark Royal's sister ship HMSEagle, and ending with the disbandment of 802 Squadron at RNAS Lossiemouth on 10 April 1959.[24]
Ballance, Theo; Howard, Lee; Sturtivant, Ray (2016). The Squadrons and Units of the Fleet Air Arm. Air Britain Historians Limited. ISBN978-0-85130-489-2.
Thetford, Owen (1991). British Naval Aircraft since 1912. London, UK: Putnam Aeronautical Books, an imprint of Conway Maritime Press Ltd. ISBN0-85177-849-6.
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