821 Naval Air Squadron (821 NAS), sometimes referred to as 821 Squadron, was a Fleet Air Arm (FAA) naval air squadron of the United Kingdom's Royal Navy (RN). It most recently operated with Fairey Firefly between November 1951 and December 1953 and notably during the Korean War.
It was a carrier based squadron formed in April 1933 with the transferral and amalgamation of the Fairey III aircraft from 446 and half of 455 Flight (Fleet Spotter Reconnaissance) Flights Royal Air Force RAF to the newly formed Fleet Air Arm of the RAF. During its service with the RAF, the squadron also utilised aircraft such as the Fairey Seal, Blackburn Shark and Fairey Swordfish. After its transfer to the Royal Navy it next flew Fairey Albacore during the Second World War and the latter part, it also operated the Fairey Barracuda.
History
Pre-war (1933–1939)
821 Naval Air Squadron was established at RAF Gosport, Hampshire, on 3 April 1933 as a Spotter Reconnaissance unit, originating from 446 (Fleet Reconnaissance) Flight and half of 445 (Fleet Reconnaissance) Flight.[1]
Initially outfitted with nine Fairey IIIFs, the squadron quickly began transitioning to Fairey Seal aircraft, with the final IIIF departing in October. The squadron boarded the aircraft carrierHMSCourageous in May for operations in the Home Fleet; however, in August 1935, the carrier set sail to join the Mediterranean Fleet in response to the Abyssinian crisis. At this point, the squadron's strength comprised twelve aircraft, but shortly after returning home, the Seals were transferred to 822 Naval Air Squadron in March 1936, being substituted by twelve Blackburn Shark IIs, thus transforming 821 into a Torpedo Spotter Reconnaissance unit. The Sharks were subsequently replaced in September 1937 by twelve Fairey Swordfish Is. In November 1938, the squadron was reassigned to HMSArk Royal, embarking for the first time in January 1939 for a Spring Cruise in the Mediterranean Sea.[2]
Operating off HMS Ark Royal the squadron was responsible for the first AlliedU-boat kill of the war, when they sank U-39, after she had unsuccessfully tried to torpedo the aircraft carrier. The squadron sailed with Ark Royal to the South Atlantic and Indian Ocean, searching for German shipping and commerce raiders. After briefly operating in the Mediterranean Sea, the German invasion of Norway in April 1940 caused Ark Royal to be recalled to support Allied operations in Norway.[2]
Off the coast of Norway, the squadron's aircraft conducted patrols and bombed land targets prior to disembarking at RNAS Hatston, where they continued anti-submarine patrols between Orkney and Norway. On 21 June, it participated in the unsuccessful assault on the German battleshipScharnhorst.[5]
The primary squadron was disbanded on 2 December and 'X' Flight separated with six aircraft to travel to Gibraltar aboard HMSArgus. It subsequently proceeded to Malta on Ark Royal and continued its journey to Egypt, where it was quickly integrated into 815 Naval Air Squadron, which was in the process of regrouping.[2]
821 Naval Air Squadron was re-established at RAF Detling, Kent, on 1 July 1941, originating from 'X' Flight of 816 Naval Air Squadron. Initially, the squadron was equipped with six Fairey Swordfish aircraft for conducting anti-submarine patrols in the northern regions of Scotland, operating from RAF Sumburgh, Shetland and RNAS Hatston.[5]
Fairey Albacore; an example of the type used by 821 Squadron
The personnel of the squadron embarked for Egypt and subsequently re-equipped at RNAS Dekheila (HMS Grebe), Alexandria, Egypt, in January 1942 with six Fairey Albacore torpedo bombers. The squadron conducted operations in the Western Desert, providing support to the ground forces in the region, which included flare dropping in aid of RAF bomber squadrons, conducting bombing raids, and laying naval mines, retreating as the Afrika Korps advanced towards Alexandria, often being the last to vacate a Landing Ground on multiple occasions. In August, a detachment was dispatched to Cyprus to assist in the bombardment of Rhodes. By November, after completing 471 operational sorties and dropping 4,250 flares, the squadron's task was deemed unnecessary following the battle of Alamein.[2]
The squadron relocated to RAF Hal Far, Malta, in November 1942 to engage enemy convoys traveling from Italy to North Africa. In March 1943, a flight was assigned to RAF Castel Benito, Tripoli, in North Africa to designate targets for the RAF. The complete squadron regrouped in North Africa in June 1943 for anti-submarine missions, before returning to the United Kingdom without its aircraft and officially disbanding on 10 October 1943.[5]
Fairey Barracuda Mk II; an example of the type used by 821 Squadron
The unit was re-equipped with Barracuda Mk IIIs in January 1945, and in the subsequent month, it commenced in Operation Selenium, mine-laying operations off the coast of Norway. Although six Grumman Wildcat fighter aircraft were transferred from 835 Naval Air Squadron in April 1945, they were quickly withdrawn following VE Day.[5]
In September 1951, 821 was reformed at the Royal Naval Air Station at Arbroath, located in Angus, HMS Condor, as an anti-submarine unit equipped with eight Fairey Firefly AS.6s, which were an anti-submarine warfare aircraft. Nevertheless, in May 1952, the squadron's function was changed to that of a strike squadron, resulting in its re-equipment with ten Firefly FR.5s.[2]
The Fairey Firefly Mk. 5 emerged as the most extensively manufactured variant of the subsequent Firefly models. This particular version marked the beginning of the Firefly's adaptation to various specialised roles, resulting in the development of subvariants like the FR.5 designed for day fighter-reconnaissance, the NF.5 intended for night-fighting, and the AS.5 tailored for anti-submarine patrol. The differences between these Fireflies were mainly internal.[9]
In September, the squadron embarked in the Colossus-classlight fleet carrierHMSGlory for operational preparations and made a rapid journey to the Far East, where on 27 October, they carried out attacks on enemy positions located south of Kuala Lumpur. Beginning in November, the ship undertook eleven nine-day patrols off the coast of Korea, during which 821 Squadron executed 1,666 operational sorties over North Korea. All of their operational aircraft were relocated to Iwakuni before their departure for RAF Kai Tak, Hong Kong, where the squadron was disbanded on 25 May 1953.[2]
Aircraft operated
The squadron operated a variety of different aircraft and versions:[10]
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.
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