No. 333 Squadron RNoAF

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333 Squadron Royal Norwegian Air Force
No. 333 (Norwegian) Squadron Royal Air Force
Coat of arms of the Royal Norwegian Air Force 333 Squadron.svg
Active10 May 1943 – 21 November 1945
Since 1945
Country Flag of Norway.svg Norway
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg United Kingdom
Allegiance Flag of Norway.svg Norwegian Government in exile
Branch Royal Norwegian Air Force Flag.svg Royal Norwegian Air Force
Base Andøya Air Station
Motto(s) Norwegian: For Konge, Fedreland og flaggets heder
("For King, fatherland, and the honour of the flag")
Insignia
Squadron Badge heraldryIn front of a pair of wings elevated and conjoined in base a Viking ship affrontée
Squadron CodesKK (Sep 1944 – Nov 1945)

333 Squadron of the Royal Norwegian Air Force is a maritime patrol aircraft squadron. It traces its history, unbroken, to the establishment of No. 333 (Norwegian) Squadron Royal Air Force of the Second World War, formed in February 1942.

Contents

History

RAF gun camera footage. A Ju 88 under fire from a 333 Squadron Mosquito. Junkers Ju 88 shot down off Norway.jpg
RAF gun camera footage. A Ju 88 under fire from a 333 Squadron Mosquito.

The Squadron was established as a detachment (No. 1477 (Norwegian) Flight) under the 210 Squadron of the British Royal Air Force, on 8 February 1942, by Captain Finn Lambrechts. The squadron was located in Woodhaven, Fife, Scotland. On 10 May 1943 333 squadron was formed from this flight [1] with Mosquito Mk.IIs at RAF Leuchars and PBY-1b Catalinas at Woodhaven. The Mosquitoes were operated on shipping reconnaissance flights along the Norwegian coast, whilst the Catalinas carried out anti-submarine patrols to the north of Scotland. The squadron's Catalinas also operated in the 'Special Duties' role landing both personnel and supplies at points along the Norwegian coast. [1] In September 1944 the Mosquito flight joined the Banff strike wing and acted in the Pathfinder role. However, on 30 May 1945 this flight was redesignated No. 334 (Norwegian) Squadron RAF and No. 333 became a pure Catalina unit. [2]

May 1942 : back from a mission over Norway. Nordahl Grieg 2nd from right Vingtorcrew.jpg
May 1942 : back from a mission over Norway. Nordahl Grieg 2nd from right

On their first mission to Norway, the poet, and news-reporter Nordahl Grieg was with 333 Squadron to report from the flight. This was then a secret mission. After this mission, he wrote the poem Flagget. During the Second World War, the missions of 333 Squadron included dangerous search-and-destroy submarine missions, patrolling, and secret missions along the Norwegian coastline, behind the German defence lines. They landed and picked up agents, illegal radios, and transmitters. They also dropped Christmas presents to the Norwegian population, and did search and rescue missions.

Post-war

After the war, the squadron returned to Norway, being based at Fornebu, helping to rebuild the northern parts of the country, transporting people and equipment from the south to the north. The oil-activity, establishment of the Norwegian economic zone, and establishment of the coast-guard, created new demands on the squadron. They had to carry out surveillance of large sea areas, requiring new airplanes, the Lockheed P-3 Orion.

In the 1980s the squadron undertook search-and-destroy submarine missions along the coastline and in the fjords. Several times they have dropped live weapons against submarines that were illegally operating in Norwegian territorial waters. In the 1990s, the Russian Northern Fleet was reduced by half, although it still has 67 operational submarines, and a large fleet of ships.

Today the squadron regularly does various missions, including surveillance of military maritime operations, patrolling the economic zone, controlling fishing and resources, submarine searches, and search and rescue missions. They also take part in international missions and training. The squadron is the only one that has been active continuously since World War II, and is today a part of the 133 Air Wing.

Aircraft operated

FromToAircraftVersion
May 1942Nov 1943 De Havilland Mosquito [1] Mk.II
May 1942Feb 1945 Consolidated Catalina [1] Mk.Ib
Nov 1943Feb 1945 De Havilland Mosquito [1] Mk.VI
May 1944Nov 1945 Consolidated Catalina [1] Mk.IVa
19451954 Consolidated Catalina PBY-5 (Vingtor, Jøssing, Viking, Ulabrand)
19541961 Consolidated Catalina PBY-5A (21 aircraft in total) these were never owned by Norway, but were on loan to them
19611969 Grummann Albatross HU-16 (amphibious)
19691989 Lockheed Orion P-3B*
19892023 Lockheed Orion P-3N
19892023 Lockheed Orion P-3C Update III (Vingtor, Jøssing, Viking, Ulabrand)
2022present Boeing P-8 Poseidon P-8A Poseidon

Bases operated from

FromToBaseRemarks
May 1943Aug 1944 RAF Leuchars [1]
May 1943Jun 1945 Woodhaven, Scotland [1] Detachment
Aug 1944Jun 1945 Banff [1]
Jun 19451963 Fornebu, Sola Detachments in Skattøra, Andøya and Bodø.
196330 Jun 2023 Andøya Air Station, Norway
30 Jun 2023Present Evenes Air Station, Norway

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References

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Halley 1988, p. 374.
  2. ↑ Barrass, M. B. (2015). "No. 330–352 Squadron Histories". Air of Authority - A History of RAF Organisation. Retrieved 9 October 2015.
  3. ↑ "Kl. 13:33 tok P-8 Poseidon over stafettpinnen" (in Norwegian). Norwegian Armed Forces. Retrieved 25 August 2023.

Bibliography

  • Halley, James J. The Squadrons of the Royal Air Force & Commonwealth 1918–1988. Tonbridge, Kent, UK: Air Britain (Historians) Ltd., 1988. ISBN   0-85130-164-9.
  • Jefford, C.G. RAF Squadrons, a Comprehensive Record of the Movement and Equipment of all RAF Squadrons and their Antecedents since 1912. Shrewsbury, Shropshire, UK: Airlife Publishing, 2001. ISBN   1-84037-141-2.
  • Rawlings, John D.R. Coastal, Support and Special Squadrons of the RAF and their Aircraft. London: Jane's Publishing Company Ltd., 1982. ISBN   0-7106-0187-5.

Further reading

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