806 Naval Air Squadron (806 NAS), sometimes alluded to as 806 Squadron, is an inactive Fleet Air Arm (FAA) naval air squadron of the United Kingdom’s Royal Navy (RN). It was most recently active with the Hawker Sea Hawk FGA.6 fighter and ground attack aircraft from April 1958 until December 1960. Additionally, it was the final front-line squadron of the Fleet Air Arm to operate the Sea Hawk, with its last deployment aboard before disbanding at RNAS Brawdy.
It existed on a number of occasions from February 1940 to December 1960 and saw active service in the Norwegian campaign, the Dunkirk evacuation and the Malta Convoys. During the early years of the Second World War it operated with a variety of fighter aircraft including Blackburn Skua, Blackburn Roc, Fairey Fulmar, Gloster Sea Gladiator, Hawker Hurricane and Grumman Martlet. It later flew Supermarine Seafire but the war ended before it saw action. It briefly flew Hawker Sea Fury, de Havilland Sea Hornet and de Havilland Sea Vampire in 1948.
History
Second World War
Formation
806 Naval Air Squadron was formed at HMS Kestrel, the Royal Naval Air Station near Winchester, Hampshire, on 1 February 1940 with Lieutenant Commander Charles Evans as the commanding officer and Lieutenant Desmond Vincent-Jones as the Senior Observer and using eight Blackburn Skuas, a carrier-based fighter-bomber and four Blackburn Roc fighter aircraft.
However, another source gives the date and location as being 15 February at Eastleigh, possibly referring to HMS Raven and states that the squadron did not have sufficient crews to operate its aircraft until the next group from the fighter training school had been trained.
Norwegian operations
806 Squadron then saw its first action when it was moved in the beginning of May to HMS Sparrowhawk, Royal Naval Air Station Hatston the military airfield located one mile to the north west of Kirkwall, on the island of Mainland, Orkney, in order to finish working up and to then carry out bombing attacks on targets around Bergen in Norway. In these the squadron attacked oil facilities and ships, escorted by RAF Coastal Command Bristol Blenheims from No. 254 Squadron RAF.
Their first such attack was carried out on 9 May upon a ship at Doksjeir jetty in Bergen Harbour that was reported potentially to be a cruiser at the time but later believed to have been a transport. Escorted by six Blenheims the eight Skuas armed each with a 500 lb semi-armour-piercing bomb attacked the harbour in conjunction with their escorts. Enemy action shot down a single Blenheim and also damaged one Blackburn Skua but its crew, Petty Officer Jopling and Naval Airman Jones, managed to bring the damaged plane back and were unharmed. A source states that Lieutenant Campbell-Horsfall was leading the raid and that it resulted in a single direct hit claimed upon a transport and another upon an oil tank within the port and that some escort vessels were strafed by the Skuas. According to Midshipman Hogg in quotes within the same source, reconnaissance photographs received on 11 May showed that the raid successfully sunk a training cruiser due to three direct hits, one forward, one amidships, one astern. Also Midshipman Hogg recalls that the Skua piloted by Sub Lieutenant Orr also returned with damage.
Another source, however, only mentions several hits being claimed upon the transport and also states that the Commanding Officer and Senior Observer led the raid and each received a Distinguished Service Cross, while Petty Officer Muskett and Petty Officer Clare both received a Distinguished Service Medal.
On May 11, an operation was conducted targeting an oil tank farm complex situated on Askøy Island. Lieutenant Commander Charles Evans commanded six Blackburn Skuas, each equipped with a single 250 lb semi-armour-piercing bomb and four 20 lb cooper bombs. It is likely that only six Blackburn Skuas participated due to the unserviceability of the remaining two, which had sustained damage during the attack on 9 May 9. Additionally, three Bristol Blenheims, also armed with incendiary bombs, provided escort for the Blackburn Skuas. The attack by the squadrons faced virtually no opposition, resulting in no casualties for either squadron, and several hits on the oil tanks were reported, which were subsequently confirmed to be on fire through reconnaissance photographs.
On 12 May, an assault targeted shipping near Bergen, focusing on an enemy transport vessel believed to be carrying anti-aircraft artillery for the port. Lieutenant Commander Evans led six Skuas, supported by three Blenheims, to attack the ship as it entered the fjords, accompanied by two destroyers. They executed a dive bombing in two waves, but all six 500 lb bombs missed, and no casualties were reported.
The final assault by 806 Naval Air Squadron on maritime and oil facilities in the Bergen region occurred on 16 May 1940, targeting German naval vessels believed to be present in the harbour. Nine Blackburn Skuas, equipped with a single 250 lb semi-armour-piercing bomb and four 20 lb cooper bombs, were designated to participate in this operation. As with prior missions, the Bristol Blenheims from 254 Squadron were also scheduled to accompany them. However, the two squadrons did not manage to meet as planned, and while 806 Naval Air Squadron continued its search independently, no warships were found in the vicinity. Consequently, the squadron redirected their efforts towards their alternative target, the fuel tanks at Kaarven, Florgasaaspynt, Strudshavn, successfully striking them without sustaining any casualties.
Dunkirk evacuations
After the attacks over Norway the squadron returned to HMS Kestrel but a detachment of nine aircraft soon moved to RAF Detling in Kent on 27 May in order to provide air cover for the Dunkirk evacuation and started its first patrol on 28 May.
The first patrol started poorly as the section’s Blackburn Roc, which was piloted by Midshipman Marshall with Naval Airman Jones manning its dorsal turret, crashed whilst getting airborne but luckily without casualties. It got worse as the remaining two, which were both Blackburn Skuas, were then attacked by friendly fighters near Goodwin Sands. This resulted in the Skua which was crewed by Lieutenant Campbell-Horsfall and Petty Officer Clare being shot down and picked up by a nearby destroyer while the other piloted by Midshipman Hogg had managed to limp to RAF Manston damaged and Naval Airman Burton, the Telegraphist Air Gunner, killed. Lieutenant Campbell-Horsfall and Petty Officer Clare both received bullet wounds.
Another section that was sent to patrol in the afternoon on 29 May with Lieutenant Barnes and Lieutenant Vincent-Jones leading in a Blackburn Skua. Another Blackburn Skua piloted by Sub Lieutenant Ayres and a single Blackburn Roc crewed by Midshipman Day and Naval Airman Newton were the other two machines in the section's patrol. They surprised five Junkers Ju 88's that were attacking a convoy near Ostend. Both Skuas attacked above while the Roc flew directly under the enemy and with the turret firing upwards managed to destroy one Ju 88 resulting in the Blackburn Roc's sole air-to-air kill in the war. Both Skuas also managed to damage another Ju 88 which was then seen limping away with serious damage and losing height. All three aircraft landed back at RAF Detling safely. Another patrol on 30 May in poor conditions attacked a Heinkel He 111 that was preparing to attack a transport. The enemy machine jettisoned its bombs due to the Skuas attack but was then lost in the poor visibility.
The final patrol of 806 in the operations concerning Dunkirk took place on 2 June 1940, under the leadership of Charles Evans. During this mission, an enemy Junkers Ju 88 was observed attacking , prompting a response from the squadron; however, the aircraft vanished into the clouds in a gradual spiral, likely having been destroyed. Another Ju 88 was sighted and engaged, but it too dived and was lost within the clouds. Subsequently, an Avro Anson from RAF Coastal Command reported witnessing a Ju 88 returning over Dunkirk with its port engine ablaze, shortly after the engagement with the Ju 88 by 806 Naval Air Squadron.
An 801 Naval Air Squadron detachment joined 806 NAS in operations during Operation Dynamo on 31 May 1940 and eventually relieved 806 Naval Air Squadron which was then to start training onto the Fairey Fulmar at HMS Kestrel.
Embarking in Illustrious and working-up in Bermuda
In June, the squadron boarded along with 815 and 819 Naval Air Squadrons, with which they had been temporarily stationed at RAF Detling for Operation Dynamo. Subsequently, HMS Illustrious departed for Bermuda to conduct training for the ship's company and the crews of the embarked squadrons. During one of the training flights, a Blackburn Skua from 806 Naval Air Squadron was inadvertently lost. This aircraft had been dispatched alongside an aircraft from 815 Naval Air Squadron, piloted by Charles Lamb, to perform dummy attacks to determine the most effective defence for a Fairey Swordfish against daylight fighter assaults. In the course of its second dummy attack, the Fairey Swordfish was flying at sea level while the Blackburn Skua pilot descended from an altitude of two or three thousand feet, miscalculating the altitudes of both aircraft. Unfortunately, he was unable to recover from his dive and crashed into the sea, resulting in no survivors.
During another flight while stationed in Bermuda, all three squadrons aboard HMS Illustrious were launched from the deck while it was anchored. However, when the time came to land an hour later, the wind had completely calmed. With the crash barrier lowered to utilise the full length of the deck, all the Fairey Swordfish successfully landed without damaging their arrestor hooks. When it was 806 Naval Air Squadron's turn, Lieutenant Commander Charles Evans was the first to attempt landing. Due to the higher speed at touchdown from the Blackburn Skua, the arrestor hook on his aircraft was ripped from the fuselage, forcing him to apply right rudder and slam the nose of his aircraft into the ship's island to prevent it from continuing down the deck and plunging into the water. The second aircraft to land maintained enough speed to become airborne again after losing its arrestor hook and had to circle in the air while the rest of the squadron attempted to land. Ultimately, it was directed to find a location in Bermuda for a forced landing; the pilot opted for a golf course, resulting in the aircraft's wings being sheared off by trees. The remaining pilots in the squadron either emulated the commanding officer's actions during their landing attempts or continued down the deck and fell into the water, with the exception of one aircraft that managed to halt before going over the edge. Although no injuries occurred from this final incident in Bermuda, all the aircraft in the squadron sustained damage. Consequently, instead of proceeding directly to the Mediterranean from Bermuda, HMS Illustrious had to return to the Clyde, where they re-equipped with Fulmars, and the squadron was granted several weeks to familiarise themselves with the new aircraft.
Mediterranean
The Blackburn Rocs were substituted with Fairey Fulmars, and the squadron boarded HMS Illustrious in June 1940. Simultaneously, the Blackburn Skuas were also replaced by Fairey Fulmars and supplemented with Gloster Sea Gladiators prior to the ship's departure for the Mediterranean. Within the Mediterranean region, RNAS Dekheila (HMS Grebe), Alexandria, Egypt, served as a shore base, facilitating operations from both there and the carrier, where the squadron successfully accounted for over twenty enemy aircraft.