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795 Naval Air Squadron

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795 Naval Air Squadron
Active24 June 1942 - 11 August 1943
1 August 1946 - 24 March 1947[1]
Country United Kingdom
Branch Royal Navy
TypeFleet Air Arm Second Line Squadron
Role
  • Eastern Fleet Fighter Pool
  • Refresher Training Squadron
SizeSquadron
Part ofFleet Air Arm
Home stationSee Naval air stations section for full list.
Insignia
Identification MarkingsLetters only (1942 - 1943)
A4+ (from 1946)
200-215 (later)[2]
Fin Carrier CodeA
Aircraft flown
AttackFairey Firefly
FighterFairey Fulmar
Grumman Martlet
Hawker Sea Hurricane
TrainerNorth American Harvard
Grumman F4F-4 Grumman Martlet I 'AL246', an example of the type used by 795 NAS

795 Naval Air Squadron (795 NAS) was a Fleet Air Arm (FAA) naval air squadron of the United Kingdom’s Royal Navy (RN) which last disbanded at RNAS Ford (HMS Peregrine), in Sussex, during March 1947. Originally formed as the Eastern Fleet Fighter Pool at RNAS Tanga (HMS Kilele), in Tanganyika, in June 1942, it’s 'A' Flight's supported the invasion of Madagascar, from HMS Illustrious, before being detached at Majunga on anti-submarine patrols as part of the Royal Air Force’s No. 207 Group. The squadron later moved to RNAS Mackinnon Road, in Kenya, before disbanding during August 1943. It reformed as a Refresher Training Squadron at RNAS Eglinton (HMS Gannet), in Northern Ireland, in August 1946 as part of the Fleet Air Arm’s 52nd Training Air Group and later included a couple of deployments in HMS Implacable.

History of 795 NAS

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Eastern Fleet Fighter Pool (1942 - 1943)

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795 Naval Air Squadron formed at RNAS Tanga (HMS Kilele), Tanganyika Territory, East Africa, on 24 June 1942 as the Eastern Fleet Fighter Pool. It was initially equipped with Fairey Fulmar, a British carrier-borne reconnaissance and fighter aircraft, and Grumman Martlet, an American carrier-based fighter aircraft.[3] As part of the Battle of Madagascar, 'A' Flight, which was formed of six Fairey Fulmar aircraft, embarked in the lead ship of her class of aircraft carrier HMS Illustrious along with the Fairey Albacore biplane torpedo bomber equipped 796 Naval Air Squadron, on 29 August.[2] On 11 September the flight was put ashore at Majunga, Madagascar and was tasked to provide anti-submarine patrols, under the direction of No. 207 Group RAF.[3] The Flight undertook a number of active sorties but in November it moved to the ex-seaplane tender HMS Albatross.[2] The main section of the squadron had moved to RNAS Mackinnon Road, in Kenya, East Africa, on 19 September 1942 and remained there for almost a year. 795 Naval Air Squadron disbanded on 11 August 1943.[4]

Fairey Fulmar Mk. II carrier-borne fighter and recce seen from the underside (1942), an example of the type used by 795 NAS

Refresher Training Squadron (1946 - 1947)

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795 Naval Air Squadron reformed as a Refresher Training squadron, on 1 August 1946 at RNAS Eglinton (HMS Gannet), and as part of the 52nd Training Air Group. The squadron was equipped with Fairey Firefly, a carrier-borne fighter aircraft and anti-submarine aircraft. Its role was to provide refresher training to aircraft carrier standard. On the 13 November 1946 the squadron exchanged Commanding Officer and staff with 719 Naval Air Squadron, then on 14 January 1947, the squadron embarked in HMS Implacable, the name ship of her class.[2]

Fairey Firefly FR.1 'Z2030' of the Fleet Air Arm, an example of the type used by 795 NAS

795 Naval Air Squadron disbanded for the second time on 24 March, the squadron disembarked from Implacable to RNAS Ford (HMS Peregrine), in Sussex,[5] it’s aircraft flown to RNAS Stretton (HMS Blackcap), in Cheshire, to be put into storage, on the same day.[2]

Aircraft flown

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The squadron has flown a number of different aircraft types and variants:[2][6]

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795 Naval Air Squadron operated from a number of naval air stations of the Royal Navy, both in the UK and overseas and a number of Royal Navy aircraft carriers:[3][2]

1942 - 1943

  • Royal Naval Air Station Tanga (HMS Kilele) (24 June 1942 - 19 September 1942)
    • 'A' Flight - six Fairey Fulmar
      • HMS Illustrious (29 August 1942 - 11 September 1942)
      • Majunga (11 September 1942 - 13 November 1942)
        • Antsirabe (detachment three aircraft 12 October 1942 - 13 November 1942)
      • HMS Albatross (13 November 1942 - 15 November 1942)
      • Royal Naval Air Station Tanga (HMS Kilele) (15 November 1942 - )
  • Royal Naval Air Station Mackinnon Road (19 September 1942 - 11 August 1943)
  • disbanded - (11 August 1943)

1946 - 1947

Commanding Officers

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List of commanding officers of 795 Naval Air Squadron with month and year of appointment:[2][6]

1942 - 1943

  • Lieutenant O.N. Bailey, RN, from 24 June 1942
  • Lieutenant Commander R. Pridham-Wippell, RN, from 10 November 1942
  • Lieutenant N. Matthews, RN, from 1 March 1943
  • Lieutenant Commander(A) G.W. Parish, DSC, RNVR, from 7 June 1943
  • disbanded - 11 August 1943

1946 - 1947

  • Lieutenant J.M. Brown, DSC, RN, from 10 August 1946
  • Lieutenant C.R.J. Coxon, RN, from 13 November 1946
  • disbanded - 26 March 1947

References

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Citations

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  1. ^ Sturtivant & Ballance 1994, p. 119.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h Ballance, Howard & Sturtivant 2016, p. 96.
  3. ^ a b c Wragg 2019, p. 138.
  4. ^ "Mackinnon Road". Royal Navy Research Archive - Fleet Air Arm Bases 1939 - present day. Retrieved 15 January 2024.
  5. ^ "Ford". Royal Navy Research Archive - Fleet Air Arm Bases 1939 - present day. Retrieved 15 January 2024.
  6. ^ a b "795 Naval Air Squadron". www.wings-aviation.ch. Retrieved 15 January 2024.

Bibliography

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