846 Naval Air Squadron

846 Naval Air Squadron
Active 1943[1] - 2013
30 September 2014 - present
Country UK
Branch Royal Navy
Type Land based and amphibious squadron
Role Commando Support
Part of Fleet Air Arm
Garrison/HQ RNAS Yeovilton (HMS Heron)
Nickname(s) Junglies
Motto(s) Semper Instans (Latin:"Always Threatening")
Equipment AgustaWestland Merlin HC.3
Battle honours Atlantic 1944, Arctic 1944–5, Norway 1944–5, Normandy 1944–5, Falklands 1982

846 Naval Air Squadron is a squadron of the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm.

Between December 1979 and the summer of 2013, 846 Naval Air Squadron operated the Westland Sea King HC4 helicopter to provide troop transport and load lifting support to 3 Commando Brigade Royal Marines. Based at RNAS Yeovilton in Somerset, 846 NAS stood down in the summer of 2013 and its personnel, buildings and equipment were absorbed into 845 Naval Air Squadron.

The squadron stood up on 30 September 2014 with the AgustaWestland Merlin HC.3.

History

Second World War

An 846 NAS Avenger from HMS Trumpeter in flight, 1944–45.

846 Naval Air Squadron was established in April 1943 at the Naval Air Station Quonset Point, Rhode Island, United States. It was equipped with 12 Grumman Avenger I torpedo bombers. Two months later the squadron embarked on the escort carrier HMS Ravager and was transferred to the UK. Before being assigned to HMS Tracker in January 1944, four Grumman Wildcat V fighters were added to 846 NAS. HMS Tracker was first assigned to convoys going to Gibraltar, then to Murmansk. On the latter voyage, aircraft from 846 NAS attacked eight German U-Boats.

HMS Tracker was damaged in June 1944 in a collision with the Canadian frigate HMCS Teme (K458) while forming part of the naval screen for the D-Day landings, and the squadron disembarked to RAF Limavady airfield, Northern Ireland, joining 15 Group RAF Coastal Command. A month later 846 NAS was assigned to HMS Trumpeter, mainly laying mines off Norway until September 1944.

In December a detachment was formed and transferred to HMS Premier for a few days. The remainder of 846 NAS operated from HMS Trumpeter or RNAS Hatston in Orkney up to May 1945. On May 4, 1945 twelve Avenger and four Wildcat aircraft of the squadron took part in Operation Judgement, Kilbotn, the last air-raid of the war in Europe. The fighter flight was disbanded after the end of hostilities in Europe.

846 NAS was then assigned to the 4th Carrier Group and should deploy to the Far East aboard the fleet carrier HMS Illustrious. However, a change of plans led to the squadron becoming a trials unit. It was renumbered 751 NAS and was disbanded at Machrihanish, in September 1945.[2]

Borneo

846 NAS was reformed in 1962 as a Commando squadron equipped with the Westland Whirlwind HAS.7. It was deployed to Borneo aboard the commando carrier HMS Albion and flew in support of actions against guerrillas during the Indonesia–Malaysia confrontation. British Army units gave 846 NAS the nickname 'Junglies' in Borneo, which the squadron has kept until today.

A Wessex HU5 of 846 NAS, Norway, 1981.

After returning for the Far East, 846 NAS was disbanded again, only to be reformed in 1968 at RNAS Culdrose. This time the squadron was equipped with the Westland Wessex HU.5. The squadron deployed aboard the dock-landing ship HMS Fearless and conducted cold weather trials in Norway. In May 1972, the squadron was relocated to RNAS Yeovilton as the Wessex Headquarters and Trials Squadron. In February 1979 the squadron was deployed aboard the commando carrier HMS Bulwark. In December of the same year 846 NAS started to convert to the Westland Sea King HC.4.

Falklands War

In April 1982, 846 NAS embarked aboard the carrier HMS Hermes as part of the Royal Navy task force in the Falklands War. During the war 846 NAS Sea King’s flew over 2800 hours, completed 10,000 individual troop moves and transported more than 81,600 t of freight.

In 1983, detachments were deployed aboard the carriers HMS Hermes and HMS Invincible. Between November 1983 and March 1984, a detachment of three Sea Kings was deployed aboard HMS Fearless and RFA Reliant to the coast of Lebanon supporting British troops involved in peacekeeping operations in Lebanon during the Lebanese Civil War and took part in the eventual withdrawal of British troops and the evacuation of civilians from Beirut, airlifting 521 civilians on 10 March 1994. The squadron was awarded the Boyd Trophy for these operations.[3]

Gulf War

A Sea King of 846 NAS lifting load during exercise "Ocean Wave '97".

In 1990, 846 NAS took part in the Gulf War. In six weeks the squadron flew a total of 1200 hours in support of Allied ground forces. After the end of hostilities the squadron moved to northern Iraq to assist with humanitarian relief for the Kurds.

Yugoslav Wars

In January 1993, 846 NAS was deployed until March aboard the carrier HMS Ark Royal to the Adriatic as part of UN operations in Yugoslavia.[4] Shortly after returning to the UK the squadron was deployed to Northern Ireland to replace 707 NAS to provide support to security forces. It returned to the Balkans to provide air support for Multi-National Division-SW (SFOR), which was then commanded by the British, in Bosnia. This deployment lasted until 2002.[5][6]

Afghanistan

Since 2007, the 10 Sea King HC4+ helicopters of 846 NAS were committed to the Kandahar and Helmand provinces in Afghanistan in support of 3 Commando Brigade Royal Marines.[7]

Present day

846 NAS re-equipped with the AgustaWestland Merlin HC.3 on 30 September 2014 at RAF Benson.[8] The squadron moved back to its usual home of RNAS Yeovilton in March 2015.[9]

Affiliations

[10]

Aircraft operated

The squadron operated a variety of different aircraft and versions:[11]

References

Citations

  1. ↑ "846 NAS at the Fleet Air Arm Archive". Retrieved 2010-02-01.
  2. ↑ http://www.fleetairarmarchive.net/Squadrons/846.html
  3. ↑ "Boyd Trophy for 846 Sqn.". Air Pictorial. 47 (8): 288. August 1985.
  4. ↑ "House of Commons - Hansard Debates for 15 Apr 1993". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). House of Commons. 15 April 1993. col. 718.
  5. ↑ Webpage
  6. ↑ "Air Support Changes to MND-SW". nato.int. 18 July 2002.
  7. ↑ "Royal Navy Sea Kings - Flying Over Afghanistan for Two Years". Retrieved 2010-02-01.
  8. ↑ "Royal Air Force hand over Merlin to Royal Navy". Royal Navy. Retrieved 1 October 2014.
  9. ↑ "846. Eskadra wróciła do Yeovilton". Konflikty.pl. Retrieved 28 March 2015.
  10. ↑ Affiliations
  11. ↑ Sturtivant, Ballance 1994, p. 267.

Bibliography

External links

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