828 Naval Air Squadron

828 Naval Air Squadron
Fairey Fireflies (1771 Squadron), Fairey Barracudas (828 Squadron), and Supermarine Seafires (880 Squadron) of the Fleet Air Arm on the flight deck of HMS Implacable warming up ready to make strike on enemy shipping at the entrance to Alten Fjord, Norway.
Active
  • 1940–1943
  • 1944–1946
Disbanded3 June 1946
Country United Kingdom
Branch Royal Navy
TypeTorpedo Bomber Reconnaissance squadron
RoleCarrier-based:
Part ofFleet Air Arm
Home stationSee Naval air stations section for full list.
EngagementsWorld War II
Battle honours
  • Mediterranean 1941-43
  • Norway 1944
  • Japan 1945[1]
Commanders
Notable
commanders		Lieutenant Commander(A) F.A. Swanton, DSC, RN
Insignia
Identification Markings
  • 5A+, later S5A+ (Albacore)
  • single letters (Barracuda)
  • 1A+ (Barracuda November 1941)
  • A1A+ (Barracuda January 1945)
  • single letters (Avenger)
  • 370-386 (Avenger later)
Fin Carrier Codes
  • N (Avenger later)
Aircraft flown
Bomber

828 Naval Air Squadron (828 NAS), also known as 828 Squadron, was a Fleet Air Arm (FAA) naval air squadron of the United Kingdom’s Royal Navy (RN). It last operated with Grumman Avenger and served on a number of the Navy's aircraft carriers during the Second World War. It also used Fairey Swordfish, Fairey Albacore and Fairey Barracuda, before decommissioning after the end of the war.

Formed in September 1940 as a torpedo spotter reconnaissance squadron. It operated in a number of the theatres of the Second World War, carrying out a number of attacks on enemy targets including the German battleship Tirpitz in Norway.[2]

History

Malta and the Mediterranean

The squadron was initially equipped with nine Fairey Albacore torpoedo bomber aircraft on its formation as a Torpedo, spotter, reconnaissance (TSR) squadron at RNAS Lee-on-Solent (HMS Daedalus), Hampshire,[3] and then moved to Scotland to operate anti-submarine patrols with RAF Coastal Command.[2]

They embarked aboard HMS Victorious in July 1941 and carried out an attack on Kirkenes, Norway. Five of the squadron's aircraft were lost in the attack. The squadron was then regrouped and sailed to Gibraltar in August aboard HMS Argus.[2]

They were then transported to Hal Far, Malta aboard HMS Ark Royal. From there the squadron attacked enemy shipping attempting to transport supplies to the Axis forces in Libya. In March 1942 they and 830 Naval Air Squadron formed the Naval Air Squadron Malta, which went on to attack enemy warships and convoys operating in the Mediterranean. Re-supply problems, partially alleviated by the Malta Convoys led to the number of operational aircraft being reduced to just two. In December 1942 the remnants of 826 and 830 squadrons were absorbed.[2]

828 and 821 Naval Air Squadrons attacked shipping in May 1943, and provided flare illumination for naval bombardments of Pantellaria. In July, from Hal Far on Malta, 828 squadron's Albacores (torpedo spotter reconnaissance) supported the Allied invasion of Sicily (Operation Husky). 828 then moved to Monastir in Tunisia, where they disbanded in September 1943. Together 828 and 830 squadrons had sunk 30 enemy ships and damaged another 50.[2]

Tirpitz and the Far East

828 Squadron was re-formed as a torpedo bomber reconnaissance squadron in March 1944. Equipped with 12 Barracuda IIs and from April 1944 were based at HMS Owl for training before joining the 2nd Naval Torpedo Bomber Reconnaissance Wing and joined the Home Fleet aboard HMS Implacable in August that year.[2] They briefly transferred to HMS Formidable in August 1944 and carried out attacks on the German battleship Tirpitz as part of Operation Goodwood.[2]

They were briefly at RNAS Hatston, before re-boarding HMS Implacable and carrying out attacks on enemy shipping off the Norwegian coast in October. 828 Squadron was re-equipped with 21 Grumman Avenger Is and IIs in January 1945, and then joined HMS Trumpeter.[2] They were back aboard HMS Implacable by March 1945, and sailed with her to Ceylon, subsequently disembarking at Trincomalee in April 1945. 828 Squadron then joined the 8th Carrier Air Group and carried out attacks on Truk and the Japanese mainland.[2]

After the Japanese surrender the squadron returned to Nowra on 25 August 1945, and remained there until May 1946.[4]

Aircraft operated

The squadron operated a variety of different aircraft and versions:[5]

  • Fairey Albacore torpedo bomber (September 1940 - September 1943)
  • Fairey Swordfish I torpedo bomber (October - November 1941)
  • Fairey Barracuda Mk II torpedo and dive bomber March 1944 - February 1945)
  • Grumman Avenger Mk.I torpedo bomber (January - September 1945)
  • Grumman Avenger Mk.II torpedo bomber (February - September 1945)
  • Grumman Avenger Mk.III torpedo bomber (August 1945 - April 1946)

Battle honours

The following three Battle Honours have been awarded to 828 Naval Air Squadron:

Assignments

828 Naval Air Squadron was assigned as needed to form part of a number of larger units:[9]

828 Naval Air Squadron was active at various naval air stations of the Royal Navy and Royal Air Force stations, both within the United Kingdom and internationally. Additionally, it operated from several Royal Navy fleet carriers, as well as other airbases located abroad.

World War Two air stations and aircraft carriers

List of air stations and aircraft carriers used by 828 Naval Air Squadron during World War two including dates:[5]

1940 - 1943

1944 - 1946

Commanding officers

List of commanding officers of 828 Naval Air Squadron:[5]

1940 - 1943

  • Lieutenant E.A. Greenwood, RN, from 15 September 1940
  • Lieutenant Commander(A) L.A. Cubitt, RN, from 26 September 1940
  • Lieutenant Commander D.E. Langmore, DSC, RN, from 6 May 1941 ( † 19 December 1941[10])
  • Lieutenant G.M. Haynes, RAN, from 20 December 1941
  • Lieutenant Commander M.E. Lashmore, DSC, RN, from 30 March 1942
  • Lieutenant Commander A. Gregory, RN, from 28 February 1943 ( † 12 March 1943[11])
  • Lieutenant H.H. Britton, RN, from 12 March 1943
  • Lieutenant Commander(A) J.F. Turner, RNVR, from 8 May 1943
  • disbanded - 1 September 1943

1944 - 1946

  • Lieutenant Commander(A) F.A. Swanton, DSC, RN, from 1 March 1944
  • Lieutenant Commander(A) R.E. Bradshaw, DSC & Two Bars, RN, from 31 August 1945
  • disbanded - 3 June 1946

Note: Abbreviation (A) signifies Air Branch of the RN or RNVR.[12]

References

Citations

  1. ^ Fleet Air Arm battle honours
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i "828 Squadron's history". Archived from the original on 20 July 2008. Retrieved 16 July 2008.
  3. ^ Wragg 2019, p. 163.
  4. ^ 828 Squadron in Australia
  5. ^ a b c Ballance, Howard & Sturtivant 2016, p. 189.
  6. ^ "Mediterranean 1940-45". britainsnavy.co.uk. Retrieved 3 November 2025.
  7. ^ "Norway 1940-45". britainsnavy.co.uk. Retrieved 3 November 2025.
  8. ^ Wragg 2019, p. 244.
  9. ^ Wragg 2019, pp. 199&203.
  10. ^ "Lieutenant Commander D. E. Langmore". iwm.org.uk. Retrieved 5 January 2026.
  11. ^ "Royal Navy casualties, killed and died, March 1943". naval-history.net. Retrieved 5 January 2026.
  12. ^ Wragg 2019, p. 257.

Bibliography

  • Ballance, Theo; Howard, Lee; Sturtivant, Ray (2016). The Squadrons and Units of the Fleet Air Arm. Air Britain Historians Limited. ISBN 978-0-85130-489-2.
  • Wragg, David (2019). The Fleet Air Arm Handbook 1939-1945. Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, UK: The History Press. ISBN 978-0-7509-9303-6.


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