812 Naval Air Squadron
| 812 Naval Air Squadron | |
|---|---|
| Active | April 1933–December 1942 June 1944–August 1946 October 1946–October 1953 November 1955–December 1956 |
| Country |
 United Kingdom
|
| Branch | Royal Navy |
| Size | 12 to 18 aircraft |
| Part of | Fleet Air Arm |
| Motto(s) |
Dex aie (Norman : "God aid us") |
| Aircraft flown |
Blackburn Ripon (1933–34) Blackburn Baffin (1934–36) Fairey Swordfish (1936–42) Fairey Barracuda (1944–45) Fairey Firefly (1946–53) Fairey Gannet (1955–56) |
| Battle honours | North Sea 1940 English Channel 1940 Mediterranean 1941 Malta Convoys 1941 |
812 Naval Air Squadron was a Naval Air Squadron of the British Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm, which was active between 1933 and 1956, and saw service in World War II and the Korean War.
The squadron was first formed on 3 April 1933 aboard HMS Glorious, then part of the Mediterranean Fleet, by amalgamating No.'s 461 and 462 (Fleet Torpedo) Flights. Originally equipped with the Blackburn Ripon, these were replaced with the Blackburn Baffin in 1934, and the Fairey Swordfish in 1936. Apart from a short visit to the UK to take part in the 1937 Coronation Review at Spithead, the squadron remained in the Mediterranean until the outbreak of the war in September 1939. Glorious was then sent to patrol the Indian Ocean, but was recalled to home waters in early 1940, and 812 Squadron was transferred to RAF Coastal Command to take part in mining and bombing operations in the low countries and in the Dunkirk evacuation.
In March 1941 the squadron left Coastal Command to take part in Malta convoy protection duties aboard HMS Argus. In July, aboard HMS Furious, they participated in the attack on Petsamo. Further Malta convoy duties followed aboard Furious, transferring to HMS Ark Royal in September. After the Ark Royal was torpedoed and sunk on 13 November, the squadron regrouped at Gibraltar. While based at RNAS North Front, the squadron received new aircraft equipped with ASV (Air to Surface Vessel) radar, enabling them to sink the U-boat U-451 on the night of 21 December 1941, and to damage five others. The squadron returned to the UK in April 1942 aboard USS Wasp (CV-7), and were reattached to Coastal Command in September to fly operations over the English Channel. On 18 December 1942, it was amalgamated into 811 Squadron.
...
Wikipedia