RAF Angle

RAF Angle RNAS Angle HMS Goldcrest
Near Angle, Pembrokeshire in Wales
RAF Angle Shown within Pembrokeshire
Coordinates	51°40′28″N 005°05′54″W / 51.67444°N 5.09833°W / 51.67444; -5.09833Coordinates: 51°40′28″N 005°05′54″W / 51.67444°N 5.09833°W / 51.67444; -5.09833
Type	Royal Air Force station
Site information
Owner	Air Ministry
Operator	Royal Air Force
Site history
Built	1941 (1941)
In use	1941-1950 (1950)
Airfield information
Elevation	63 metres (207 ft) AMSL
Runways Direction Length and surface 00/00  Concrete 00/00  Concrete 00/00  Concrete

Royal Air Force Angle or more simply RAF Angle is a former Royal Air Force station located 3.9 miles (6.3 km) south east of Dale, Pembrokeshire and 8.1 miles (13.0 km) west of Pembroke, Pembrokeshire, Wales.

It was opened on 1 December 1941 and closed in the 1950s after being used by both the Royal Air Force (RAF) and the Royal Navy.

It was initially used by No. 32 Squadron RAF flying the Hawker Hurricane I. In November 1941 they were replaced by 615 Squadron, and the Hurricane IIC. Several Squadrons followed: 312 Squadron flew the Supermarine Spitfire VB and 263 Squadron with the Westland Whirlwind.

Next No. 152 Squadron RAF, No. 412 Squadron RCAF and No. 421 Squadron RCAF squadrons occupied the base, flying the Spitfire VB.

During May 1943 794 Naval Air Squadron were posted here conducting target towing and the control of the airfield was transferred to the Royal Navy with the site being renamed RNAS Angle (HMS Goldcrest). However in September 1943 the Royal Navy moved from RNAS Angle to the RNAS Dale, and the RAF swapped sites in the other direction with the Coastal Command Development Unit moving in.

The airfield was used as the base for trials of the prototype Highball bouncing bomb on 6 October 1943 using a tunnel at Maenclochog as a target. Highball was a spherical design with dimples by Barnes Wallis and were dropped by de Havilland Mosquito aircraft.