Blue, a sun in splendour gold charged with a flying fish in bend black (1944)
Identification Markings
7A+ (Martlet/Wildcat) 3A+ (Hellcat) B9A+ and BOA+ (Hellcat July 1945) 143-149 (Sea Fury) 100-112 to 130-141 (Sea Hawk June 1955) 470-483 (Sea Hawk January 1956)
Fin Carrier Codes
O:T (Sea Fury) Z to O:Z (Sea Hawk from June 1955) O:B:E (Sea Hawk from January 1956)
898 Naval Air Squadron (898 NAS) was a Fleet Air Arm (FAA) naval air squadron of the United Kingdom’s Royal Navy (RN). The squadron, which was last disbanded at HMS Goldcrest, RNAS Brawdy, on 2 May 1959, was initially established as a fighter unit on 15 October 1942. It joined HMS Victorious in February 1943 and participated in operations over the Coral Sea during May and June, providing support for the landings in the Solomon Islands. After its return to the United Kingdom, the squadron became part of the 7th Naval Fighter Wing. In April 1944, it provided fighter cover for an assault on the German battleship Tirpitz and conducted anti-shipping operations off the coast of Norway from May to June 1944, before disbanding into 882 Naval Air Squadron in July 1944. The squadron was re-established as a fighter unit in January 1945; however, it was too late to engage in further operations, leading to its eventual disbandment in December 1945.
In July 1951, 898 Naval Air Squadron was re-established and subsequently engaged in six months of active flight operations in the Mediterranean while attached to HMS Ocean. However, on 1 January 1953, the squadron was merged into 807 Naval Air Squadron after having spent most of its operational time abroad. The squadron was reformed in August 1953 at RNAS Brawdy and later boarded HMS Albion in September for a six-month deployment in the Mediterranean. Following a brief period with HMS Bulwark, the squadron reembarked on HMS Ark Royal in September for another six months in the Mediterranean, disbanding at RNAS Brawdy in April 1956. The squadron was reformed at RNAS Brawdy in July 1956 and joined HMS Ark Royal in January 1957. In June, it transitioned to HMS Bulwark, returned to HMS Ark Royal, and then moved back to HMS Bulwark in November. In May 1958, the squadron joined HMS Eagle for a six-month deployment, with another period aboard in early 1959.
History
Single seat fighter squadron (1942-1944)
On 17 September 1942, personnel for 898 Naval Air Squadron gathered at RNAS Lee-on-Solent (HMS Daedalus) in Hampshire. They embarked in HMT Queen Mary, [3] setting sail for the United States and arriving at NAS Norfolk, Virginia, where the squadron was officially established as a fighter unit on 15 October, under the command of Royal MarinesCaptain A.J. Wright. The squadron was equipped with six Grumman Martlet Mk IV, an American carrier-based fighter aircraft.[4] These aircraft were the counterparts to the US Navy's F4F-4B variant and were generally comparable to the Mk II, but featuring two extra wing-mounted guns and powered by a Wright Cyclone engine.[5]
A number of months was dedicated to operations in that theater, which encompassed reconnaissance missions in the Coral Sea region during May, succeeded in June by providing assistance for the landings conducted by United States forces in the Middle Solomons.[4] HMS Victorious arrived back in the United Kingdom on 26 September, with the squadron disembarking at RNAS Eglinton (HMS Gannet) in County Down, Northern Ireland. By this time, the unit had been re-equipped with ten Grumman Wildcat Mk V fighter aircraft and was integrated into the 7th Naval Fighter Wing.[3] This version of aircraft was comparable to the FM-1 Wildcat of the United States Navy, manufactured by General Motors and equipped with the Pratt & Whitney R-1830 Twin Wasp engine.[5]
On 12 September, the unit commenced operations aboard HMS Searcher, a Ruler-class escort carrier, to support North Atlantic convoys, primarily utilising RNAS Hatston (HMS Sparrowhawk), Mainland, Orkney, as a base of operations.[4] In April 1944, the 7th Naval Fighter Wing took part in an assault on the German battleship Tirpitz located in Altafjord, Norway. Over the subsequent two months, multiple shipping strikes were executed off the coast of Norway, resulting in the downing of a Focke-Wulf Fw 200 Condor maritime patrol aircraft and four Blohm & Voss BV 138 Seedrache flying boats. In June 1944, the squadron offered protection for a convoy heading to Gibraltar, before being amalgamated into 882 Naval Air Squadron on July 5, 1944.[7]
Grumman Hellcat (1945)
898 Naval Air Squadron was reformed at RNAS Wingfield (HMS Malagas), in Cape Town, South Africa on 8 January 1945, as a single-seat fighter unit.[8] The squadron was equipped with twenty-four Grumman Hellcat F. Mk. II fighter aircraft.[7] This version was comparable to the F6F-5 Hellcat of the United States Navy and was equipped with the Pratt & Whitney R-2800 Double Wasp engine.[9] In June, it embarked in the escort carrier HMS Attacker for deployment to Ceylon. The aircraft were equipped with rocket projectiles in July; however, the squadron did not engage in any combat prior to V-J Day. Subsequently, the pilots returned home aboard the Attacker-class escort carrier HMS Pursuer, without their aircraft, and the squadron was officially disbanded upon their arrival to the United Kingdom on 12 December.[7]
Hawker Sea Hawk F.1 of 898 Naval Air Squadron at RNAS Brawdy, Pembrokeshire, in 1954.
On 24 August 1953, the squadron was reestablished at RNAS Brawdy (HMS Goldcrest) in Pembrokeshire, Wales, initially equipped with twelve Hawker Sea Hawk F.1 jet day fighter aircraft. In July 1954, these were replaced with the FB.3 variant, designed for fighter-bomber operations. 898 Naval Air Squadron remained on land until it boarded the Centaur-classlight fleet carrier, HMS Albion in September for a six-month deployment in the Mediterranean. In May 1955, the squadron had a brief deployment with sister ship, HMS Bulwark, during a visit to Oslo, after which it re-equipped with the Fighter/Ground attack variant FGA.6 upon its return. In September, the squadron embarked in the Audacious-class aircraft carrier, HMS Ark Royal for another six-month operation in the Mediterranean, ultimately disbanding at RNAS Brawdy on April 19, 1956.[10]
898 Naval Air Squadron was reformed at RNAS Brawdy on 30 July 1956, initially equipped with twelve Hawker Sea Hawk FGA.4 aircraft. These were gradually substituted with the FGA.6 variant starting in January 1957, during which time the squadron embarked in HMS Ark Royal. In June of the same year, the squadron transitioned to HMS Bulwark, only to return to HMS Ark Royal in September, and then revert back to HMS Bulwark in November. The squadron was assigned to Ark Royal's sister ship HMS Eagle in May 1958 for a six-month deployment in the Mediterranean, followed by another period aboard her in early 1959, before eventually being disbanded at RNAS Brawdy on 2 May.[10]
Aircraft operated
The squadron has operated a number of different aircraft types, including:[10]
Apps, Michael (1971). Send Her Victorious. London: William Kimber & Co. ISBN0-7183-0102-1.
Ballance, Theo; Howard, Lee; Sturtivant, Ray (2016). The Squadrons and Units of the Fleet Air Arm. Air Britain Historians Limited. ISBN978-0-85130-489-2.
Thetford, Owen (1991). British Naval Aircraft since 1912. London, UK: Putnam Aeronautical Books, an imprint of Conway Maritime Press Ltd. ISBN0-85177-849-6.
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