829 Naval Air Squadron facts for kids
Quick facts for kids 829 Naval Air Squadron |
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| Active | 1940–1942 1943–1944 1964–1993 2004–2018 |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Branch | Royal Navy |
| Part of | Fleet Air Arm |
| Motto(s) | Non Effugient - They shall not escape |
| Engagements | Matapan 1941, Crete 1941, Mediterranean 1941, Diego Suarez 1942, Norway 1944, Falkland Islands 1982, Kuwait 1991 |
The 829 Naval Air Squadron was a special group of aircraft and pilots in the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm. This squadron flew helicopters and planes for many years. It was officially stopped in March 2018. Before that, it used the AgustaWestland Merlin HM2 helicopter.
History of the Squadron
Early Years: 1940–1942
The 829 Naval Air Squadron first started on 15 June 1940. It was based at Royal Naval Air Station (RNAS) Ford in Sussex, UK. The squadron used nine Fairey Albacore planes. These planes were used for dropping torpedoes and for scouting missions.
In October 1940, the squadron began flying at night. They attacked German ships and docks in Brest, France. Sadly, during one of these attacks, the squadron's commanding officer and his crew were lost.
The squadron then joined the aircraft carrier HMS Formidable. They helped protect a group of ships sailing to West Africa and Cape Town. Later, in January 1941, HMS Formidable sailed to the Red Sea. Here, the squadron's planes attacked Italian-held cities like Mogadishu and Massawa. After this, some of their planes were replaced with Fairey Swordfish aircraft because of losses.
Battles in the Mediterranean
During the Battle of Matapan in March 1941, one of the squadron's Albacore planes hit the Italian battleship Vittorio Veneto. The squadron's leader, Lt. Cdr. John Dalyell-Stead, was shot down and died.
The squadron also attacked an Italian airfield on Karpathos island. Then, their planes operated from Lod and attacked French ships during the Syria-Lebanon campaign. In May 1941, HMS Formidable was badly damaged by German bombs. This meant the ship was out of action for six months.
The 829 NAS moved to Cyprus in June. Their Albacore planes stayed there when the carrier went for repairs in the U.S. Six of the squadron's Swordfish planes helped patrol for submarines while the carrier was being fixed.
After leaving Jamaica, 829 NAS joined HMS Illustrious. They then rejoined the repaired HMS Formidable and returned to Great Britain. The squadron received 12 new Swordfish Mk.II planes. In March 1942, they joined HMS Illustrious again.
Madagascar Invasion
The squadron took part in an attack on Diego-Suarez during the Battle of Madagascar in May. They successfully attacked French submarines and other ships. However, they lost five of their own aircraft. In September, they helped support attacks on French troops in southern Madagascar.
After this, HMS Illustrious went for repairs. The 829 NAS then joined with 810 Naval Air Squadron in October 1942.
Reformation and World War II: 1943–1944
The 829 NAS was reformed on 1 October 1943. They were based at RNAS Lee-on-the-Solent. This time, they flew twelve Fairey Barracuda MK.II planes. These planes were used for torpedo bombing and scouting.
In March 1944, they joined HMS Victorious. On 3 April, they took part in Operation Tungsten. This was a successful attack on the German battleship Tirpitz in Norway. They lost two aircraft during this mission. After more attacks on ships off Norway, the 829 NAS joined with 831 Naval Air Squadron on HMS Victorious on 9 July 1944. The squadron then stopped operating for a while.
Helicopter Era: 1964–1994
The 829 Squadron was reformed again on 4 March 1964, at RNAS Culdrose in Cornwall, UK. This time, they focused on helicopters. Their job was to provide helicopter teams for smaller ships and survey vessels. They used the Westland Wasp HAS1 helicopter. This helicopter was good at finding and attacking submarines with torpedoes.
The squadron also took care of Westland Wessex HAS1 helicopters on larger ships. In 1969, the Wessex HAS1 was replaced by the Wessex HAS3. In December 1964, 829 NAS moved to RNAS Portland. They were responsible for all Wasp-equipped ship flights until the Wasp helicopters were retired in 1988. Some of their Wasps were even used in a popular 1970s TV show called Warship.
Falklands War Heroics
In 1982, eleven Westland Wasp HAS1 helicopters from 829 NAS took part in the Falklands War. They were on various ships, including frigates and survey vessels.
On 25 April 1982, a Wessex helicopter spotted the Argentinian submarine Santa Fe. The Wessex attacked it with depth charges. Then, a Wasp from HMS Plymouth and a Westland Lynx from HMS Brilliant joined the attack. The Lynx fired a torpedo and machine-gunned the submarine. Wasps from HMS Plymouth and HMS Endurance fired AS.12 anti-ship missiles, hitting the submarine.
The Santa Fe was so damaged that it couldn't go underwater anymore. Its crew gave up and surrendered to British forces. This was the first time a Royal Navy task force directly engaged an enemy in the war.
The last Wasp helicopter was taken out of service in 1988. By then, 829 NAS had started using Westland Lynx HAS2 helicopters. By 1988, the squadron had up to 30 Lynx helicopters. They were often sent to the Persian Gulf for patrols.
Persian Gulf War Successes
Between August 1990 and February 1991, several Lynx helicopters from 829 NAS fought in the Persian Gulf War. Six Lynx helicopters, armed with Sea Skua missiles, were sent to the Gulf on Royal Navy frigates.
One of the first successes happened when Lynx 335 from HMS Cardiff worked with an American helicopter to destroy an Iraqi minesweeper or landing ship. Lynx 335 also helped destroy Iraqi anti-aircraft guns on oil rigs. On 24 January 1991, Lynx 335 attacked three Iraqi ships, sinking two minesweepers. It also tried to capture a minelayer, but the Iraqi crew sank it first.
On 29 January, Royal Navy helicopters saw 17 Iraqi landing craft. Lynxes from HMS Brazen, Gloucester, and Cardiff sank two of them. The other Iraqi ships were damaged or scattered by U.S. aircraft and other Royal Navy helicopters.
On 30 January, a group of Iraqi ships was attacked. HMS Gloucester's Lynx destroyed one ship. Cardiff and Brazen's Lynxes attacked another. In total, Lynx helicopters from 829 NAS were responsible for sinking 15 Iraqi ships in the war. Lynx 335 alone sank at least five of them!
The squadron was officially stopped on 26 March 1993. All its Lynx flights became part of 815 Naval Air Squadron.
Modern Era: 2004–2018 (Disbanded)
The squadron was brought back to life on 21 October 2004. It was based at RNAS Culdrose again. This time, they flew the Merlin HM.1 helicopter. 829 NAS provided helicopter teams for several Type 23 frigates, including HMS Lancaster, Monmouth, and Westminster.
By 2012, 829 NAS had five helicopter teams supporting six Type 23 frigates.
Final Years and Decommissioning
From 2013, the squadron used the Merlin HM.2 helicopter. These helicopters mainly operated from Type 23 frigates.
- 01 Flight was on HMS St Albans.
- 03 Flight was on HMS Sutherland.
- 04 Flight was on HMS Somerset.
In December 2017, the three helicopter teams were given new names to honor the squadron's history: TUNGSTEN Flight, KINGFISHER Flight, and MOHAWK Flight.
When the squadron was officially stopped on 28 March 2018, its aircraft and people joined 814 Naval Air Squadron. This squadron is also based at RNAS Culdrose.
Aircraft Used by the Squadron
The 829 Naval Air Squadron used many different types of aircraft over the years:
- Fairey Albacore I
- Fairey Swordfish I & II(ASV)
- Fairey Barracuda II
- Westland Whirlwind HAR.1, HAS.7 & HAR.9
- Westland Wasp HAS.1
- Westland Wessex HAS.1, HAS.3 & HU.5
- Westland Lynx HAS.2, HAS.3, HAS.3 (CTS) & HMA.8
- AgustaWestland Merlin HM.1 & HM.2
