| Unit Name: | 894 Naval Air Squadron |
| Dates: | 15 August 1942 – 16 March 1946 14 January 1957 – 17 December 1960 |
| Type: | Single-seat fighter squadron |
| Role: | Carrier-based fighter squadron |
| Command Structure: | Fleet Air Arm |
| Garrison: | See Naval air stations section for full list. |
| Garrison Label: | Home station |
| Battles: | World War II
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| Battle Honours: |
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| Identification Symbol: | Blue, a sea horse wings addorsed rising white (1944) |
| Identification Symbol Label: | Squadron badge |
| Identification Symbol 2: | single letters (Seafire by June 1944) 1A+ (Seafire HMS Indefatigable, July 1944) P6+ (Seafire by October 1944) H6A+ (Seafire December 1944) 130-154 (Seafire by August 1945) 485-499 (Sea Venom) |
| Identification Symbol 2 Label: | Identification Markings |
| Identification Symbol 3: | S (Seafire August 1945) E:A (Sea Venom) |
| Identification Symbol 3 Label: | Tail Codes |
| Aircraft Fighter: | Grumman Martlet Supermarine Seafire de Havilland Sea Venom |
894 Naval Air Squadron (894 NAS) was a Fleet Air Arm (FAA) naval air squadron of the United Kingdom’s Royal Navy (RN).[1] Formed at RN Air Section Norfolk, Virginia, in August 1942, as a fighter squadron, in December, the squadron joined HMS Battler for the UK, eventually arriving at HMS Sparrowhawk, RNAS Hatston, in February, where it later joined HMS Illustrious in July. The squadron provided air cover for the Salerno landings in September 1943. It returned to HMS Dipper, RNAS Henstridge, in late October 1943 and became part of the 24th Naval Fighter Wing. The squadron boarded HMS Indefatigable in July, covering operations over Norway, including two attacks on the battleship Tirpitz.
In November 1943, the squadron joined the aircraft carrier HMS Implacable for Ceylon. The squadron supported attacks on Sumatra in January 1945 and the Sakishima Islands in March and April 1945. The squadron operated over Japan during the final days of the war, but was disbanded at HMS Siskin, RNAS Gosport, in March 1946.
In January 1957, 894 Squadron was re-established at Merryfield as an all-weather fighter squadron. The squadron boarded HMS Eagle in August and spent a significant part of 1958 in the Mediterranean. Most of 1959 was spent at Yeovilton, but in February 1960, the squadron joined HMS Albion for a deployment in the Far East. It returned home and disbanded at HMS Heron, RNAS Yeovilton, in December.
On 15 July 1942, the personnel of 894 Naval Air Squadron gathered at RNAS Stretton (HMS Blackcap), Cheshire, England, before departing for the United States. Upon reaching Naval Air Station Norfolk in Virginia, the squadron was officially established on 15 August 1942 as a single-seat fighter unit, with Lieutenant Commander(A) D. A. Van Epps, RNVR, assuming command. The squadron was equipped with six Grumman Martlet Mk IV, an American carrier-based fighter aircraft. These were the counterparts to the US Navy's F4F-4B variant were generally comparable to the Mk II, featuring two extra wing-mounted guns and powered by the Wright Cyclone engine. It was among the limited number of FAA units that utilised the training carrier, a repurposed paddle steamer, for Deck Landing Training (DLT).
The squadron embarked in the,, on 8 December, departing for the United Kingdom. It disembarked at RNAS Machrihanish (HMS Landrail), Argyll and Bute, Scotland, on 8 January 1943 and subsequently relocated to RNAS Hatston (HMS Sparrowhawk), Mainland, Orkney, on 18 February, where it underwent re-equipment with nine Supermarine Seafire F Mk.IIc fighter aircraft, a navalised version of the Supermarine Spitfire.
In June 1943, Lieutenant Commander F.R.A. Turnbull, DSC, RN, took command of the unit and in July, 894 Naval Air Squadron embarked on the lead ship of her class,, for trip to Iceland, subsequently participating in an operation along the Norwegian coastline. HMS Illustrious was later assigned to Force A for Operation Governor, departing on 23 July 23. This operation aimed to entice the German battleship Tirpitz, along with other heavy German warships, to leave their harbor by creating the illusion of a raid on southern Norway.[2] In August, HMS Illustrious proceeded to Malta to integrate with Force H, which served as a protective contingent for the landings as part of Operation Avalanche and aircraft from Force H conducted Combat Air Patrol (CAP) and Anti-Submarine Patrol (ASP) missions during daylight hours,[3] with some aircraft temporarily operating from a seized airstrip. The squadron arrived back at RNAS Henstridge (HMS Dipper), Somerset, England, in late October 1943 becoming a component of the 24th Naval Fighter Wing, along with 887 Naval Air Squadron, on 25 October and subsequently it re-equipped with twelve Supermarine Seafire F Mk. III fighter aircraft in the following month.
The 24th Naval Fighter Wing relocated to RNAS Burscough (HMS Ringtail)), Lancashire, England, on 8 January 1944, the squadron coming under the command of Lieutenant Commander(A) C. Walker, RN. A month later, on 6 February, the Wing transferred to RAF Ballyhalbert, County Down, Northern Ireland. Eventually, the Wing was tasked with operations from RAF Culmhead, Somerset, England, where it provided escort for Royal Air Force Hawker Typhoon aircraft engaged in anti-shipping missions in the English Channel during April 1944. On 15 May, the 24th NFW returned to RAF Ballyhalbert to prepare for its embarkation aboard the, on 23 May, which included a week dedicated to deck landing training. Subsequently, the Wing disembarked to RNAS Eglinton (HMS Gannet), County Londonderry, Northern Ireland, on 30 May.
On 24 July, the squadron fully embarked in HMS Indefatigable to conduct operations in and around Norway. These included Operations Mascot, Turbine, Offspring and Goodwood, incorporating two assaults on the German battleship Tirpitz and the downing of two German aircraft on 22 August.[3]
By November 1943, the squadron had disembarked to RNAS Lee-on-Solent (HMS Daedalus), Hampshire, England, where it re-equipped with twenty-four Supermarine Seafire L Mk.III fighter aircraft prior to its deployment with HMS Indefatigable bound for Ceylon on 21 November. The squadron provided cover for Operation Meridian, the attacks on Sumatran oil installations in January 1945 and the Sakishima Gunto group of islands, part of Operation Iceberg, in the South China Sea, from March to April 1945, utilising, at RNAS Schofields, New South Wales, Australia, as a shore station.
Shortly prior to Victory over Japan Day, assaults were conducted on the Japanese mainland. 894 Naval Air Squadron was disbanded at RNAS Gosport (HMS Siskin), Hampshire, England, upon its arrival on 16 March 1946.
Reformed at RNAS Merryfield in Cornwall, England, in January 1957, the squadron was designated as an all-weather fighter unit, with Lieutenant Commander P.G. Young in charge. Initially, it operated with twelve de Havilland Sea Venom FAW.22 aircraft, although some FAW.21 models were utilised during the initial phase until the complete set of aircraft was received. The squadron embarked on the, in August, primarily conducting operations in the Mediterranean throughout 1958. The majority of 1959 was spent at RNAS Yeovilton (HMS Heron) in Cornwall, England. In February 1960, the squadron joined the, for a deployment in the Far East, ultimately returning to disband at RNAS Yeovilton on 17 December.
The squadron has operated a number of different aircraft types, including:
The battle honours awarded to 894 Naval Air Squadron are:
894 Naval Air Squadron operated from a number of naval air stations of the Royal Navy, and Royal Air Force stations in the UK and overseas, and also a number of Royal Navy fleet carriers and escort carriers and other airbases overseas:
List of commanding officers of 894 Naval Air Squadron: