877 Naval Air Squadron
| 877 Naval Air Squadron | |
|---|---|
| Active | 1 April - 30 December 1943 |
| Country |  United Kingdom |
| Branch |  Royal Navy |
| Type | Single-seat fighter squadron |
| Role | Fleet fighter squadron |
| Size | nine aircraft |
| Part of | Fleet Air Arm |
| Aircraft flown | |
| Fighter | Hawker Hurricane |
877 Naval Air Squadron (877 NAS) was a Naval Air Squadron of the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm. The squadron formed at Tanga, Tanganyika Territory in April 1943 as a Fleet Fighter unit for local defence duties, using RAF Hurricane IIBs. In July 1943 the squadron moved to Port Reitz, Mombasa with the intention to fly with long-range fuel tanks to the defence of Ceylon but this was cancelled and the squadron disbanded in December 1943.[1]
History
[edit]Fleet fighter squadron (1943)
[edit]877 Naval Air Squadron was established at RNAS Tanga (HMS Kilele) (formerly Tanganyika, now Tanzania) in East Africa, on 1 April 1943,[2] serving as a Fleet Fighter unit tasked with local defense operations. The squadron was equipped with nine long-range Royal Air Force (RAF) Hawker Hurricane IIB, fighter aircraft, which had been borrowed for this purpose.[3] These aircraft were modified for anti-submarine patrols along the East African coast by being fitted with depth charges, necessitating the removal of their two outer .303 Browning machine guns to accommodate the additional weight.[4]
In July, the relocation to RN Air Section Port Reitz, situated at RAF Port Reitz in Mombasa, Kenya,[5] was intended to facilitate the aerial transport of the aircraft across the Indian Ocean to Ceylon, with the objective of strengthening the island's defense capabilities.[4] However, this plan did not come to fruition. Ultimately, the squadron, which had a brief existence, was disbanded at RN Air Section Port Reitz on 30 December.[3]
Aircraft flown
[edit]877 Naval Air Squadron flew only one aircraft type:
- Hawker Hurricane lIB fighter aircraft (April - December 1943)
Naval air stations
[edit]877 Naval Air Squadron operated from a couple of naval air stations overseas:[4]
- Royal Naval Air Station Tanga (HMS Kilele) (1 April - 6 July 1943)
- RN Air Section Port Reitz (6 July - 30 December 1943)
- disbanded - (30 December 1943)
Commanding officers
[edit]List of commanding officers of 877 Naval Air Squadron with date of appointment:[3]
- Captain P.P. Nelson-Gracie, RM, from 1 April 1943
- disbanded - 30 December 1943
References
[edit]Citations
[edit]- ^ Drucker, Graham R F. "Fleet Air Arm 877 squadron profile. Squadron Database of the Fleet Air Arm Archive 1939-1945". www.fleetairarmarchive.net. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 11 May 2017.
- ^ "Tanga". Royal Navy Research Archive - Fleet Air Arm Bases 1939 - present day. Retrieved 16 November 2024.
- ^ a b c Wragg 2019, p. 177.
- ^ a b c Ballance, Howard & Sturtivant 2016, p. 247.
- ^ "Port Reitz". Royal Navy Research Archive - Fleet Air Arm Bases 1939 - present day. Retrieved 16 November 2024.
Bibliography
[edit]- Ballance, Theo; Howard, Lee; Sturtivant, Ray (2016). The Squadrons and Units of the Fleet Air Arm. Air Britain Historians Limited. ISBN 978-0-85130-489-2.
- Sturtivant, Ray; Ballance, Theo (1994). The Squadrons of the Fleet Air Arm. Tonbridge, Kent, UK: Air Britain (Historians) Ltd. ISBN 0-85130-223-8.
- Wragg, David (2019). The Fleet Air Arm Handbook 1939-1945. Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, UK: The History Press. ISBN 978-0-7509-9303-6.