page_title: 815 Naval Air Squadron
section_title: Second World War
hierarchical_section_title: 815 Naval Air Squadron / History / Second World War
caption_attribution_description: AWM Caption: "c.1942. Aerial port bow view of the aircraft carrier HMS Illustrious. Note the type 281 radar aerials at the head of the foremast and mainmast. The 281 aerial on the foremast is surmounted by a type 291 radar aerial. The large cylinder on the foremast contains a type 72 homing beacon. Note the twin 4.5 inch Mark II mountings recessed into the flight deck and the eight barrelled 2 pounder AA mounting sited just before the island. A Swordfish torpedo spotter reconnaissance aircraft is being manhandled on the flight deck. Collapsed crash barriers straddle the deck abreast the island and arrestor wires can be seen aft. The plume of smoke forward indicates wind direction and speed. The ship is painted in an admiralty disruptive camouflage scheme which extends across the flight deck."
context_page_description: 815 Naval Air Squadron is a squadron of the Fleet Air Arm, part of the Royal Navy, based at RNAS Yeovilton in Somerset; it is the Navy's front line Wildcat Naval Air Squadron. It comprises AgustaWestland Wildcat HMA.2 helicopters and is the largest helicopter squadron in western Europe.
context_section_description: The squadron formed at RNAS Worthy Down on 9 October 1939, from the remnants of 811 and 822 squadrons that had survived the sinking of their carrier HMS Courageous in September 1939, with Fairey Swordfish aircraft. The squadron disbanded in November 1939 but reformed the same month. In May 1940 the squadron provided support to the Dunkirk evacuation. In June 1940, the squadron embarked on HMS Illustrious and sailed for the Mediterranean in August, attacking and minelaying Benghazi, Rhodes and Tobruk.
  The squadron gained early fame with its involvement in the Battle of Taranto in 1940, when the Italian Battlefleet in harbour at Taranto was raided; which redefined the use of air power from the sea. The aircraft of the commanding officer was lost, against the crippling of half the Italian fleet. In March 1941, the squadron fought in the Battle of Cape Matapan. The squadron re-equipped in August 1941, with a mixture of Swordfish and Fairey Albacore aircraft, operating from shore bases in support of the North African campaign.
  In July 1943, 815 Squadron was assigned to No. 201 (Naval Co-operation) Group with a detachment of Swordfish assigned to AHQ Malta; the units participating in Operation Husky on 10 July 1943, before 815 Squadron was disbanded.
caption: HMS Illustrious, somewhere in 1942
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