811 Naval Air Squadron

811 Naval Air Squadron
811 Naval Air Squadron
	Squadron badge
Active	Royal Air Force; 1933–1939; Royal Navy; 1939; 1941–1944; 1945–1947; 1953–1954; 1955–1956;
Disbanded	16 May 1956
Country	United Kingdom
Branch	Royal Navy
Type	Torpedo Bomber Reconnaissance squadron
Role	Carrier-based: anti-submarine warfare (ASW); anti-surface warfare (ASuW); Close air support (CAS);
Part of	Fleet Air Arm
Mottos	Ventre à mer; (French for '[a corruption of Ventre à terre] At full speed')
Aircraft	See Aircraft flown section for full list.
Engagements	World War II European theatre of World War II; Battle of the Atlantic; Arctic convoys of World War II; Malayan Emergency
Battle honours	English Channel 1942; North Sea 1942; Atlantic 1943–44; Arctic 1944;
Insignia
Squadron Badge Description	White, over three bars wavy blue a swordfish also blue (1937)
Identification Markings	4-16 (Ripon/Baffin); 601-614 (Baffin January 1935, Swordfish); U4A+ (Swordfish May 1939); single letters (Chesapeake, Swordfish from November 19.41); 1A+ (Swordfish later); single letters (Martlet/Wildcat); FD4A+ (Mosquito); 100-116 (Sea Fury); 158-169 (Sea Hawk); 240-251 (Sea Hawk January 1956);
Fin Carrier Codes	J (Sea Fury); C (Sea Hawk);

811 Naval Air Squadron (811 NAS), sometimes expressed as 811 Squadron, is an inactive Fleet Air Arm (FAA) naval air squadron belonging to the Royal Navy (RN) of the United Kingdom. It most recently operated the Hawker Sea Hawk FB 3 jet fighter bomber between March 1955 and May 1956, with its last deployment with the lead ship of her class HMS Centaur, to the Far East.

It was first founded in 1933, and served during World War II, seeing action in the battle of the Atlantic and on Russian convoys. During its service with the Royal Air Force (RAF), the squadron utilised aircraft such as the Blackburn Ripon, Blackburn Baffin, and Fairey Swordfish. After its transfer to the Royal Navy and throughout the Second World War, it operated the Hawker Sea Hurricane and Vought Chesapeake, subsequently moving to the Grumman Wildcat. Notably, it was the sole front-line Fleet Air Arm (FAA) squadron to operate the de Havilland Mosquito and the de Havilland Sea Mosquito, which was active from 1945 to 1947. Additionally, the squadron flew the Hawker Sea Fury during the years 1953 and 1954.