830 Naval Air Squadron
| 830 Naval Air Squadron | |
|---|---|
Squadron badge | |
| Active |
|
| Disbanded | 5 January 1957 |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Branch | Royal Navy |
| Type | Torpedo Bomber Reconnaissance squadron |
| Role | Carrier-based:
|
| Part of | Fleet Air Arm |
| Home station | See Naval air stations section for full list. |
| Mottos | In via gloriae (Latin for 'In the way of glory') |
| Engagements | World War II Suez Crisis |
| Battle honours |
|
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders | Lieutenant Commander C.V. Howard, RN |
| Insignia | |
| Squadron Badge Description | Per fess wavy blue and barry wavy of six white and blue, a winged sword erect pommel and hilt gold wings displayed also gold surmounted by a Cross paty white (1944) |
| Identification Markings |
|
| Fin Carrier Code | J (Wyvern) |
| Aircraft flown | |
| Attack | Westland Wyvern |
| Bomber | |
830 Naval Air Squadron (830 NAS), also referred to as 830 Squadron, is an inactive Fleet Air Arm (FAA) naval air squadron of the United Kingdom’s Royal Navy (RN). The squadron was last active in October 1955 with the Westland Wyvern turboprop strike fighter. Flying from HMS Eagle, 830's Wyverns took part in the Suez operation of November 1956, before again disbanding in January 1957.
It formed in Malta in July 1940 flying Fairey Swordfish torpedo bombers. During 1940–41 the squadron carried out attacks against the Axis supply effort in the Mediterranean. These included torpedo attacks against merchant ships and their Royal Italian Navy warship escorts, and also bomb attacks on port installations in Sicily and Libya. In July 1941 the squadron began operations with ASV RDF airborne radar to locate ships. Operations were mostly by night, with some dusk bombing sorties to Sicily. By March 1942 the squadron was so depleted that it merged with 828 Naval Air Squadron and continued operations. By March 1943, however, losses were such that the composite squadron ceased to exist.
In May 1943, 830 Squadron was reformed in its own right at Lee-on-Solent as a torpedo-bomber reconnaissance squadron operating Barracuda IIs. Most of the squadron's personnel at this time were New Zealanders. After completing training, in March 1944 the squadron embarked upon HMS Furious and subsequently participated in Operation Tungsten, a dive bombing attack on the German battleship Tirpitz. Throughout May to October the squadron alternated between the Furious and HMS Formidable and continued to carry out operations against the Tirpitz. In October 1944 the squadron was absorbed by 827 Naval Air Squadron and ceased to exist.