15th Carrier Air Group

Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm Carrier Air Group February 2018 February 2018 15th Carrier Air Group centre|150px White Ensign 30 June 1945 to 30 March 194716 May 1947 - 15 January 1952Ballance 2016 306 UK United Kingdom United Kingdom Carrier Air Group One Colossus aircraft carrier plus support ships Fleet Air Arm The 15th Carrier Air Group (15th CAG) was an aircraft carrier air group of the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm. It was initially formed in June 1945, for service in the British Pacific Fleet, until disbanding in March 1947. The group was embarked on the Colossus aircraft carrier, Venerable R63 6 (R63). The 15th CAG reformed in May 1947, at RNAS Eglinton (HMS Gannet), in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland, for embarkation on another Colossus-class aircraft carrier, Vengeance R71 6 (R71). In late 1951 the group was deployed on Theseus R64 6 (R64), a Colossus-class aircraft carrier. The 15th Carrier Air Group disbanded in January 1952, at RNAS Culdrose (HMS Seahawk), in Cornwall, England. Naval Air Squadrons List of Fleet Air Arm aircraft squadrons 15th Carrier Air Group consisted of a number of squadrons of the Fleet Air Arm.Ballance 2016 306 SquadronAircraftFromToNotes 814 Naval Air Squadron Fairey Barracuda to Dec 1945, thenFairey Firefly June 1945 March 1947 1851 Naval Air Squadron Vought Corsair June 1945 June 1946 Transferred to Vengeance R71 6 802 Naval Air Squadron Supermarine Seafire June 1946 March 1947 802 Naval Air Squadron Hawker Sea Fury May 1947 April 1950 15th CAG reformed at RNAS Eglinton 814 Naval Air Squadron Fairey Firefly May 1947 November 1950 15th CAG reformed at RNAS Eglinton 809 Naval Air Squadron de Havilland Sea Hornet April 1950 September 1950 replaced 802 Squadron 802 Naval Air Squadron Hawker Sea Fury September 1950 January 1952 returned and replaced 809 Squadron 825 Naval Air Squadron Fairey Firefly June 1951 September 1951 814 Naval Air Squadron Fairey Firefly September 1951 January 1952 rejoined History The squadrons of the Fleet Air Arm, stationed aboard the Royal Navy's Fleet and Light Fleet aircraft carriers for the British Pacific Fleet, were restructured into Air Groups in accordance with the policies of the United States Navy after the end of World War II in Europe. This reorganisation was intended to enhance operational effectiveness in the Pacific Theater against Japanese forces in 1945. The first four Colossus aircraft carriers were intended to accommodate Carrier Air Groups numbered from thirteen to eighteen. Each group was to consist of a squadron of twenty-one Vought Corsair aircraft and a squadron of twelve Fairey Barracuda planes.Ballance 2016 305 1945 - 1947 The 15th Carrier Air Group was formed on 30 June 1945 and was based on the light aircraft carrier, Venerable R63 6, a Colossus-class aircraft carrier. The group initially consisted 814 Naval Air Squadron, flying Fairey Barracuda, a carrier-borne torpedo and dive bomber aircraft, and 1851 Naval Air Squadron, flying Vought Corsair, an American carrier-borne fighter aircraft.Wragg 2019 203 814 Squadron replaced its Fairey Barracuda with Fairey Firefly, a carrier-borne fighter and reconnaissance aircraft, in December 1945. Then, in June 1946 1851 NAS transferred to sister ship, Vengeance R71 6 and 802 Naval Air Squadron replaced it in the Air Group, bringing its Supermarine Seafire aircraft, a navalised version of the Supermarine Spitfire fighter.Ballance 2016 306 The 15th CAG was disbanded in 1947.Wragg 2019 203 1947 - 1952 The 15th Carrier Air Group was reestablished on 16 May 1947 at RNAS Eglinton (HMS Gannet), County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. This reformation was intended for the Colossus-class aircraft carrier, HMS Vengeance, and included 802 and 814 Naval Air Squadrons. At this location, 802 Squadron transitioned from its Supermarine Seafire aircraft to Hawker Sea Fury, a British fighter aircraft. In April 1950, 802 Squadron departed from the group and was succeeded by 809 Naval Air Squadron, which introduced the de Havilland Sea Hornet, a twin-engined fighter aircraft. However, in the subsequent September, 802 Squadron rejoined the group while 809 Squadron exited. In November 1950, the group was reduced to only 802 Squadron following the departure of 814 Squadron. It was not until June 1951 that the group regained its original strength with the arrival of 825 Naval Air Squadron, which operated Fairey Firefly aircraft. Nevertheless, 825 Squadron remained for approximately three months before departing in September 1951. Subsequently, 814 Squadron returned to the Air Group and the group embarked on another Colossus-class aircraft carrier, Theseus R64 6. The 15th Carrier Air Group was disbanded on 15 January 1952 at RNAS Culdrose (HMS Seahawk) in Cornwall, England.Ballance 2016 306 Air Group Commanders List of the commanding officers of the 15th Carrier Air Group, with date of appointment:Wragg 2019 203Ballance 2016 306 1945 - 1947 Lieutenant Commander P.D. Gick, GBR 100% , DSC, RN, from 30 June 1945 Lieutenant Commander T.G.V. Percy, DSC, RN, from 14 January 1946 disbanded - 30 March 1947 1947 - 1952 Lieutenant Commander W.R.J. MacWhirter, DSC, RN, from 16 May 1947 Lieutenant Commander J.G. Baldwin, DSC, RN, from 15 March 1948 Lieutenant Commander J.N. Ball, DSC, RN, from 16 May 1949 Lieutenant Commander J.O. Armour, RN, from 19 April 1950 none, from 22 November 1950 disbanded - 15 January 1952 See also List of Fleet Air Arm groups List of aircraft carriers of the Royal Navy List of aircraft of the Fleet Air Arm List of Fleet Air Arm aircraft in World War II References Citations Bibliography Sturtivant R Ballance T The Squadrons of The Fleet Air Arm 1994 Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd Tonbridge, Kent, UK 0-85130-223-8 Ballance Theo The Squadrons and Units of the Fleet Air Arm 2016 Air-Britain 978-0-85130-489-2 Wragg David The Fleet Air Arm Handbook 1939-1945 2019 The History Press Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, UK 978-0-7509-9303-6 Category:Fleet Air Arm groups Category:Military units and formations established in 1945 Category:Military units and formations disestablished in 1947 Category:Military units and formations established in 1947 Category:Military units and formations disestablished in 1952