7th Carrier Air Group

The 7th Carrier Air Group was formed on 30 June 1945, HMS Nabthorpe, located at Schofields, in Australia. The 7th CAG was assigned to the Implacable-class aircraft carrier, HMS Indefatigable for service in the British Pacific Fleet. It was made up of 820 Naval Air Squadron, which operated Avenger, a torpedo bomber aircraft, 887 Naval Air Squadron and 894 Naval Air Squadron, which both were equipped with Seafire, a naval version of the Supermarine Spitfire fighter aircraft, and 1700 Naval Air Squadron which flew Firefly, a carrier-borne fighter and anti-submarine aircraft.[2] 1770 NAS left after one month, in the July and 1772 Naval Air Squadron took its place in the group.[1]

The air group squadrons embarked on Indefatigable on the 7 July and the carrier sailed for Manus. The coast of Japan was reached on 20 July and the air group aircraft began attacking targets near Osaka and in the Inland Sea, four days later. Large external fuel tanks were now used by the CAG's Seafire aircraft, therefore, were now no longer limited to combat air patrol due to restricted range.[3]

At the end of July, a combination of poor weather, refuelling, along with the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, meant any air operations were paused until the 9 August. During the day, the CAG's aircraft attacked targets in northern Honshu and southern Hokkaido, with the attacks repeated the following day.[4]

A large part of the British Pacific Fleet withdrew on the 12 August, however, Indefatigable and the group remained as part of an occupation force and the group and was involved in strikes around Tokyo just before VJ-Day. On the 15 August, the CAG was targeting Kisarazu Air Field, but poor weather meant it had to instead attack a secondary target. The group was attacked by a number of Mitsubishi A6M Zero aircraft, in the last British air combat of the war. The Japanese fighters shot down one Seafire on their first pass and crippled an Avenger.[5]

Sub Lt Fred Hockley was leading five Seafire aircraft from 894 Naval Air Squadron which was tasked, along with three 887 Naval Air Squadron Seafire aircraft, led by Sub Lt Victor Lowden, with defending Firefly and Avenger fighter bomber aircraft within the CAG. The target changed to a chemical factory at Odaki Bay, south of Tokyo, and the formation was attacked from behind by a number of Mitsubishi A6M Zero aircraft.

Hockley's radio had failed, therefore, did not hear any warning call and as lead aircraft, was unable to see his formation break. His Seafire was hit and he bailed out of his aircraft. Fred Hockley surrendered, however, he was executed by Japanese forces after capture.[6]

An 887 Naval Air Squadron Seafire aircraft, serial number NN212, Fleet Air Arm coded "112/S" and flown by Sub Lt G. J. Murphy, shot down two Japanese A6M Zeros.[7] By the end of the engagement, the Seafire aircraft had claimed four Zeros shot down, four others probably shot down, and another four damaged. An Avenger also claimed one Zero as damaged.[5]

The 7th CAG lost one Seafire aircraft and one Avenger aircraft. The damaged Avenger deliberately ditched next to a destroyer on the return journey. Victor Lowden was the last to land his Seafire on the return to Indefatigable. Lowden was credited with two Zero aircraft destroyed, one shared and two damaged.[6] He was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for his actions over Tokyo Bay.[8]

Indefatigable's air group continued to fly CAP and also flew reconnaissance missions looking for Allied prisoners of war, dropping supplies to them as they were located.[9] The flying operations continued until the group entered Sagami Bay on 5 September. They departed three days later for Australia, where the carrier had a refit, before returning to the UK, via New Zealand, Australia again and South Africa. The carrier and air group arrived at Portsmouth Dockyard on the 16 March 1946. The 7th Carrier Air Group disbanded on 23 March 1946.[1]

On the 7 December 1950, the group reformed, but was known as the 7th Night Air Group. It was assigned to the Colossus-class light aircraft carrier, HMS Vengeance (R71) and was made up of 809 Naval Air Squadron, which operated Sea Hornet, a twin-engine fighter aircraft, and 814 Naval Air Squadron, which was equipped with Firefly, a carrier-borne fighter and anti-submarine aircraft.

814 NAS was awarded the Boyd Trophy for its high standard of operational efficiency, night flying with the Firefly aircraft whilst deployed onboard Vengeance, in 1951.[10]

The night air group approach was deemed unsuccessful, only lasting for six months. The group disbanded on the 1 June 1951.[1]

• Ballance, Theo (2016). The Squadrons and Units of the Fleet Air Arm. Air-Britain. ISBN 978 0 85130 489 2.
• Hobbs, David (2011). The British Pacific Fleet: The Royal Navy's Most Powerful Strike Force. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 978-1-59114-044-3.
• Hobbs, David (2013). British Aircraft Carriers: Design, Development and Service Histories. Barnsley, UK: Seaforth Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84832-138-0.
• Sturtivant, R; Ballance, T (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.