8th Carrier Air Group
The 8th Carrier Air Group (8th CAG) was an aircraft carrier air group of the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm. It was formed in June 1945, for service in the British Pacific Fleet, until disbanding the following year, in April 1946. The group was embarked on HMS Implacable (R86).[2]
| 8th Carrier Air Group | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Active | 30 June 1945 to April 1946[1] |
| Country |  United Kingdom |
| Branch | Royal Navy |
| Type | Carrier Air Group |
| Size | One Implacable-class aircraft carrier plus support ships |
| Part of | Fleet Air Arm |
| Engagements | World War II |
Naval Air Squadrons
The 8th Carrier Air Group consisted of a number of squadrons of the Fleet Air Arm.[1]
| Squadron | From | To | Aircraft |
|---|---|---|---|
| 828 Naval Air Squadron | Jun 1945 | Apr 1946 | Grumman TBF Avenger |
| 801 Naval Air Squadron | Jun 1945 | Apr 1946 | Supermarine Seafire |
| 880 Naval Air Squadron | Jun 1945 | Sep 1945 | Supermarine Seafire |
| 1771 Naval Air Squadron | Jun 1945 | Sep 1945 | Fairey Firefly |
History
1945 - 1946
The 8th Carrier Air Group of the Fleet Air Arm was formed on 30 June 1945, for the name ship of her class, the aircraft carrier HMS Implacable, for service in the British Pacific Fleet. It was made up of 828 Naval Air Squadron which operated the Avenger, an American torpedo bomber, 801 Naval Air Squadron and 880 Naval Air Squadron, which were equipped with Seafire, a navalised Supermarine Spitfire, and 1771 Naval Air Squadron which flew the Firefly, a carrier-borne fighter and anti-submarine aircraft.
The group flew off eight Firefly and a dozen Seafire aircraft, from Implacable, against targets north of Tokyo on 17 July, however, due to bad weather only the Firefly were able to locate their targets. Eight Firefly and twenty Seafire aircraft attacked targets near Tokyo the following day, however, more bad weather halted flying operations. On the 24–25 July, FAA aircraft resumed attacks, crippling the escort carrier Kaiyo.[3]
With the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and more bad weather, the group was unable to operate between the end of July and the 9 August. However, on that day, the CAG flew 94 x Seafire sorties and flew 14 x Firefly sorties off Implacable, against targets in northern Honshu and southern Hokkaido, with the loss of two Seafire aircraft. On the 10 August, the sorties continued, sinking two warships, various small merchantmen and destroying railroad locomotives and dispersed aircraft.[4] The CAG aircraft flew over 1,000 sorties since their arrival, the previous month.[5]
In September 1945, 880 Naval Air Squadron was absorbed by 801 Naval Air Squadron, and also 1771 Naval Air Squadron disbanded. The 8th CAG was disbanded in April 1946.[1]
Air Group Commanders
List of commanding officers of the 8th Carrier Air Group, with date of appointment:[1]
See also
References
Citations
- Ballance 2016, p. 306.
- Wragg 2019, p. 203.
- Hobbs 2011, p. 261, 263, 266, 267.
- Hobbs 2011, p. 273–81, 286–287, 410.
- Hobbs 2013, p. 110.
Bibliography
- Sturtivant, R; Ballance, T (1994). The Squadrons of The Fleet Air Arm. Tonbridge, Kent, UK: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd. ISBN 0-85130-223-8.
- Ballance, Theo (2016). The Squadrons and Units of the Fleet Air Arm. Air-Britain. ISBN 978 0 85130 489 2.
- Wragg, David (2019). The Fleet Air Arm Handbook 1939-1945. Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, UK: The History Press. ISBN 978 0 7509 9303 6.
- 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.