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List of Fleet Air Arm groups

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This is a list of Fleet Air Arm groups of the Royal Navy, that were either formed or planned. There were two types of groups: there were Carrier Air Groups that administered squadrons which operated on aircraft carriers, and there were Training Air Groups which administered squadrons that operated from airbases.

Carrier air groups

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HMS Implacable of the British Pacific Fleet. The carrier's aircraft (twenty two Supermarine Seafires) line the deck whilst the ships company are stretching along it. Forward is the Ship's Scottish pipe band, the only one of its kind in the Royal Navy.

The squadrons and aircraft wings of the Fleet Air Arm, stationed on Fleet and Light Fleet aircraft carriers, were organized into Air Groups in accordance with United States Navy policy following the conclusion of World War II in Europe. This reorganisation aimed to facilitate operations in the Pacific Theater against Japan in 1945. The structure included complete spare groups for Fleet carriers and half spare groups for Light Fleet carriers.[1]

The carrier air groups were organised according to the classification of aircraft carriers and a standardised strength model that considered the squadrons of the Fleet Air Arm and the types of aircraft. By 30 June 1945, nine out of the planned twenty-two groups had been established based on the squadrons that were available. Additionally, one group was created as a reserve in August 1945, while several others were either formed after World War II or reactivated at a subsequent time.[2]

Carrier Air Groups one to six were designated for the three carriers of the Illustrious-class, with each group comprising two squadrons of Vought Corsair and one squadron of Grumman Avenger , with each each squadron containing fifteen aircraft. The two ships belonging to the Implacable-class were assigned Carrier Air Groups seven to ten, with each ship featuring two squadrons of twenty-four Supermarine Seafire, one squadron of fifteen Grumman Avenger, and one squadron of fifteen Fairey Firefly. HMS Indomitable, the sole representative of her class, was allocated Carrier Air Groups eleven and twelve, each consisting of two squadrons of twenty-four Grumman Hellcat, one squadron of fifteen Grumman Avenger, and one squadron of twelve Fairey Firefly.[1]

The first four carriers of the Colossus-class were planned to have Carrier Air Groups numbered thirteen to eighteen, with each group including a Vought Corsair squadron of twenty-one aircraft and a squadron of twelve Fairey Barracuda. The subsequent ships in the Colossus-class were assigned Carrier Air Groups nineteen to twenty-two, with number nineteen to be crewed by the Royal Canadian Navy; each of these groups would comprise one squadron of twenty-one Supermarine Seafire and one squadron of twelve Fairey Barracuda.[1]

Carrier air group Aircraft carrier type Group strength Date of formation
1st Carrier Air Group Illustrious-class fleet carrier 2 x Corsair squadrons of 15 aircraft each
1 x Avenger squadron of 15 aircraft
June 1945
2nd Carrier Air Group 2 x Corsair squadrons of 15 aircraft each
1 x Avenger squadron of 15 aircraft
June 1945
3rd Carrier Air Group 2 x Corsair squadrons of 15 aircraft each
1 x Avenger squadron of 15 aircraft
August 1945
4th Carrier Air Group 2 x Corsair squadrons of 15 aircraft each
1 x Avenger squadron of 15 aircraft
not formed
5th Carrier Air Group 2 x Corsair squadrons of 15 aircraft each
1 x Avenger squadron of 15 aircraft
not formed
6th Carrier Air Group 2 x Corsair squadrons of 15 aircraft each
1 x Avenger squadron of 15 aircraft
not formed
7th Carrier Air Group Implacable-class fleet carrier 2 x Seafire squadrons of 24 aircraft each
1 x Avenger squadron of 15 aircraft
1 x Firefly of 15 aircraft
June 1945
8th Carrier Air Group 2 x Seafire squadrons of 24 aircraft each
1 x Avenger squadron of 15 aircraft
1 x Firefly squadron of 15 aircraft
June 1945
9th Carrier Air Group 2 x Seafire squadrons of 24 aircraft each
1 x Avenger squadron of 15 aircraft
1 x Firefly squadron of 15 aircraft
not formed
10th Carrier Air Group 2 x Seafire squadrons of 24 aircraft each
1 x Avenger squadron of 15 aircraft
1 x Firefly squadron of 15 aircraft
not formed
11th Carrier Air Group HMS Indomitable 2 x Hellcat squadrons of 24 aircraft each
1 x Avenger squadron of 15 aircraft
1 x Firefly squadron of 12 aircraft
June 1945
12th Carrier Air Group HMS Indomitable 2 x Hellcat squadrons of 24 aircraft each
1 x Avenger squadron of 15 aircraft
1 x Firefly squadron of 12 aircraft
not formed
13th Carrier Air Group Colossus-class light fleet carrier 1 x Corsair squadron of 21 aircraft
1 x Barracuda squadron of 12 aircraft
June 1945
14th Carrier Air Group 1 x Corsair squadron of 21 aircraft
1 x Barracuda squadron of 12 aircraft
June 1945
15th Carrier Air Group 1 x Corsair squadron of 21 aircraft
1 x Barracuda squadron of 12 aircraft
June 1945
16th Carrier Air Group 1 x Corsair squadron of 21 aircraft
1 x Barracuda squadron of 12 aircraft
June 1945
17th Carrier Air Group 1 x Corsair squadron of 21 aircraft
1 x Barracuda squadron of 12 aircraft
not formed
18th Carrier Air Group 1 x Corsair squadron of 21 aircraft
1 x Barracuda squadron of 12 aircraft
not formed
19th Carrier Air Group 1 x Seafire squadron of 21 aircraft
1 x Barracuda squadron of 12 aircraft
not formed
20th Carrier Air Group 1 x Seafire squadron of 21 aircraft
1 x Barracuda squadron of 12 aircraft
not formed
21st Carrier Air Group 1 x Seafire squadron of 21 aircraft
1 x Barracuda squadron of 12 aircraft
not formed
22nd Carrier Air Group 1 x Seafire squadron of 21 aircraft
1 x Barracuda squadron of 12 aircraft
not formed

World War II - 1945

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During World War II the creation of a 4th, 5th, 6th, 9th, 10th, 12th and 22nd Carrier Air Group also was planned. The surrender of Japan rendered these new carrier air groups unnecessary, and they were never formed.[2] However, the 17th, 18th, 19th, 20th and 21st were formed post-war, with 18 and 19 allocated to the Royal Canadian Navy, and 21 a Royal Australian Navy Air Group[5]

Post World War II

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Royal Canadian Navy

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  • 19th Carrier Air Group - was initially allocated to the Royal Canadian Navy and was formed at Dartmouth in May 1947. It was made up of 803 Naval Air Squadron, operating Seafires, and 825 Naval Air Squadron which was equipped with Fireflys.[6]

Royal Australian Navy

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  • 20th Carrier Air Group - Initially a Royal Navy group, it reformed on the 28 August 1948 at RNAS Eglinton, with 805 Naval Air Squadron (Seafires) and 816 Naval Air Squadron (Fireflys), as a RAN air group, for HMAS Sydney. In June 1951, the group disbanded at Nowra.[6]

Not formed

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Training air groups

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See also

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Lists of Royal Navy aircraft groupings

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Lists of Royal Navy fixed wing aircraft capable ships

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Lists of Royal Navy aircraft capable shore establishments

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References

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Citations

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  1. ^ a b c d e f Ballance 2016, p. 305.
  2. ^ a b c Wragg 2019, p. 202.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h Wragg 2019, p. 203.
  4. ^ "14th CAG". Archived from the original on 7 April 2009. Retrieved 9 August 2009.
  5. ^ Ballance 2016, p. 307-308.
  6. ^ a b c d e Ballance 2016, p. 307.
  7. ^ a b Ballance 2016, p. 308.
  8. ^ a b c Ballance 2016, p. 306.
  9. ^ a b c d e Sturtivant & Ballance 1994, p. 439.

Bibliography

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