Single-seat fighter squadron (1942-1944) On 15 August 1942, personnel from 896 Naval Air Squadron gathered at
RNAS Stretton (HMS Blackcap),
Cheshire, England. Following their transatlantic journey aboard
HMT Queen Mary, the squadron was officially established on 15 September at
RN Air Section Norfolk,
Virginia, as a single-seat fighter unit. The squadron was equipped with six
Grumman Martlet Mk IV, an American carrier-based
fighter aircraft. These were the counterparts to the US Navy's F4F-4B variant were generally comparable to the Mk II, featuring two extra wing-mounted guns and powered by the
Wright Cyclone engine. In January 1943, the served as the carrier for deck landing exercises, following which the squadron was embarked in the , on 1 February. This transition coincided with HMS
Victoriouss deployment to the
Pacific, navigating through the
Panama Canal to join forces with the
United States Pacific Fleet. The was sunk, while the incurred considerable damage during the
Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands. This left the
United States Navy with only one functioning
fleet carrier, the , in the
Pacific theater. In light of a request for further carrier assistance, the British aircraft carrier HMS
Victorious was provided to the US Navy on loan in late December 1942. In May 1943, aerial combat missions were conducted over the
Coral Sea, subsequently assisting in the provision of air support for the landings executed by the
United States Marines in the
Solomon Islands in June 1943. During this period,
Tontouta Air Base served as a shore base. In conjunction with the other squadrons aboard HMS
Victorious, 896 Naval Air Squadron underwent re-equipment with
Grumman Wildcat Mk V fighter aircraft during its stop at RN Air Section Norfolk, Virginia, in September while en route back to the United Kingdom. This variant of the aircraft was analogous to the FM-1 Wildcat utilised by the United States Navy, which was produced by General Motors and featured the
Pratt & Whitney Twin Wasp engine. The squadron joined the
7th Naval Fighter Wing at
RNAS Eglinton (HMS Gannet),
County Down, Northern Ireland, in November, subsequently embarking on on November 26. The unit then set sail to offer air support for a convoy bound for
Gibraltar in February 1944. In April 1944, the squadron played a crucial role in providing air cover during an assault on the
German battleship Tirpitz. In June, during the
Normandy landings operation, 896 Naval Air Squadron was integrated into
881 Naval Air Squadron while performing escort duties in the Western Channel aboard HMS
Pursuer.
Grumman Hellcat (1945) On 5 November 1944, personnel designated for the newly established 896 Naval Air Squadron boarded a
troopship in
Liverpool, reaching Wingfield,
Cape Town, South Africa, by 5 January 1945. The squadron was reformed as a single-seat fighter unit on 9 January, equipped with twenty-four
Grumman Hellcat F. Mk. II fighter aircraft and subsequently set sail for
Ceylon aboard the , , in April. This version of the Grumman Hellcat was comparable to the F6F-5 Hellcat of the United States Navy and was equipped with the
Pratt & Whitney R-2800 Double Wasp engine. In July, aerial support and bombing missions were conducted in the
Nicobar Islands, after which 896 Naval Air Squadron was reassigned to the escort carrier, to conduct fighter patrols during minesweeping activities off the coast of
Phuket Island later that month. After
V-J Day, assistance was rendered in early September during the occupation of the
Malayan Peninsula. Subsequently, the ship returned to its home port, and the squadron was officially disbanded upon its arrival on 19 December 1945. == Aircraft operated ==