The Contribution of Naval Aviation
Sixteen naval air squadrons flying from shore bases took part in Operation Neptune, one Dutch, three American and twelve Royal Navy air squadrons. Two of the US Navy squadrons flew Liberator anti-submarine patrol aircraft, operating against submarines in transit through the Bay of Biscay; the third squadron was the only US Navy unit ever to operate Spitfires. The single Royal Netherlands Navy squadron was equipped with B-25 Mitchell Bombers and flew as part of the 2nd Tactical Air Force’s medium bomber force against inland targets.
The Royal Navy’s contribution was more mixed, in equipment as well as in the tasks. The Swordfish of 838 Squadron provided night anti-submarine patrols in the western English Channel, complemented by 849 and 850 Squadrons’ Avengers, which flew the day patrols in this area. 816 Squadron Swordfish, operating from Perranporth, ventured further afield, providing night anti-E-boat patrols off the coast of Britanny. In the central Channel, in the invasion area, the Swordfish of 819 and Avengers of 848 operated by night against the E-boats, while on the extreme eastern flank two more Avenger squadrons, 854 and 855, supported the Dover Command’s E-boat patrols. After the assault phase, some of the squadrons were moved to meet the changing requirements, notably the arrival of U-boats in the waters used by resupply convoys and the introduction of midget submarines. The Avengers occasionally found themselves in a completely unexpected combat role and this resulted in two ‘kills’ against V.1 flying bombs.
Seven fighter squadrons (five of them naval) had perhaps the most unusual task. Spotting for the guns of the Fleet, whether in action against ships or shore targets, had been one of the very first tasks for shipborne aircraft but by 1943 it was clear that the ‘traditional’ multi-seat spotter aircraft was too vulnerable to modern AA defences. In the autumn of that year, certain single-seat fighter squadrons began to train for the job and in the spring of 1944, No.3 Naval Fighter Wing was moved to RNAS Lee-on-Solent as the nucleus of the Air Spotting Pool, to spot for the Neptune battleship and cruiser shore bombardment forces. Besides the Seafires of 885 and 886 Squadrons and the Spitfires of 808 and 897 Squadrons, the Pool included two RAF Spitfire Squadrons, Nos 26 and 63, whose pilots had also been trained in this role, and VCS.7, a US Navy unit whose pilots’ already knew the role but who had to accustom themselves to the high-performance landplane Spitfires after the float biplanes which they had previously flown from ships’ catapults.
Pairs of spotters from Lee-on-Solent were active over all the beaches from dawn on ‘D’-Day, correcting the fall of shot on batteries, enemy movements and key bridges and junctions up to 15 miles inland, identifying fresh targets for the guns and, during the opening days, occasionally fending off German fighters, several of which were shot down. VCS.7 was withdrawn after the fall of Cherbourg in late June, but not until the second week in July were the enemy pushed back out of battleship gun range in the Caen sector. Fewer bombardment targets were available, but this released some sorties for a task – dawn patrols against midget submarines, several of which were sunk by the “anti-submarine fighters”. When, in mid-July, the Pool was disbanded, its Seafires and Spitfires had flown 1,230 sorties in 33 ‘flyable’ days, for the loss of two dozen aircraft to flak, fighters and the weather but very few of the RN, USN and RAF pilots were lost. It had also proved the value of the fighter-spotter.
MARITIME PATROL AND STRIKE BASES SUPPORTING OPERATION NEPTUNE RAF COASTAL COMMAND AND 2ND TACTICAL AIR FORCE
Bircham Newton Norfolk Wellington & Albacores 1 squadron
Chivenor Devon Wellington ASW 4 squadrons
Davidstow Moor Cornwall Beaufighter R/P 2 squadrons
Wellington ASW1 1 squadron
Dunkeswell Devon Liberators (USN) 3 squadrons
Harrowbeer Devon Swordfish (RN) 1 squadron
Hawkinge Kent Avengers (RN) 2 squadrons
Langham Suffolk Beaufighter R/P & torpedo 2 squadrons
Lee-on-Solent (RNAS) Hampshire Seafires (RN) 4 squadrons
Spitfires 2 squadrons (for bombardment spotting duties) Walrus SAR (RN) 1 squadron
Manston Kent Beaufighter (fighters) 1 squadron
Swordfish (RN) 1 squadron
Avengers (RN) 1 squadron
Mount Batten Devon Sunderlands 1 squadron
North Coates Lincolnshire Beaufighter R/P & torpedo 2 squadrons
Pembroke Dock Pembrokeshire Sunderlands 1 squadron
Perranporth Cornwall Avengers (RN) 3 squadrons
Portreath Cornwall Beaufighters (fighters) 1 squadron
Mosquitoes (6pdr gun) 1 squadron
Predannack Cornwall Wellington ASW 1 squadron
Liberators 1 squadron
St Davids Pembrokeshire Halifax ASW 2 squadrons
St Eval Cornwall Liberators 4 squadrons
TACTICAL, TRANSPORT AND SAR BASES SUPPORTING OPERATION NEPTUNE 2ND TACTICAL AIR FORCE,
AIR DEFENCE OF GREAT BRITAIN (ADGB 10 & 11 GROUPS) AND US 9th AIR FORCE
NOTES:
A USAAF Troop Carrier, Fighter or Bombardment Group consisted of three or four squadrons totalling approximately 72 of the same type of aircraft. Reconnaissance Groups were somewhat smaller and consisted of different types.
A-20 Havoc (= RAF Boston) light bomber B-26 Marauder light bomber P-38 Lightning fighter/ground attack (F-5 PR variant)
C-47 Dakota transport
P-47 Thunderbolt fighter/ground-attack
P-51 Mustang fighter (F-6 PR variant)
Advanced Landing Grounds were temporary airfields with wire matting or pierced steel planking runways and minimal facilities; the 22 ALGs which were activated for Neptune remained in use only until even more advanced ALGs could be opened in France.
RAF Stirling, Albemarle and Halifax aircraft were employed as glider-tugs.
Aldermaston Berkshire C-47 434th TCG
Appledram ALG W. Sussex Spitfires 3 squadrons
Ashford ALG Kent P-47 406th FG
Barkston Heath Lincolnshire C-47s 61st TCG
Beaulieu Hampshire P-47s 365th FG
Bisterne ALG Hampshire P-47s 371st FG
Blakehill Farm (Cricklade) Gloucestershire Dakotas 2 squadrons
Bognor ALG W. Sussex Spitfires 3 squadrons
Bolt Head Devon Spitfires (ADGB) 1 squadron
Boreham Essex B-26s 394th BG
Brize Norton Oxfordshire Albemarles 2 squadrons
Broadwell Oxfordshire Dakotas 2 squadrons
Chailey ALG E. Sussex Spitfires 3 squadrons
Chalgrove Oxfordshire F-5, F-6 PR 10th RecG
Chilbolton Hampshire P-47s 368th FG
Chipping Ongar Essex B-26s 387th BG
Christchurch Hampshire P-47s 405th FG
Coolham ALG W. Sussex Mustangs 3 squadrons
Cottesmore Rutland C-47s 316th TCG
Culmhead Devon Spitfires (ADGB) 3 squadrons
Deanland ALG W. Sussex Spitfires (ADGB) 3 squadrons
Detling Kent Spitfires (ADGB) 3 squadrons
Down Ampney Gloucestershire Dakotas 1 squadron
Dunsfold Surrey Mitchells 3 squadrons
Earles Colne Essex B-26s 323rd BG
Exeter Devon C-47s 440th TCG
Fairford Gloucestershire Stirlings 2 squadrons
Fairwood Common Devon Beaufighter NF (ADGB) 1 squadron
Folkingham Lincolnshire C-47s 313rd TCG
Ford W. Sussex Spitfires 6 squadrons
Mosquito NF (ADGB) 1 squadron
Friston E. Sussex Spitfires (ADGB) 2 squadrons
Funtington ALG W. Sussex Mustangs 3 squadrons
Typhoons 3 squadrons
Gatwick Sussex Mustang Tac/R 3 squadrons
Gosfield Essex A-20s 409th BG
Gravesend Kent Mosquito FB 3 squadrons
Great Dunmow Essex B-26s 386th BG
Great Saling Essex B-26s 322nd BG
Greenham Common Berkshire C-47s 438th TCG
Harrowbeer Devon Spitfires (ADGB) 1 squadron
Typhoons (ADGB) 1 squadron
Hartford Bridge Hampshire Spitfires 1 squadron
Bostons 2 squadrons
Mitchells 1 squadron
Mosquito FB 1 squadron
Harwell Berkshire Albemarles 2 squadrons
Headcorn ALG Kent P-47s 362nd FG
High Halden ALG Kent P-47s 358th FG
Horne Surrey Spitfires (ADGB) 3 squadrons
Hunsdon Hertfordshire Mosquito NF 1 squadron
Hurn Hampshire Typhoons 5 squadrons
Mosquito NF 1 squadron Mosquito (ADGB) 1 squadron
Ibsley Hants P-47s 48th FG
Keevil Wiltshire Stirlings 2 squadrons
Kingsnorth ALG Kent P-47s 36th FG
Lasham Hants Mosquito FB 3 squadrons
Lashenden ALG Kent P-51s 354th FG
Little Walden Essex A-20s 410th BG
Lymington ALG Hampshire P-47s 50th FG
Lympne Kent Spitfires (ADGB) 3 squadrons
Manston Kent Mosquito (ADGB) FB 1 squadron
Spitfires (ADGB) 1 squadron
Matching Essex B-26s 391st BG
Membury Devon C-47s 436th TCG
Merryfield Somerset C-47s 441st TCG
Merston W. Sussex Spitfires 3 squadrons
Middle Wallop Hampshire F-5 PR, P-51 Tac/R 68th RecG
Needs Oar Point ALG Hampshire Typhoons 4 squadrons
Newchurch ALG Kent Spitfires 1 squadron
Tempests 2 squadrons
Northolt Middlesex Spitfire PR 1 squadron
Mosquito PR 1 squadron Wellington Tac/R (1) 1 squadron
Odiham Hampshire Mustang Tac/R 4 squadrons
Portreath Cornwall Warwick, Spitfire, Walrus SAR
Predannack Cornwall Spitfires (ADGB) 2 squadrons
Mosquito NF (ADGB) 1 squadron
Ramsbury Wiltshire C-47s 437th TCG
Rivenhall Essex B-26s 394th BG
Saltby Leicestershire C-47s 314th TCG
Selsey ALG W. Sussex Spitfires 3 squadrons
Shoreham E. Sussex Spitfires (ADGB) 1 squadron
Lysander, Spitfire, Walrus SAR
Spanhoe Northamptonshire C-47s 315th TCG
Stansted Essex B-26s 344th BG
Staplehurst ALG Kent P-51s 363rd FG
Stony Cross Hampshire P-38s 367th FG
Tangmere W. Sussex Spitfires 6 squadrons
Tarrant Rushton Dorset Halifaxes 2 squadrons
Thorney Island Hampshire Typhoons 2 squadrons
Thruxton Hampshire P-47s 366th FG
Upottery Devon C-47s 439th TCG
Warmwell Dorset P-38s 474th FG
Anson, Spitfire, Walrus SAR
Welford Park Berkshire C-47s 435th TCG
Westhampnett W. Sussex Typhoons 1 squadron
West Malling Kent Spitfires 1 squadron
Mosquito NF 2 squadrons Mosquito NF (ADGB) 1 squadron
Weston Zoyland Somerset C-47s 442nd TCG
Wethersfield Essex A-20s 416th BG
Winkleigh Devon Beaufighter NF (ADGB) 1 squadron
Winkton ALG Hampshire P-47s 404th FG
Woodchurch ALG Kent P-47s 373rd FG
Zeals Wiltshire Mosquito NF 1 squadron
