The 1st Aircraft Carrier Squadron was a formation of
Royal Navy aircraft carrier
An aircraft carrier is a warship that serves as a seagoing airbase, equipped with a full-length flight deck and facilities for carrying, arming, deploying, and recovering aircraft. Typically, it is the capital ship of a fleet, as it allows a ...
s assigned to the
British Pacific Fleet in November 1943. They were , , , and . It was disbanded in 1947.
Second World War and aftermath
The squadron was formed in November 1943 under the command of Rear-Admiral,
Clement Moody,
Flag Officer, Aircraft Carriers (British Pacific Fleet), who also held the title of Rear-Admiral, 1st Aircraft Carrier Squadron, at the same time.
While serving in the Pacific within the
U.S. Fifth Fleet
The Fifth Fleet is a numbered fleet of the United States Navy. It has been responsible for naval forces in the Persian Gulf, Red Sea, Arabian Sea, and parts of the Indian Ocean since 1995 after a 48-year hiatus. It shares a commander and headq ...
, the squadron was designated "Task Group 57.2". During
Operation Iceberg off Okinawa, the squadron received heavy
Kamikaze attacks. Their armoured flight decks were adequate protection for the hangar decks, but the stress caused deformation of the ships' structures..
served as squadron flagship for the squadron in 1947.
Korean War
After the war, the "1st Aircraft Carrier Squadron,
Far East Fleet" consisting of the carriers and , with the cruiser as flagship, was en route to Hong Kong from Japan when the
Korean War broke out and was sent back to Japan.
Flag Officer commanding
Included:
References
Aircraft Carrier squadrons of the Royal Navy
Military units and formations of the Royal Navy in World War II
Military units and formations disestablished in 1945
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