History 

History 

A pre war squadron.  At the commencement of war the squadron consisted of 9 Fairey Swordfish under the command of Lt-Cdr AJ Debenham, DSC, RN. The squadron's first wartime operations included Malta convoy duties with HMS Eagle and spotting for gunnery bombardment of Bardia.
Two of the squadron aircraft were involved in the Taranto raid in November 1940, and the squadron later in the month attacked Tripoli harbour.
On 3 April 1941 the squadron atacked enemy destroyers off massawa in Eritrea, sinking two and driving another two ashore. Then on 6 June 1941, the squadron bombed and sank the U-boat supply ship Elbe in the mid Atlantic during a search for the German battleship Bismarck, and on 15 June forced the German tanker Lothringen to surrender.The squadron ceased to exist when her carrier HMS Eagle was sunk on 11 August 1942 during a Malta convoy.

The squadron reformed in October 1943 with 6 Swordfish embarked on HMS Unicorn. In 1943, the squadron became a composite of 6 Swordfish and 6 Sea Hurricanes aircraft under the command of Lt-Cdr Russell RNVR and Major Cheeseman, Royal Marines.  
Subsequent war duties included Atlantic convoy escort with the escort carrier, HMS Striker in 1943, followed by Arctic convoys to the Kola Inlet, Soviet Union with HMS Vindex in February 1944.  Later in the year, in May and June 1944, the squadron took part in the carrier operations against the Tirpitz and offensive sweeps against enemy shipping off Stadlandet, Norway. A Bv 138 was shot down on 22 August 1944.
In July 1945 the squadron reformed at Katukurunda, Ceylon with 12 Barracuda IIs, for intended joining the 17th Carrier Air Group in the British Pacific Fleet, but plans were cancelled with VJ-Day .

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