Genaral Motors Wildcat Mk.V "That Old Thing", 846 Squadron Royal Naval Air Service, Fleet Air Arm, HMS Tracker, June 6th 1944.

846 Naval Air Squadron was established in April 1943 at the Naval Air Station Quonset Point, Rhode Island, United States. It was equipped with 12 Grumman Avenger I torpedo bombers. Two months later the squadron embarked on the escort carrier HMS Ravager and was transferred to the UK. Before being assigned to HMS Tracker in January 1944, four Grumman Wildcat V fighters were added to 846 NAS. HMS Tracker was first assigned to convoys going to Gibraltar, then to Murmansk. On the latter voyage, aircraft from 846 NAS attacked eight German U-Boats.

HMS Tracker was damaged in June 1944 in a collision with the Canadian frigate HMCS Teme (K458) while forming part of the naval screen for the D-Day landings, and the squadron disembarked to RAF Limavady airfield, Northern Ireland, joining 15 Group RAF Coastal Command. A month later 846 NAS was assigned to HMS Trumpeter, mainly laying mines off Norway until September 1944. 846 NAS operated from HMS Trumpeter or RNAS Hatston in Orkney up to May 1945. On 4 May 1945, twelve Avenger and four Wildcat aircraft of the squadron took part in Operation Judgement, Kilbotn, the last air-raid of the war in Europe. The fighter flight was disbanded after the end of hostilities in Europe.

Between December 1979 and the summer of 2013, 846 Naval Air Squadron operated the Westland Sea King HC4 helicopter providing troop transport and load lifting support to 3 Commando Brigade Royal Marines. Based at RNAS Yeovilton in Somerset, 846 NAS stood down in the summer of 2013. During that time the squadron participated in operations during the Falklands War, the Gulf War (Operation Desert Storm), Yugoslavia and Afghanistan. The 10 Sea King helicopters of 846 NAS were committed to the Kandahar and Helmand provinces in Afghanistan in support of 3 Commando Brigade Royal Marines. 846 NAS re-equipped with the AgustaWestland Merlin HC.3 in September 2014 at RAF Benson. The squadron moved back to its usual home of RNAS Yeovilton in March 2015.

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