No. 330 Squadron RNoAF
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| 330 Squadron RAF | |
|---|---|
| Active | 25 April 1941 - 21 November 1945 |
| Role | Atlantic patrols |
| Equipment | Northrop N-3PB Catalina Sunderland |
| Motto | Trygg havet ("Make the ocean safe") |
| Insignia | |
| Identification symbol |
In front of a sun in splendour, a Viking's ship in full sail |
| 330 Squadron RNoAF | |
|---|---|
| Active | 25 April 1941 Full control passed to RNoAF on 21 November 1945. Still active |
| Role | Search and rescue. Air ambulance. Special operations support. |
| Garrison/HQ | Command based at Sola Air Station |
| Equipment | Sea King |
| Motto | Trygg havet ("Make the ocean safe") |
| Insignia | |
| Identification symbol |
In front of a sun in splendour, a Viking's ship in full sail |
No. 330 Squadron RNoAF is a helicopter squadron in the Royal Norwegian Air Force (RNoAF) which at all times has a helicopter stationed on each of five Norwegian air stations. The squadron's current missions are search and rescue (SAR), air ambulance, disaster relief as well as special operations support.
The squadron was established as No. 330 Squadron RAF during World War II as part of the British Royal Air Force (RAF) and the Royal Norwegian Navy Air Service, with a mission of convoy protection in the North Atlantic Ocean. After the war the name was kept and although now using helicopters instead of planes, and having a different mission, Squadron 330 still flies over the North Atlantic.
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[edit] World War II
The squadron was established on 25 April 1941 from Norwegian naval personnel. It was the first Norwegian exile air unit and part of the Royal Air Force and the Royal Norwegian Navy Air Service. Its mission was to guard the North Atlantic Ocean and protect convoys from the USA to Great Britain or Murmansk from attacks by submarines and surface ships from the German Kriegsmarine.
The squadron first operated Northrop N-3PB torpedo bomber sea planes from Reykjavík on Iceland. The squadron got its first Catalinas in June 1941 and a detachment was based at Akureyri from July 1941. On 28 January 1943 the entire squadron relocated to Oban, Scotland where it began to re-equip with Sunderlands.
The second maritime exile squadron was the 333 squadron established in 1943 in Woodhaven, Scotland equipped with Catalina sea planes and Mosquito fighter-bombers.
Both aircraft and running costs were financed by the exiled Norwegian government.
At the end of the war the squadron was disbanded as an RAF unit, and passed to the control of the Royal Norwegian Air Force.
[edit] Current operations
In honour of the achievements of the RNoAF Squadrons of WWII, The Royal Nowegian Air Force has maintained the RAF squadron names. Thus Norway still has the squadrons 330th and 333rd, now flying Sea King and Orion.
Today the squadron has units based at Bodø Main Air Station, Ørland Main Air Station, Rygge Air Station, Sola Air Station and Banak Air Station. In addition to SAR and special operations support, the squadron is part of Norwegian Air Ambulance.
The 330 Squadron operates 12 Sea King helicopters and had 1 038 operations in 2005. At any given time the 330 squadron has five helicopters on standby, one at each station. For SAR and ambulance missions, the helicopters are under command of the respective Joint Rescue Coordination Centres located at Sola for Southern Norway (Rygge, Sola and Ørland) and Bodø for Northern Norway (Bodø and Banak).
