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Aircraft - Locations - Group and Duty - Books
No.330 (Norwegian) Squadron was an anti-submarine warfare squadron manned by Norwegian personnel. The squadron was formed on 25 April 1941 at Reykjavik around a core of Norwegian naval personnel. Its first aircraft, eighteen Northrop N-3PB seaplanes, arrived from Canada on 19 May and made their first flight on 2 June.
The squadron flew its first operational patrol on 23 June. It was used to help close the mid-Atlantic gap, while in the second half of 1941 it was used to cover 150 miles of the convoy route to Russia.
The squadron began to receive Catalinas in June 1942, and these were used alongside the Northrops until 30 December 1942. Soon afterwards, on 24 January 1943, the squadron departed from Iceland, and moved to Oban. There it converted to the Short Sunderland, and these aircraft were used for the rest of the war, flying anti-submarine patrols over the North Atlantic.
The squadron claimed an assist in the sinking of U-322, spotting the submarine on 24 November 1944 to the north-east of the Orkney Islands. HMS Ascension was guided to the spot and sank the U-boat.
After the German surrender the squadron was transferred to Norway, and on 21 November 1945 it became part of the Royal Norwegian Air Force.
Aircraft
June 1941-January 1943: Northrop N-3PB
June 1942-January 1943: Consolidated Catalina III
February 1943-May 1945: Short Sunderland III
May-November 1945: Short Sunderland V
Location
April 1941-January 1943: Reykjavik
July 1941-December 1942: Detachment to Akureyri
September 1941-May 1943: Detachment to Budareyri
January-July 1943: Oban
July 1943-May 1945: Sullom Voe
May-November 1945: Stavanger
Squadron Codes: GS (Northrop, Catalina), WH (Sunderland)
Duty
1941-January 1943: Anti-submarine warfare, Iceland
January 1943 onwards: Anti-submarine warfare, Scotland
Part of
15 February 1943: No.15 Group; Coastal Command; Detachment operating with HQ RAF Iceland.
Short Sunderland Squadrons of World War 2, Jon Lake. A look at the service carrier of the most successful British flying boat of the Second World War, and a key component in Coastal Command's battle against the U-boat. Covers the introduction of the aircraft, its role in the Battle of the Atlantic, the Mediterranean, West Africa and other theatres.
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