A Royal Navy’s torpedo bomber aircraft Fairey Albacore I (BF759/4L) of 820 Naval Air Squadron in flight, during the North African landings, Operation Torch, November 1942. At this time the Squadron operating from the aircraft carrier HMS Formidable. In this days, on 17 November 1942, the 820 Squadron’s Albacore destroyed the German submarine U-331, the same U-Boot which, on 25 November 1941, north of Sidi el Barrani, in front to Egypt, sank the British battleship HMS Barham. Victor Sierra

Operation Torch: Albacore in flight

A British fighter Supermarine Seafire Mark IIc of 885 Naval Air Squadron, restrained by a man on the tail and another three on the wing tips, warming up its engine for takeoff in bright sunshine on the deck of HMS Formidable in the Mediterranean, December 1942, just after the Operation Torch. Victor Sierra

On the deck of a British aircraft carrier

November 1942, off the North African coasts: on the flight deck of Royal Navy’s aircraft carrier HMS Formidable the Martlet IVs of 893 Naval Air Squadron ready and waiting to takeoff for a protection mission of the Allied landings, Operation Torch. In this other fine slide of IWM’s collection, are visible also, in background, three Seafires. Formed at Donibristle in June 1942 as a fighter squadron with six Martlet Is (Grumman G-36A for the France, but never delivered), in October of the same year the 893 Naval Air Squadron embarked on HMS Formidable with ten Martlet IVs (Royal Navy version of the US Navy’s Grumman F-4F-4 Wildcat) for fighter protection during the landings in North Africa, and participated into an attack on the U-Boat U-331 together the 820 Squadron’s Albacore. Subsequently in 1943, the 893 Squadron took part in the landings in Sicily and later provided cover at Salerno. Victor Sierra