Air-Sea Warfare Development Unit
Coastal Command Development Unit
Coastal Command Tactical Development Unit
Active1940 - 1970
CountryUnited Kingdom United Kingdom
Branch Royal Air Force
RoleAir-Sea Warfare Research and Development
Part ofRAF Coastal Command
Insignia
Identification MarkingsP9 (1945 - 1951)
F (1951 - 1956)
Nil (1956 - 1970)[1]

Air-Sea Warfare Development Unit RAF (ASWDU) was a research and development unit of the Royal Air Force, within RAF Coastal Command, it was operational from December 1940 and disbanded in April 1970.

History

Coastal Command Tactical Development Unit

On the 22 October 1940 the Coastal Command Tactical Development Unit was formed at RAF Carew Cheriton. It was equipped with Armstrong Whitworth Whitley V, a British medium bomber aircraft, Lockheed Hudson I, an American light bomber and coastal reconnaissance aircraft, Bristol Beaufort I, a British twin-engined torpedo bomber and Vickers Wellington IA, a British twin-engined, long-range medium bomber.[2]

The unit was short lived with this identity and after two months it lost the Tactical from the title. On the 30 December 1940, the unit disbanded but immediately reformed, redesignating as the Coastal Command Development Unit.[3]

Coastal Command Development Unit

Bristol Beaufort Mark I, N1174, of the Coastal Command Development Unit based at Carew Cheriton, fitted with ASV (air-to-surface vessel) Mark II radar, while undergoing trials. The transmitter antenna is the black object mounted under the nose; the receiver is the much larger black antenna fitted under the wing.

For the initial radars to be effective, operational techniques and skilled operatives were required.[4] The Coastal Command Development Unit undertook service trials of all radar equipment such as ASV (air-to-surface vessel) radar for RAF Coastal Command operations. Although it had its own aircraft, it also used flying boats from RAF Pembroke Dock,[5] a Short Sunderland, a British flying boat patrol bomber, was used fitted with ASV Mk1 for the first trial, and it was soon realised the value of the CCDU, therefore, its role changed to cover both service and tactical trials of all RAF Coastal Command aircraft and equipment.[4]

In January 1941 two Vickers Wellington were used to investgate into the use of bomb and depth charges for attacks on submarines and surface vessels by night with the aid of parachute lights, and later with Leigh Lights. The unit operated out of RAF Carew Chriton for around twelve months before moving to RAF Ballykelly in December 1941.[5] Around six months later it then moved to RAF Tain, during June 1942,[6] and remained there for almost a year.[7]

In April 1943 the Unit took over RAF Dale[8] relocating from RAF Tain.[9] In September 1943, as part of the swap between the Royal Air Force and Royal Navy with Dale and Angle airfields, the Unit moved to RAF Angle[10] One of the key tests performed while at RAF Angle was to measure audibility of aircraft from submarines on the surface.[5] Utilising Leigh Light (L/L) and radar search, it carried out trials to see how close to a submarine the different aircraft types the unit used could get, before they were audibly detected.[11]

Air-Sea Warfare Development Unit

On 14 January 1945 the Air-Sea Warfare Development Unit formed at RAF Thorney Island by redesignating the Coastal Command Development Unit.[1] The role of the ASDWU was to increase efficiency in maritime operations by carrying out trials on the latest equipment. It also contributed to the development through collaboration with other research and development establishments.[12] At the end of 1944 a similar unit was set up in Ceylon (Sri Lanka) to conduct trials of equipment supplied to South East Asia Command, lasting around twelve months.[1]

The unit moved to RAF Ballykelly in May 1948 and along with the trials work it also provided aircrew training for operational squadrons. It moved to RAF St Mawgan during May 1951, and remained there for the next seven years, before returning to RAF Ballykelly in September 1958.[13] While at RAF St Mawgan it operated the Bristol Sycamore helicopter, between 1952 and 1955, for various trials.[14]

The Air Sea War Development Unit disbanded on 1 April 1970, at RAF Ballykelly,[1] when control of all trials work for the Hawker Siddeley Nimrod maritime patrol aircraft fleet was assumed by the Central Trials and Tactical Organisation.[12]

Aircraft operated

The Air-Sea Warfare Development Unit was equipped with numerous types and variants of aircraft:[1]

Royal Air Force Stations

The Coastal Command Development Unit[3][5][6][7][8][10] and then the Air-Sea Warfare Development Unit,[1][13] operated from a number of Royal Air Force stations, throughout the UK:

  • Coastal Command Development Unit
  • Air-Sea Warfare Development Unit
    • RAF Thorney Island (January 1945 - May 1948)
    • RAF Ballykelly (May 1948 - May 1951)
    • RAF St Mawgan (May 1951 - September 1958)
    • RAF Ballykelly (September 1958 - April 1970)

See also

References

Citations

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Lake 1999, p. 23.
  2. 1 2 Lake 1999, p. 50.
  3. 1 2 Lake 1999, p. 49.
  4. 1 2 Ashworth 1992, p. 191.
  5. 1 2 3 4 "Carew Cheriton Second World War Airfield; RAF Carew Cheriton (309962)". Coflein. RCAHMW. Retrieved 3 July 2023.
  6. 1 2 "Ballykelly". Airfields of Britain Conservation Trust. Retrieved 14 September 2023.
  7. 1 2 "Tain". Airfields of Britain Conservation Trust. Retrieved 14 September 2023.
  8. 1 2 "Dale". Airfields of Britain Conservation Trust. Retrieved 20 November 2014.
  9. ↑ Phillips 2006, p. 67.
  10. 1 2 "Angle". Airfields of Britain Conservation Trust. Retrieved 13 June 2023.
  11. ↑ Jones 2007, p. 102.
  12. 1 2 "Air Ministry: Coastal Command Development Unit, later Air Sea Warfare Development Unit: Reports". The National Archives (United Kingdom). Retrieved 14 September 2023.
  13. 1 2 Delve 2010, p. 49.
  14. ↑ "Air/Sea Warfare Development Unit - Royal Air Force". helis.com.

Bibliography

  • Ashworth, Chris (1992). RAF Coastal Command 1936-1969. Sparkford, Somerset UK: Patrick Stephens Limited. ISBN 1-85260-345-3.
  • Delve, Ken (2007). The Military Airfields of Britain Wales and West Midlands. Marlborough, Wiltshire UK: The Crowood Press Ltd. ISBN 978-1-86126-917-1.
  • Delve, Ken (2010). The Military Airfields of Britain Scotland and Northern Ireland. Marlborough, Wiltshire UK: The Crowood Press Ltd. ISBN 978-1-84797-027-5.
  • Jones, Ivor (2007). Airfields and Landing Grounds of Wales: West. Stroud, Gloucestershire UK: Tempus Publishing. ISBN 978-0-7524-4418-5.
  • Lake, Alan (1999). Flying Units of the RAF. Shrewsbury UK: Airlife Publishing Ltd. ISBN 1-84037-086-6.
  • Phillips, Alan (2006). Military Airfields of Wales. Wrexham, Wrexham County Borough Wales UK: Bridge Books. ISBN 1-84494-019-5.
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