811 Naval Air Squadron was a unit of the British Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm. It was first founded in 1933, and served during World War II, seeing action in the battle of the Atlantic and on Russian convoys, and was eventually disbanded in 1956.
A Grumman Martlet fighter of 811 Squadron lands on HMS Biter after a successful action against a German Junkers Ju 290, February 1944
View of HMS Biter from a Swordfish just after takeoff. Ready on the deck are two Martlet fighters, and in the distance other ships of the convoy, March 1944.
HMS Furious was a modified Courageous-class battlecruiser built for the Royal Navy (RN) during the First World War. Designed to support the Baltic Project championed by the First Sea Lord, Lord Fisher, the ship was very lightly armoured and designed with a main battery of only two 18-inch guns. Furious was modified as an aircraft carrier while under construction. Her forward turret was removed and a flight deck was added in its place, such that aircraft had to manoeuvre around the superstructure to land. Later in the war, the ship had her rear turret removed and a second flight deck installed aft of the superstructure, but this was less than satisfactory due to air turbulence. Furious was briefly laid up after the war before she was reconstructed with a full-length flight deck in the early 1920s.
Furious circa 1935–1936
Furious as originally completed with a flying-off deck for aircraft forward
Stern view of Furious in 1917, showing the ship's single 18-inch gun
Furious seen in 1918, after being fitted with an aft landing deck
