Royal Norwegian Navy Air Service

Norwegian He 115Ns in 1939-1940

In 1940 most of the planes in Norwegian service were outdated, and the 1 100 transport and fighter planes of the Luftwaffe soon gained air superiority. The armed resistance in Norway was abandoned 9 June 1940, although some Norwegians would continue the fight abroad. The aircraft of the Norwegian Naval Airforce were the only ones which had the range to fly all the way from the remaining bases in Northern Norway to Britain. Amongst the Norwegian aircraft which reached Britain were four German made Heinkel He 115 sea planes, a fifth escaping to Finland. Three Marinens Flyvebaatfabrikk M.F.11 maritime reconnaissance aircraft also made it to Finland, landing on Lake Salmijärvi in Petsamo on 8 June. Six He 115s were bought before the war, and another two were captured from the Germans during the Norwegian Campaign. A captured Arado Ar 196 from the German heavy cruiser Admiral Hipper was also flown from Norway to Britain for testing.

A Northrop N3P-B, 22 'GS-F', of No. 330 (Norwegian) Squadron based at Akureyri, Iceland, in flight over the North Atlantic Ocean.

The Army and Navy air forces established themselves in Britain under the command of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Norwegian air and ground crews operated as part of the British Royal Air Force, both in wholly Norwegian squadrons, and in others. The first exile air unit was the 330 Squadron equipped with Northrop torpedo-bombers. This squadron was established in the autumn of 1940 and was operating from Akureyri, Iceland, from July 1941. On 28 January 1943 the entire squadron relocated to Oban, Scotland where it began to re-equip with Short Sunderlands. The second maritime squadron was the 333 squadron established in 1943 in Woodhaven, Scotland equipped with Catalina sea planes and Mosquito fighter-bombers. At the start of the war, Norwegian personnel received flight training at Toronto, Canada, at Toronto Island Airport. The advantage of this site was its ability to provide both basic flight and seaplane training. Although the airport is located on an island in the harbour, personnel were housed in barracks on the mainland, in a neighbourhood which is still known today as Little Norway. On 10 May 1945 the Mosquitos were formed into a third separate squadron - 334 Squadron. Both planes and running costs were financed by the exiled Norwegian government.