Which type of Barracuda was on the Colossus September 1945 on trip to Inchon, Korea?

[28ZComeback]

Does anyone know which types of Barracuda served on the HMS Colossus during her trip to Korea in September, 1945?  Any other types of aircraft?  Thank you in advance. 

[Mick4350]

A Mk II, for instance MX637, 827 Squadron.

[ClaudioN]

2 hours ago, 28ZComeback said:

Does anyone know which types of Barracuda served on the HMS Colossus during her trip to Korea in September, 1945?  Any other types of aircraft?  Thank you in advance. 

The air group (carrier letter 'D') included No. 827 Squadron with Barracuda Mk. IIs and No. 1846 Squadron with Corsairs. I do not know whether Corsairs were embarked or remianed at Kai Tak.

Actually, I did not even know that Colossus ventured as far North as Korea in September 1945. 😶

[Seahawk]

1 hour ago, ClaudioN said:

The air group (carrier letter 'D') included No. 827 Squadron with Barracuda Mk. IIs and No. 1846 Squadron with Corsairs. I do not know whether Corsairs were embarked or remianed at Kai Tak.

Actually, I did not even know that Colossus ventured as far North as Korea in September 1945. 😶

Ordered to Korea 24 September and arrived Inchon afternoon of 26th, embarked 350 British and Australian ex-POWs (taken at the fall of Singapore), sailed the next day for the Philippines, arriving in Manila Bay on 4 October.

 

No direct info on whether her aircraft were embarked.  However both squadrons were active on a similar mission to a less stable Shanghai 14-24 September and there was no obvious opportunity to disembark them in between.

[28ZComeback]

I think the threat of kamikaze attacks was on their minds even in late September, 1945. Therefore I doubt they would have dropped their fighter coverage. 

[EwenS]

Air Britain’s “Squadrons and Units of the Fleet Air Arm” records 1846 (Colossus’ Corsair squadron) squadron’s movements at this time as:

Nowra Australia 21/7/45

Colossus 13/8/45

Kai Tak (Hong Kong) detachment 12-18/10/45

Katukurunda Ceylon 26/10/45

 

827 Barracuda II squadron movements were:

Jervis Bay Australia 22/7/45

Colossus 13/8/45

Kai Tak detachment 15-18/10/45

Katukurunda 26/10/45.

 

So from this, all her aircraft remained on board between mid August 1945 and mid October 1945. This makes sense as McCart (“Colossus class aircraft carriers 1944-1972”) notes her operating her Corsairs over Formosa, then her Barracudas over Shanghai on 14 Sept, then “her aircraft” providing cover for allied forces in Shanghai and the Chinese coast before sailing for Korea on 24 Sept am, arriving in Inchon pm on 26th, embarking the 350 ex POW and sailing the next day for Manila where she arrived on 4 October. She then sailed for Hong Kong with a different group of 174 ex POW and civilian internees. McCart specifically notes that, at the time of her being in Manila, “....with her squadrons still embarked, space was limited.....” So there was no opportunity for her to disembark her squadrons between Australia in Aug and Hong Kong in Oct.