2nd Carrier Air Group

The 2nd Carrier Air Group (2nd CAG) was an aircraft carrier air group of the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm. It was initially formed in June 1945, for service in the British Pacific Fleet, until disbanding during the same year, in October. The group was embarked on HMS Formidable (67) (67).

Naval Air Squadrons
The 2nd Carrier Air Group consisted of a number of squadrons of the Fleet Air Arm.

1945
The 2nd Carrier Air Group was formed on 30 June 1945. It was based on the Illustrious-class aircraft carrier, HMS Formidable (67) for service as part of the British Pacific Fleet. The 2nd CAG was formed of 848 Naval Air Squadron, which was equipped with Avenger torpedo bomber aircraft, 1841 Naval Air Squadron and 1842 Naval Air Squadron, both from the 6th NFW, and operated the Corsair fighter aircraft.

During July and August 1945, the group was involved with attacks on the Japanese mainland. On 17 July, the 2nd CAG flew twenty eight Corsair aircraft, off Formidable, bound for north of Tokyo, however, some aircraft were unable to locate their targets due to bad weather. Twenty four Corsair aircraft attacked targets near Tokyo the following day, before more bad weather halted flying operations. Airstrikes resumed on 24 July, and then on 30 July, the Japanese escort ship Okinawa was attacked and sunk near Maizuru. However, a combination of bad weather, refuelling requirements and the Atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki resulted in a stop to any sorties until the resumption of air operations on 9 August.

The 2nd CAG’s Avenger aircraft flew off Formidable and attacked Matsushima Air Field, during the morning of 9 August. This was followed by eight of the group’s Corsair aircraft, led by Lieutenant Robert Hampton Gray, RCNVR, a Canadian naval officer and senior pilot of 1841 Naval Air Squadron. However, Gray was diverted to attack Japanese warships located in Onagawa Wan, Miyagi Prefecture. Two escort ships were spotted and Gray led his aircraft into attack. Intense flak set his engine on fire, but he continued his attack, skip bombing a 500 lb bomb into the Etorofu-class escort Amakusa, sinking the ship with the loss of 157 lives. Unfortunately, after releasing the bomb, Gray's aircraft rolled inverted and crashed into the sea; he did not survive. Gray was later posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross (VC).

After the initial announcement of Japan's surrender, on 15 August 1945, the group then left its aircraft in Australia and returned to the United Kingdom, on HMS Victorious (R38), and it disbanded on 31 October 1945.

Air Group Commanders
List of commanding officers of the 2nd Carrier Air Group, with date of appointment:
 * Lieutenant Colonel P.P. Nelson-Gracie, RM, 4 July 1945
 * disbandment, 31 October 1945