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Aviation History
1954
1954 - 0661.PDF
12 March 1954 291 ROTORS over the JUNGLE No. 848 Naval Air Squadron in Malaya By Lt-Cdr. J. E. BREESE, R.N. NO. 848 SQUADRON, the Royal Navy's first operational helicopter unit, was formed at the end of October 1952. In just over two months it became land-based in Malaya for operations over the jungle. I was appointed to the squadron on its formation and stayed with it until December last. During that time we flew over 3,500 hours, lifted between 10,000 and 11,000 troops into and out of the jungle and evacuated 275 casualties. We also carried out miscellaneous tasks which included supply dropping, recon naissance and target-marking. The squadron was equipped with ten Sikorsky S-55 helicopters, a large range of spares and com prehensive ground equipment, supplied by the United States under the Mutual Aid programme. We sailed from Portsmouth in H.M.S. Perseus on December 12th, 1952, and on January 8th, 1953, when near Changi point, flew-off the aircraft to the Royal Naval Air Station at Sembawang on Singapore Island. We soon had our first incident, one of the aircraft forced land ing in a clearing on the Federation side of the Johore Straits because its tail-rotor control had become jammed. With one air craft detached to maintain guard, the rest proceeded Sembawang. Here the squadron A.E.O. was embarked in a winch aircraft and was soon being winched down into the clearing where the S-55 had landed. The trouble, due to a "proud" bolt in the rear control pulley, was soon located and rectified, and within two hours the helicopter arrived at Sembawang. Now began a period of intensive training for the task ahead. It appeared likely that our most exacting flying would be into and out of jungle clearings, so it was decided to concentrate the training on work of this kind. First, a circle 50ft in diameter was marked on the airfield, into which vertical descents from 200ft were made. Next, a similar area was cleared in some 80ft rubber trees on die edge of the airfield and, lightly laden, the aircraft were taken into that. With familiarity came increasing confidence, both in the helicopters and in ourselves, and in a short time we were taking in maximum loads. Our thoughts now turned to the final test, descents into 200ft- high primary jungle. There was none available for our use on Singapore Island, but the Army, who had a jungle training school in Johore, readily agreed to cut a clearing for us there. This was soon ready, and daily we flew across the Johore Straits and into the clearing. On January 21st three aircraft were detached to R.A.F. Kuala Lumpur to carry out trials which included aircraft performance, Officers of No. 848 Squadron relax in a primitive jungle shelter during an interval in a troop-lifting operation. Left to right: Lt-Cdr. S. H. Suthers, D.S.C., Lt. J. Walden, and the author. JUNGLE warfare against terrorists poses problems not to be found in the older military text-books, and to many of these, within the past year or two, the helicopter has provided an ideal solution. Wanting to tell readers more about such operations, we invited Lt-Cdr. Breese, a pilot of No. 848 Sqn., to give some first-hand impressions. His article— published with Admiralty approval—appears below. Since it was written, the Admiralty have provided these latest figures for No. 848's work in Malaya: Flying time, 4,004 hours 45 minutes; troops lifted, 11,791; freight lifted, 201,680 lb; casualties evacuated, 314. methods and equipment for the emplaning and deplaning of troops, supply dropping, use of the external sling and winching of casualties. Later, in conjunction with the R.A.F., methods of vegetation-spraying were evolved. Towards the end of January we were given our first operational task, a casualty evacuation, and from then the work started to come in. On February 2nd, with the trials completed, we gave a grand demonstration of our capabilities to representatives of the Army and the Police. From then on the flow of work increased until by the end of March it had become a flood. The aircraft were behaving magnificently, and it now became obvious that, if we intended to work the aircraft to their maximum capacity—and the jobs in hand demanded that we should—we required additional pilots. Approval was soon given for them to be flown out from the United Kingdom. We still had only three helicopters based on Kuala Lumpur, the other three and the four reserves being at Sembawang; but now that me pattern of operations was becoming clear it showed the need to concentrate all six operational machines at Kuala Lumpur. This was accordingly effected. There was no hangar accommodation at Kuala Lumpur, so the aircraft were out in all weathers. In spite of this, serviceability remained high. It invariably rained overnight, and one got into the habit of raising the collective-pitch lever before starting in order to drain the water from the rotor blades. Then, after prim ing, two to four seconds on the starter were enough to get the engine running. This easy starting saved us what would have become endless battery trouble, for, as trolley accumulators were available only at Kuala Lumpur and Sembawang, 90 per cent of all starts had to be made on the aircraft batteries. The reliability, lightness of control and good manoeuvrability of the S-55 makes it most suitable for operation in Malaya. Though experiencing the usual stability deficiencies of helicopters, one could nevertheless be quite relaxed when at the controls. The performance, taking into account the high temperature and humidity experienced in Malaya, tallied with the estimated per formance given in the makers' handbook. The fact that the fuel tanks are under the hold, thus allowing the filler caps to be at a convenient level, proved to be a great advantage, as fuelling was invariably from 50-gallon drums, via a four-gallon tin and special chamois filter. One great disadvantage, however, is that there is only 10Jin clearance under the rear of the fuselage. Without detriment to their anti-ground-resonance properties we increased the pressure in the main oleos, thus improving this ground clear ance a little, and at the same time lifting the tail rotor a trifle higher. Except when looking across the cockpit, downward and for ward view in the S-55 is extremely good, so it was necessary to carry an observer as a lookout only for the more difficult clearings. The fact that an observer up in front meant one less soldier in the hold always had to be faced. When troop-lifting, therefore, only the leading aircraft carried an observer. Having navigated to and identified the clearing, he would, if necessary, deplane with the troops in order to supervise the work of improving the clearing. If that was not necessary he deplaned at the end of the first sortie and employed himself in lining-tip the troops for emplaning and in supervising the refuelling. On a big lift, when relief pilots were available, he would run the pilots' roster in addition. Fuel ling usually took place every second or third sortie, and as it took only about four minutes the reliefs had to be on top line to avoid delay. Although at first one bit of jungle looks the same as any other, the pilots soon learned to note small features and, having once been to a clearing, could invariably find it again without the aid of an observer and without reference to the one-inch map. For casualty evacuations an observer was always carried. These operations were invariably from hastily cut clearings; and the observer, apart from his value as navigator, proved invaluable as a lookout for his side of the aircraft and for the tail rotor. If
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