More than that! Two Naval Air Squadrons (845 and 846) on Sea King 4 and Wessex 5, making up the bulk of the lift capacity, plus 820, 824, and 826 NAS on anti-submarine Sea King 2 (10 aircraft were converted to lift duties during the war, and a new squadron formed to operate them – 825), and of course the Lynxes, Wasps and Wessexes from 737, 829, and 815 NAS on individual escort ships. And 4 anti-submarine Wessex on RFA Fort Austin. A new NAS, 847, was formed during the war with Wessex. Another NAS, 848, lost all its aircraft in the shipwreck.

Another RAF Wessex squadron came down later, and more Chinooks were sent out on the ship Contender Bezant but didn’t arrive before the surrender. In all the peak strength was 60-odd airframes of various kinds, which still wasn’t anything like enough although it was enough to make aviation fuel a serious problem.