HMS Vulture II (Treligga Aerodrome)

HMS Vulture II was an aerial bombing and gunnery range at Treligga, 2 km west of Delabole, Cornwall, England, United Kingdom (SX 047 848).

The station was a satellite of the Fleet Air Arm base RNAS St Merryn (HMS Vulture) near Padstow, Cornwall.

There was a further dive screen shelter (block built) in afield near Trebarwith Village and targets were positioned in Port Isaac bay for air to sea attacks.

When action moved to the Japanese war in the Pacific HMS Vulture II was adapted to represent the typical lay-out of a Japanese-held territory and was modelled on the island of Tarawa.

Real and dummy tanks, a bridge and a road convoy were located near one of the airstrips and a small railway was built to provide moving targets.

After the war, the range continued in operation for the School of Naval Air Warfare and was in great demand by squadrons detached to RNAS St Merryn for armament practice until the early 1950s.

But with the withdrawal of lying units from RNAS St Merryn in 1954 and changes made to Shackletons during 1955, the range was closed at the end of that year and quickly reverted to farmland.

On 16 September 1943 an American B-17 Flying Fortress was forced to make an emergency landing at HMS Vulture II.

When the Americans stepped out of their aircraft they were amazed to find HMS Vulture II entirely in the hands of Wrens.