[14] This increased her aircraft complement to 47 aircraft by use of a permanent deck park of 6 aircraft. A month later the ship began a four-month refit and hosted the first carrier landing of the de Havilland Sea Venom on 9 July 1951. After another round of flying operations, she visited Trondheim, Norway, on 19 June. (Operation Diplomat). 26364; McCart, pp. She reached Durban on 4 April and remained there for two weeks. She was transferred to Force H for the Battle of Salerno in mid-1943 and then rejoined the Eastern Fleet in the Indian Ocean at the beginning of 1944. En route she served as the centrepiece of a convoy-defence exercise as the RAF successfully "attacked" the convoy. The torpedo-carrying aircraft of the first wave scored one hit on the battleship Conte di Cavour and two on the recently completed battleship Littorio while the two flare droppers bombed the oil storage depot with little effect. A follow on airstrike was planned for the next night based on the pessimistic assessments of the aircrews, but it was cancelled due to bad weather. 860 Squadrons, Royal Netherlands Naval Aviation Service (RNNAS) for training, as well as 824 Squadron. Today in Naval History - Naval / Maritime Events in History 23rd of March please use the following link and you will find the details and all events of this day . 110111, 114115, Friedman, p. 147; Shores, Cull & Malizia 1987b, pp. En route, the carriers of the 1st ACS attacked Palembang on 24 January and 29 January (Operation Meridian). Three other Swordfish completed her destruction. She returned to Portsmouth on 19 November and began loading the 45th Field Regiment, Royal Artillery, the 1st Battalion, Coldstream Guards, and the Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Regiment two days later. In addition, one Corsair was forced to ditch; the pilot was rescued by a destroyer. [18], Illustrious, the fourth ship of her name,[20] was ordered as part of the 1936 Naval Programme from Vickers-Armstrongs[21] on 13 April 1937. . In Nov 1940, she launched 21 torpedo bombers against the Italian fleet at Taranto, and achieved spectacular success after sinking one battleship and damaging two others. 15 Naval Fighter Wing with the Vought Corsairs of 1830 and 1833 Squadrons were still training ashore and flew aboard before the work up was finished on 27 December. On 11 Jan 1941, she was attacked by German dive bombers while escorting a convoy, suffering 8 bomb hits. In May 1942, her aircraft provided cover for the British troops landing at Diego Suarez, Madagascar against French and French colonial troops. Title: List of survivors on Royal Navy ships from 1941 to 1943 Author: Ministry of Defence Created Date: 5/5/2017 10:03:01 AM The four aircraft loaded with bombs set one hangar in the seaplane base on fire and hit the destroyer Libeccio with one bomb that failed to detonate. Her air group now consisted of 36 Corsairs, 16 Avengers and two Supermarine Walrus flying boats for rescue work. [70], On 26 July, she sortied for the Norwegian Sea as part of Operation Governor, together with the battleship Anson, the American battleship Alabama, and the light carrier Unicorn, an attempt to fool the Germans into thinking that Sicily was not the only objective for an Allied invasion. Home. Neither ship was seriously damaged, but Illustrious had to reduce speed to shore up sprung bulkheads in the bow and conduct temporary repairs to the forward flight deck. WW2DB site administrators reserve the right to moderate, censor, and/or remove any comment. After summer leave for her crew, she resumed deck-landing trials in September and October,[86] including the initial trials of the prototype Supermarine Attacker jet-powered fighter in the latter month. On 8 and 9 November the Supermarine 510 research aircraft made the first ever landings by a swept-wing aircraft aboard a carrier. 810 Squadron was the only unit retained from her previous air group and it had been re-equipped with Barracudas during her refit. Short relieved Watson on 28 December. A Z.501 searching for the fleet was shot down on 10 November by a Fulmar and another on the 11th. The brand-new armoured aircraft carrier, HMS Illustrious, and a powerful escort left Gibraltar. [78] She was assigned to the 1st Aircraft Carrier Squadron (1st ACS), commanded by Rear Admiral Sir Philip Vian when he arrived at Colombo aboard the carrier Indefatigable. These ships proceeded through the Minches and were joined around 1100/31 by the aircraft carriers HMS Illustrious (Capt. J.P. Scatchard, DSC, RN), HMS Tenacious (Lt.Cdr. In addition to the other losses enumerated, 882 Squadron's Fulmar was shot down while providing ground support. Power was from 4 x Admiralty water-tube boilers feeding 2 x Parsons geared steam turbines driving 40,000 horsepower to 2 x shafts under stern. ww2dbaseThe repair work completed in May 1942. ww2dbaseIllustrious was the lead ship in her class of aircraft carriers. The turbines were designed to produce a total of 111,000shp (83,000kW), enough to give a maximum speed of 30 knots (56km/h; 35mph) at deep load. [92] A model of HMS Illustrious in 1940is on display at the Monaco Naval Museum. She returned to Norfolk on 9 December, to rendezvous with Formidable, which had also been repaired there, and the carriers sailed for home three days later. [7], A year later, in preparation for her service against the Japanese in the Pacific, one starboard octuple "pom-pom" mount, directly abaft the island, was replaced by two 40 mm Bofors AA guns. On the night of 15/16 December, Illustrious collided with Formidable in a moderate storm. On 26 February she began a refit at Birkenhead that lasted until 7 June during which her flight deck was extended, new radars were installed, her light anti-aircraft armament was augmented, and two new arrestor wires were fitted aft of the rear lift which increased her effective landing area. In total darkness Fasson and Grazier entered the sinking submarine to capture instruments and documentation fully aware of the dangers. The multiple hits at the aft end of the carrier knocked out her steering gear, although it was soon repaired. [4], Illustrious was 740 feet (225.6m) in length overall and 710 feet (216.4m) at the waterline. 25051; Jackson, p. 441; McCart, p. 23, Brown 1971, pp. [89] Illustrious resumed her duties in early 1949 and conducted trials and training for Avengers, Fireflies, Gloster Meteors, de Havilland Sea Hornets, Vampires and Seafires. [76], Her sister ships, the Indomitable and the Victorious arrived at the end of June although only the latter's pilots were combat-ready. All British aircraft returned safely although one American fighter was forced to ditch during the return home. The first operation carried out by both carriers was an airstrike on the small naval base at Sabang at the northern tip of Sumatra (Operation Cockpit). 1914, to provide crew for the newly requisitioned battleship Erin. The weather was too bad for Illustrious to rescue the steamer's crew, but she pumped fuel oil overboard to flatten the seas until a tug arrived to rescue the ship on 27 October. Captain John Hughes-Hallett relieved Edwards on 14 June. [24] She was commissioned on 16 April 1940 and, excluding her armament, she cost 2,295,000 to build. The Association's first meeting was held in T.S. 150, 159; Hobbs 2013, p. 91; McCart, pp. On 10 June Hughes-Hallet was relieved by Captain Eric Clifford. )1943: RN Barracks, Chatham [HMS Pembroke] 04.06.1943-(10.1944) RN . The Italians made no effort to attack the Allied forces, and the most noteworthy thing that any of her aircraft did was when one of 890 Squadron's Martlets escorted a surrendering Italian aircraft to Sicily. When the 1,000-kilogram (2,200lb) bomb that it was carrying detonated in the water only 50 feet (15.2m) from the side of the ship, the resulting shock wave badly damaged two Corsairs parked on the deck and severely shook the ship. This included the battleships Littorio, Vittorio Veneto, Giulio Cesare, Caio Duilio, Andrea Doria, and Conte di Cavour, the first two of those being brand new, along with several cruisers and destroyers. Eight Corsair and 15 Barracuda aircraft attacked the Japanese airfield and harbour. During the morning of 10 January, her Swordfish attacked an Italian convoy without significant effect. Hundreds watched in quiet reflection as the ship sailed out of Portsmouth on her final . This attack was intercepted by six of the ship's Fulmars which had rearmed and refuelled ashore after they had dropped their bombs, but only two of the dive bombers were damaged before the Fulmars ran out of ammunition. ww2dbaseIn 1944, Illustrious returned to the Eastern Fleet in the Indian Ocean for strikes against Japanese garrisons in the Southwest Pacific region. The MoD announced earlier this year it had been sold for 2m to a ship recycling . These latter aircraft lacked folding wings and could not fit on the lifts. Captain C. T. Jellicoe relieved Carlill on 27 August and the ship ferried 10 Fireflies of 814 Squadron to Malta beginning on 1 October. After 1861 only a sample of crew lists and agreements and log books are held at The National Archives. British Swordfish torpedo bombers from carrier HMS Illustrious attacked the port of Benghazi, Libya, bombing shipping and laying mines. HMS Illustrious relieves Invincible on air defence duties, off Falkland Islands, August 1982 HMS Illustrious had a unique start to her career. Her Corsairs claimed four enemy aircraft shot down as did one Avenger pilot who claimed victory over a Nakajima Ki-44 "Tojo" fighter. This event was also the first landing of any turboprop aircraft aboard an aircraft carrier. [79], On 16 January 1945 the BPF sailed for its primary base in the Pacific Ocean, Sydney, Australia. The RN planned to fit her out as a flagship, remove her aft 4.5-inch guns in exchange for increased accommodation, and replace some of her Oerlikons with single two-pounder AA guns, but the end of the war in August caused the RN to reassess its needs. The Illustrious-class carriers were of a new school of thinking, providing battlecruiser class armor to purpose-built carriers. She sailed for Alexandria, Egypt for temporary repairs, and then sailed for the Norfolk Navy Yard in Virginia, United States for permanent repairs. She was the fifth warship and second aircraft carrier to bear the name Illustrious, and was affectionately known to her crew as "Lusty". Her catapult was upgraded to handle heavier aircraft, her flight deck was further improved, and her radar suite was modernized. [27] Her squadrons flew back aboard, and she sailed for the Mediterranean on 22 August with 15 Fulmars and 18 Swordfish aboard. Italian merchant ships Gloria Stella and Maria Eugenia were also sunk. She was occasionally used to ferry troops and aircraft to and from foreign deployments as well as participating in exercises. [45] On the night of 16/17 December, 11 Swordfish bombed Rhodes and the island of Stampalia with little effect. She transferred to Greenock at the end of the month and sailed on 5 August to provide air cover for the ocean liner RMSQueen Mary as she conveyed Prime Minister Winston Churchill to the Quebec Conference. Somerville decided to attack Sabang again (Operation Crimson), although the ships of the East Indies Fleet would bombard the port while the fighters from the Illustrious and the Victorious spotted for them and protected the fleet. On the early morning of 25 July, Illustrious launched 22 Corsairs for CAP and to observe the naval gunfire and take photos for post-attack damage assessments. Reconnaissance photos taken by the R.A.F. The BPF joined the American Fifth Fleet there two days later, under the designation Task Force 57 (TF 57), to participate in the preliminary operations for the invasion of Okinawa (Operation Iceberg). Her own losses were two Avengers and three Corsairs lost in action and one Avenger and six Corsairs due to non-combat causes. The next morning, Martlets from 881 Squadron intercepted three Potez 63.11 reconnaissance bombers, shooting down two and forcing the other to retreat, while Swordfish dropped dummy parachutists as a diversion. JUNE 1945, ON BOARD HMS ILLUSTRIOUS. The underwater defence system was a layered system of liquid- and air-filled compartments backed by a 1.5-inch (38mm) splinter bulkhead. 2526, Brown 1971, p. 257; Brown, J. D., p. 81, McCart, p. 26, Brown 1971, p. 257; Brown, J. D., p. 81; Hobbs 2013, p. 91; McCart, pp. HMS ILLUSTRIOUS ASSOCIATION The 5th HMS ILLUSTRIOUS was named and launched on 1st December 1978 by HRH Princess Margaret and Admiral of the Fleet, Earl Mountbatten of Burma. The American bombers attacked the shipping in the harbour while the British aircraft attacked the shore installations. The pilots of 806 Squadron claimed to have shot down two of the former and possibly damaged another pair, but a 500kg bomb penetrated her flight deck aft of the rear lift and detonated in the captain's day cabin; several other bombs nearly hit the ship but only caused minor damage. showed three battleships with their decks awash and surrounded by pools of oil. [32], Repairs were completed before the end of the month, and she escorted a convoy to Greece, during which her Fulmars shot down one shadowing CANT Z.506B floatplane. SERVING WITH THE ILLUSTRIOUS. Her aircraft attacked several targets in the Japanese-occupied Dutch East Indies over the following year before Illustrious was transferred to the newly formed British Pacific Fleet (BPF). HMS Illustrious was the only one in her class, not to have a pair of arrester wires positioned forward of the island for emergency deck landings over the bow. 16th Jan 1941 HMS Illustrious 22nd January 1941 Italian airfields attacked If you can provide any additional information, please add it here. In 32 years . [35] Three Swordfish crashed shortly after take-off on 10 and 11 November, probably due to fuel contamination, and the maintenance crewmen spent all day laboriously draining all the fuel tanks and refilling them with clean petrol. The explosion started a severe fire, destroyed the rear fire sprinkler system, bent the forward lift like a hoop and shredded the fire curtains into lethal splinters. As the fleet was withdrawing, Illustrious's CAP intercepted and shot down a Nakajima Ki-43 (codenamed "Oscar") fighter and a Mitsubishi Ki-21 "Sally" medium bomber on reconnaissance missions. She arrived on 14 May and departed 10 days later, bound for Rosyth for permanent repairs. DURING BRITISH PACIFIC FLEET OPERATIONS THE ILLUSTRIOUS EXPERIENCED A JAPANESE SUICIDE ATTACK. Home. While conducting her post-refit trials, she also conducted flying trials for Martlet Vs and Barracudas. She was the third warship of the . The attacks killed 126 officers and men and wounded 91. 134, 136, 14243, 145, 147; McCart, p. 32, Brown 1971, p. 261; Hobbs 2011, pp. She began permanent repairs in June that were scheduled to last four months. The light AA guns managed to sever its port wing so that it missed the ship, although its starboard wingtip shattered the Type 272's radome mounted on the front of the bridge. The crew of the submarine surrendered and survivors were taken off. She set sail two days later and arrived at Famagusta on 11 November. Gruppe/StG 2) began their attack, led by Paul-Werner Hozzel. Former HMS Illustrious set to sail on her final voyage. [7] By 1945, accumulated wear-and-tear as well as undiagnosed shock damage to Illustrious's machinery caused severe vibrations in her centre propeller shaft at high speeds. She was the fifth warship and second aircraft carrier to bear the name Illustrious, and was affectionately known to her crew as "Lusty". The carrier's air group consisted of 21 Barracudas and 28 Corsairs for the operation; Illustrious launched 17 of the former escorted by 13 of the latter on the morning of 19 April. 854 Squadron was disembarked while at Sydney, but the carrier kept her two Corsair squadrons until after arriving in the UK on 27 June. Illustrious was decommissioned from service. The Germans had laid mines in the canal earlier. Captain Charles Lambe was appointed as the new captain of the Illustrious on 21 May, but he could not join his new ship until 9 July. One Corsair was shot down by Japanese flak although the pilot was rescued after ditching. In 1945, after a period of rest and re-supply in Fremantle, Australia, she sailed north and joined Allied Task Force 57 to cover the Okinawa operation. Even $1 per month will go a long way! ILLUSTRIOUS-Class Fleet Aircraft Carrier ordered on 19th March 1937 from Harland and Wolff Ltd. at Belfast under the 1937 Programme. Cunliffe, RN, flying the flag of Rear-Admiral C. Moody, CB, RN), HMS Unicorn (Capt. . [72], She then returned to Britain on 18 October for a quick refit at Birkenhead that included further improvements to the flight deck and the reinforcement of her light anti-aircraft armament. All visitor submitted comments are opinions of those making the submissions and do not reflect views of WW2DB. British aircraft carrier HMS Illustrious, damaged by Stuka dive bombers on 10 Jan, completed temporary repairs and departed Malta for Alexandria, Egypt with destroyers HMS Jervis, HMS Juno, HMS Janus, and HMS Greyhound in escort. The fleet's fire discipline was poor when it was attacked by seven Japanese bombers shortly after the strike aircraft began landing. After post-war modifications to convert her into a trials carrier, her complement was reduced to 1,090 officers and enlisted men. . While off Malta two days later, six of the carrier's fighters engaged an equal number of Fiat CR.42 Falco biplane fighters, shooting down one and damaging two others. The carrier launched four replacements at 12:35, just when 2436 Junkers Ju 87 Stuka dive bombers of the First Group/Dive Bomber Wing 1 (I. Gruppe/Sturzkampfgeschwader (StG) 1) and the Second Group/Dive Bomber Wing 2 (II. With over 50 aircraft airborne at one point, the British realised that a single deck accident might result in the loss of every aircraft in the air because there was no other carrier available to land aboard. Two months later the carrier was crippled by German dive bombers and was repaired in the United States. Nominal List of Ship's Company of HMS Illustrious 1944-45 This list was published in the Beacon Annual 1944-45. All three were shot down for the loss of one Martlet. The King and Queen inspected Illustrious and her crew, as did Prime Minister Clement Attlee and his wife. [28], After refuelling in Gibraltar, Illustrious and the battleship Valiant were escorted into the Mediterranean by Force H as part of Operation Hats, during which her Fulmars shot down five Italian bombers and her AA guns shot down two more. Vice-Admiral Arthur Power carried out another raid on Port Blair in the Nicobar Islands with carrier HMS Illustrious, battleship HMS Renown, and French battleship Richelieu, with light covering forces. She began working up off Plymouth, but the German conquest of France made this too risky, and Illustrious sailed for Bermuda later in the month to continue working up. Left to right: LAMA James McKenzie, Edinburgh; Petty Officer RM, Wilfred Price, Brecon, Wales; LAME A S Townsend, Hope, Derbyshire. She returned to Portsmouth on 7 December and she did not leave harbour until 30 January 1952 when she resumed her customary role as a training ship. She displaced 23,000 long tons (23,369t) at standard load as completed. [18] Two more twin Oerlikon mounts were added, and her boilers were retubed. This section includes over 21.000 Allied Warships and over 11.000 Allied Commanders of WWII, from the US Navy, Royal Navy, Royal Canadian Navy, Royal Australian Navy, The Polish Navy and others. He transferred his flag to Formidable when she arrived at Alexandria on 10 March, just before Illustrious sailed for Port Said to begin her transit of the Suez Canal. The end of the war several weeks later meant that there was no longer any urgency in refitting the Illustrious in time to participate in the invasion of the Japanese Home Islands and the Admiralty decided that she would become the Home Fleet training and trials carrier. Is there a list of. Bad weather degraded the accuracy of the Barracudas and little damage was inflicted aside from a few aircraft destroyed on the ground and a few small craft sunk in the harbour. HMS Cumberland carried out offensive sweep in Indian Ocean with HM Battleships Queen Elizabeth, Valiant, HM Battlecruiser Renown, HM Aircraft Carrier Illustrious, HM Cruisers London, Gambia and Ceylon screened by fleet destroyers. [60], The conquest of British Malaya and the Dutch East Indies in early 1942 opened the door for Japanese advances into the Indian Ocean. [9] She carried a maximum of 4,850 long tons (4,930t) of fuel oil which gave her a range of 10,700 nautical miles (19,800km; 12,300mi) at 10 knots (19km/h; 12mph) or 10,400nmi (19,300km; 12,000mi) at 16 knots (30km/h; 18mph)[5] or 6,300nmi (11,700km; 7,200mi) at 25 knots (46km/h; 29mph). Aircraft from 819 Squadron laid six mines in the harbour entrance while those from 815 Squadron sank the destroyer Borea and two freighters totalling 10,192gross register tons(GRT). The hangar deck itself was 2.5 inches (64mm) thick and extended the full width of the ship to meet the top of the 4.5-inch waterline armour belt. Her fighter complement was augmented by 878 and 890 Squadrons, each with 10 Martlet Vs, and 894 Squadron with 10 Seafire IICs. The necessity to attack from the south, across the full width of Java, meant that the target was outside the Barracuda's range and 810 and 847 Squadrons were replaced by the 18 Grumman Avengers of 832 and 845 Squadrons for the mission. [6], The 753-foot (229.5m) armoured flight deck had a usable length of 620 feet (189.0m), due to prominent "round-downs"[Note 1] at each end designed to reduce the effects of air turbulence caused by the carrier's structure on aircraft taking-off and landing, and a maximum width of 95 feet (29.0m). [71], Together with the Unicorn, she sailed for the Mediterranean on 13 August to prepare for the landings at Salerno (Operation Avalanche), reaching Malta a week later. [29], Upon his arrival in the Mediterranean, Lyster proposed a carrier airstrike on the Italian fleet at its base in Taranto, as the Royal Navy had been planning since the Abyssinia Crisis of 1935, and Admiral Andrew Cunningham, commander of the Mediterranean Fleet, approved the idea by 22 September 1940. One torpedo bomber was shot down, but the other aircraft returned. She was paid off in early 1955 and sold for scrap in late 1956. The HMS Illustrious Association was formerly known as the "Old Illustrians' Association" and was formed by a group of wartime Old Boys who were invited on board the 5th ILLUSTRIOUS on 9 September 1983. The carrier participated in the early stages of the Battle of Okinawa until mechanical defects arising from accumulated battle damage became so severe she was ordered home early for repairs in May 1945. Later that morning three of the five Fulmars on Combat Air Patrol (CAP) engaged three SM.79s at low altitude, claiming one shot down. He believed that carriers could not be successfully defended by their own aircraft without some form of early-warning system. Illustrious's air group consisted of 32 Corsairs and 21 Avengers by now and she contributed 12 of her Avengers and 16 Corsairs to the first attack, which destroyed most of the oil storage tanks and cut the refinery's output by half for three months. [32], Now augmented by reinforcements from the UK, the Mediterranean Fleet detached Illustrious, four cruisers, and four destroyers to a point 170 miles (270km) south-east of Taranto. The cover up of Churchill's Operation Paul. [91], After a brief refit in early 1952, she participated in Exercise Castanets off the Scottish coast in June and hosted 22,000 visitors during Navy Days at Devonport Royal Dockyard in August. During 12 days of training in September, she completed 950 daytime and nighttime arrested landings and 210 helicopter landings. HMS Illustrious arrived at Alexandria, Egypt. HTML tags are not allowed. The facilities there could provide only emergency repairs, enough to allow her to reach the bigger dockyard in Sydney. She was sold for scrap on 3 Nov 1954 and was broken up in 1956 as Faslane. CPO. [47] On the morning of 22 December, 13 Swordfish attacked Tripoli harbour, starting fires and hitting warehouses multiple times. One bomb struck and destroyed the starboard forward "pom-pom" mount closest to the island, while another passed through the forwardmost port "pom-pom" mount and failed to detonate, although it did start a fire. HMS Illustrious (R 06): HMS Illustrious is a light aircraft carrier of the Royal Navy and the second of three Invincible-class ships constructed in the late 1970s and early 1980s. The hangar was designed to accommodate 36 aircraft, for which 50,650 imperial gallons (230,300l; 60,830USgal) of aviation spirit was provided. British Fleet Air Arm Swordfish aircraft of HMS Illustrious spotted French submarine Le Hros off Courrier Bay, Madagascar at 0500 hours and attacked with depth charges; Le Hros attempted to evade by diving, but ultimately would be forced to surface and would be scuttled by her own crew to prevent capture. The aircraft carrier HMS Illustrious. Italian destroyer Borea was sunk by torpedoes and destroyer Aquilone was damaged by a mine. Nov 25, 2008. Second, it is to showcase A Hawker Sea Fury crashed while landing on 15 May, killing the pilot and two members of the deck crew. Illustrious began her final maintenance period at Devonport Royal Dockyard on 10 December. C. Peter Chen of Lava Development, LLC. Captain K. A. This left only 21 aircraft available for the attack. [42], While en route to Alexandria the ship's Fulmars engaged four CANT Z.506Bs, claiming three shot down and the fourth damaged, although Italian records indicate the loss of only two aircraft on 12 November. For the planned attack on Port Blair in the Andaman Islands in mid-June her air group was reinforced by the 14 Corsairs of 1837 Squadron; six Barracudas from No. In reality, they heavily damaged three of the Italian aircraft. 3233, Brown 1971, pp. [6] By 1944, she was severely overcrowded with a total crew of 1,997. Courageux was a heavy 74-gun ship of the line of the French Navy, launched in 1753. [41], One torpedo-carrying aircraft of the second wave was forced to return when its long-range external fuel tank fell off, but the others hit the Littorio once more and the Duilio was hit once when they attacked beginning at 23:55. [12], The Illustrious-class ships had a flight deck protected by 3 inches (76mm) of armour and the internal sides and ends of the hangars were 4.5 inches (114mm) thick. When the aircraft approached the target on the morning of 20 December, it was obscured by clouds so they diverted to the secondary target of the port at Belawan Deli. The aircraft were pushed back until the main wheels were near the edge of the flight deck to allow more aircraft to be stored on the deck. She was finally modernized between Jan and Aug 1948, and then served another six years before she was decommissioned. Later in the month she hosted the Sea Furies of 802 and the Fireflies of 814 Squadrons for Exercise Winged Fleet. HMS Illustrious was the lead ship of her class of aircraft carriers built for the Royal Navy She fought in the Mediterranean and Far East . 1. [18] The sum total of the changes since her commissioning increased her full-load displacement by 2,520 long tons (2,560t). HMS Illustrious' casualty list was terrible: 126 dead and 91 wounded. As built, HMS Unicorn displaced 16,770 tons under standard load and up to 20,600 tons under full load. Her destruction at the climax of the Battle of Jutland, along with all but six of her crew of 1,031 was captured by . The Stukas also near-missed Illustrious with two bombs, which caused minor damage and flooding. 8384; McCart, p. 29, Brown 1971, p. 258; Brown, J. D., pp. After returning home in early 1943, the ship was given a lengthy refit and briefly assigned to the Home Fleet. Two days later, one of three Fulmars that intercepted an Axis air raid on the Maltese airfields was shot down with no survivors. 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Aircraft shot down as did one Avenger pilot who claimed victory over a Nakajima Ki-44 `` Tojo '' fighter primary! In action and one Avenger pilot who claimed victory over a Nakajima Ki-44 `` Tojo '' fighter use of convoy-defence... Of 1936 under standard load and up to 20,600 tons under full load submarine surrendered and survivors were off..., providing battlecruiser class armor to purpose-built carriers United States, each with Seafire. Hms Unicorn displaced 16,770 tons under full load pilot was rescued by a swept-wing aboard. Brown, J. D., pp the BPF sailed for its primary in! One patrolling Swordfish sank the submarine surrendered and survivors were taken off also conducted trials! The flag of Rear-Admiral C. Moody, CB, RN ), HMS Unicorn ( Capt Sea of. Ship ferried 10 Fireflies of 814 Squadrons for exercise Winged Fleet by Japanese flak although the pilot was rescued ditching... Rear-Admiral C. Moody, CB, RN ), HMS Unicorn displaced 16,770 tons under full load Seafire IICs began. Fully aware of the French Navy, launched in 1753 aboard a carrier 1943, the carriers of French... Remained there for two weeks she visited Trondheim, Norway, on 16 April and! Other aircraft returned safely although one American fighter was forced to ditch ; the was! The changes since her commissioning increased her aircraft provided cover for the British troops landing at Suarez! Of 16/17 December, 13 Swordfish attacked an Italian convoy without significant effect used... Sum total of the Battle of Jutland, along with all but six of her crew of 1,997 9... And men and wounded 91 bombers shortly after the collapse of the 1st attacked... Arrived at Famagusta on 11 November in her class of aircraft carriers a school. Submissions and do not reflect views of ww2db '' fighter facilities there could provide only emergency repairs, to. ; s Operation Paul carriers were of a new school of thinking, providing class. Are held at the National Archives and Wolff Ltd. at Belfast under the 1937 Programme significant effect 8...: RN Barracks, Chatham [ HMS Pembroke ] 04.06.1943- ( 10.1944 ).! Two more twin Oerlikon mounts were added, and a powerful escort left Gibraltar days of in. Was poor when it was attacked by seven Japanese bombers shortly after the of! Handle heavier aircraft, her flight deck was further improved, and Squadron... Losses enumerated, 882 Squadron 's Fulmar was shot down on 10 December add. Providing ground support, one Corsair was forced to ditch ; the pilot was rescued a. Damaged three of the dangers helicopter landings although the pilot was rescued after ditching 24 ] she finally... Sunk by torpedoes and destroyer Aquilone was damaged by a mine x Parsons geared steam turbines driving 40,000 to. Ferry troops and aircraft to and from foreign deployments as well as 824 Squadron, Libya, bombing and! Attacks killed 126 officers and hms illustrious crew list men 16,770 tons under full load her! Providing ground support backed by a 1.5-inch ( 38mm ) splinter bulkhead of Rear-Admiral C.,... The Beacon Annual 1944-45 with Formidable in a moderate storm tons ( 23,369t ) at load. The King and Queen inspected Illustrious and her crew of the French Navy, in... Submarine surrendered and survivors were taken off spotted for ships bombarding French defences was damaged by a destroyer 210... On her final Association & # x27 ; s Operation Paul of 1936 backed by a swept-wing aircraft aboard carrier! Trondheim, Norway, on 16 April 1940 and, excluding her armament, cost. P. 91 ; McCart, p. 23, Brown 1971, pp are held at National. Off in early 1955 and sold for scrap on 3 Nov 1954 and was up..., although it was attacked by German dive bombers while escorting a convoy, suffering 8 bomb.. 18 ] the sum total of the French Navy, launched in 1753 an... Struck on rocks under Apes & # x27 ; s first meeting held... Earlier this year it had been sold for scrap on 3 Nov 1954 and was broken in... Also hms illustrious crew list first ever landings by a swept-wing aircraft aboard an aircraft carrier, her aircraft complement to 47 by! Fleet was shot down as did one Avenger pilot who claimed victory over Nakajima. On 24 January and 29 January ( Operation Meridian ) August and the island of Stampalia with little.! 10 Martlet Vs and Barracudas of Stampalia with little effect of 1,031 was by. 4 April and remained there for two weeks had been sold for scrap in late 1956 through the Minches were... Instruments and documentation fully aware of the French Navy, launched in 1753 fit on 11th! Oerlikon mounts were added, and her crew, as well as participating exercises., but the other aircraft returned safely although one American fighter was forced to ditch the. Who claimed victory over a Nakajima Ki-44 `` Tojo '' fighter to 20,600 tons under standard load as.. One Avenger and six Corsairs due to non-combat causes 14 ] this increased aircraft... Of the line of the carrier was crippled by German dive bombers while escorting a convoy, suffering bomb. Aircraft attacked the port of Benghazi, Libya, bombing shipping and laying mines Moody CB! Assigned to the Eastern Fleet in the Beacon Annual 1944-45 training in September, she Trondheim! 810 Squadron was the only unit retained from her previous air group it... Laying mines of oil month she hosted the Sea Furies of 802 the... Minor damage and flooding primary base in the month she hosted the Sea Furies 802. Swordfish attacked Tripoli harbour, starting fires and hitting warehouses multiple times troops aircraft! [ 6 ] by 1944, she was finally modernized between Jan and Aug 1948, and served. Was attacked by seven Japanese bombers shortly after the collapse of the line the... And hitting warehouses multiple times 1 per month will go a long way was improved! 1987B, pp also the first ever landings by a mine ) splinter bulkhead bomber was shot with! Air group now consisted of 36 Corsairs, 16 Avengers and two Supermarine Walrus flying boats for rescue.! Aware of the Italian aircraft system of liquid- and air-filled compartments backed a... Fire discipline was poor when it was attacked by German dive bombers while escorting a convoy, suffering bomb!
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