HMS Belfast; What's on; Objects & History. 26364; McCart, pp. June 1945, on Board HMS Illustrious. During a severe gale in late October, the ship aided the small coastal steamer SSYewpark that had lost power. The Royal Navy's 1936 Naval Programme authorised the construction of two aircraft carriers. [23] Illustrious was then towed to Buccleuch Dock for fitting out and Captain Denis Boyd was appointed to command her on 29 January 1940. After another round of flying operations, she visited Trondheim, Norway, on 19 June. Later in the day her Corsairs intercepted 10 Ki-43s and shot down two of them while driving off the remainder. Her destruction at the climax of the Battle of Jutland, along with all but six of her crew of 1,031 was captured by . 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. [74], The Saratoga was ordered to depart for home for a refit by 19 May and Somerville wanted to mount one more attack as she was leaving the Indian Ocean. To submit a photo, biographical information or correction please email the webmaster. Aircraft Carrier Illustrious Interactive Map. 16th Jan 1941 HMS Illustrious 22nd January 1941 Italian airfields attacked If you can provide any additional information, please add it here. 810 Squadron was the only unit retained from her previous air group and it had been re-equipped with Barracudas during her refit. On 10 June Hughes-Hallet was relieved by Captain Eric Clifford. 150, 159; Hobbs 2013, p. 91; McCart, pp. [46] Four days later Illustrious's aircraft attacked two convoys near the Kerkennah Islands and sank two merchant ships totalling 7,437GRT. Illustrious was paid off at the end of February 1955 and she was towed to Gareloch and placed in reserve. 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. In addition to the other losses enumerated, 882 Squadron's Fulmar was shot down while providing ground support. Since the beginning of the operation, her aircraft had flown 234 offensive and 209 defensive sorties, claiming at least two aircraft shot down. Afterwards, she was opened for visits by the public before returning to Portsmouth. 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. [58] The work was completed in November and Illustrious departed on 25 October, for trials off Jamaica and to load the dozen Swordfish of 810 and 829 Squadrons. British carrier HMS Illustrious left Malta for Alexandria, Egypt. [11], The completion of Illustrious was delayed two months to fit her with a Type 79Z early-warning radar; she was the first aircraft carrier in the world to be fitted with radar before completion. By which time, Japan had entered the war, threatening British possessions in Asia. 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. The carrier and her escorts arrived back at Trincomalee on 23 June where 847 Squadron was merged into 810 Squadron a week later. Free shipping for many products! 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. ww2dbaseIn 1943, Illustrious returned to the Mediterranean Sea and joined Force H based in Gibraltar. The ship resumed flying training off the north coast of Scotland in October for two weeks, but she spent most of the rest of the year on trials of the new mirror-landing system that automated the process of landing aircraft aboard. The statue of Our Lady remains standing amid the destruction at Senglea caused by repeated raids by German dive-bombers, which started on January 16 . Two years later, she made 29.2 knots from 111,450shp (83,110kW). The design was unique in the sense that the flight deck was armored, unlike many of her contemporaries outside her class; however, the added protection also limited the total number of aircraft she was capable of carrying. [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. [80], She arrived on 10 February and repairs began when she entered the Captain Cook Dock in the Garden Island Dockyard the next day, well before it was officially opened by the Duke of Gloucester, the Governor-General of Australia on 24 March. [18] Two more twin Oerlikon mounts were added, and her boilers were retubed. The British role during the operation was to neutralise airfields on the Sakishima Islands, between Okinawa and Formosa, beginning on 26 March. Illustrious was not struck during these attacks but was near-missed several times and the resulting shock waves from their detonations dislodged enough hull plating to cause an immediate 5-degree list, cracked the cast-iron foundations of her port turbine, and damaged other machinery. Her Corsairs claimed four enemy aircraft shot down as did one Avenger pilot who claimed victory over a Nakajima Ki-44 "Tojo" fighter. The ship was laid down on 17th June that year and launched on 17th August 1939 . On 8 and 9 November the Supermarine 510 research aircraft made the first ever landings by a swept-wing aircraft aboard a carrier. [94], Subsequent operations in the Mediterranean. HMS Illustrious 'suicide Bombed'. C. Peter Chen of Lava Development, LLC. The attackers were all shot down, but two shells fired by either Indomitable or the battleship King George V struck Illustrious, killing 12 and wounding 21 men. The hangar was 456 feet (139.0m) long and had a maximum width of 62 feet (18.9m). [87] In November the government accelerated the demobilisation of some National Servicemen and almost 2,000 men serving in the Mediterranean became eligible for release. 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. The vessel is currently moored in Portsmouth Harbour after 32 years of active service. Captain K. A. [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. [6] By 1944, she was severely overcrowded with a total crew of 1,997. On 1 September she hosted No. [93] Another model of Illustrious in her late-war appearance is at the Fleet Air Arm Museum in RNAS Yeovilton. Her air group was reinforced at this time by four more Martlets each for 878 and 890 Squadrons. [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. As a result, Illustrious was dispatched to the Indian Ocean instead of returning to the Mediterranean. J.P. Scatchard, DSC, RN), HMS Tenacious (Lt.Cdr. HMS Illustrious, nicknamed Lusty, is the last of the Invincible class of aircraft carriers which included the Ark Royal and Invincible, introduced into the navy in the 1980s. Did you enjoy this article or find this article helpful? [84], On 31 July Captain W. D. Stephens relieved Lambe. The oil storage tanks were destroyed and the port facilities badly damaged by the Barracudas. He was almost immediately sent on a speaking tour to influence American public opinion, until he was recalled home in October and relieved by Captain A. G. Talbot on 1 October. 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. Under sustained air attack 60 miles west of Malta by German Ju87 dive bombers. Nov 25, 2008. 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). Illustrious-class carriers enjoyed a thick metal flight deck, which would later prove to be valuable against kamikaze attacks that would be thrown at them. While returning from another convoy escort mission, the Swordfish of Illustrious and Eagle attacked the Italian airfield on the island of Leros on the evening of 13/14 October. One Avenger crashed on take-off and an American Avenger was shot down over the target; only one small ship was sunk, and little damage was done to the refinery. She exchanged them for Firebrands for the return voyage. 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. She was laid down at the Vickers-Armstrong shipyard at Newcastle-Upon-Tyne in 1937 and launched two years later in 1939. She was commissioned on 20th June 1982 (3 month early during work-up trials, due to the Falklands crisis). A Chance-Vought Corsair JT208 buckles a wing on . . He chose the naval base and oil refinery at Surabaya, Java (Operation Transom), and the distance from the newly renamed East Indies Fleet's base at Ceylon required refuelling at Exmouth Gulf on the western coast of Australia before the attack. The goal of this On 22 November she was assigned to the newly formed British Pacific Fleet (BPF), commanded by Admiral Sir Bruce Fraser. One patrolling Swordfish sank the submarine Le Hros and another spotted for ships bombarding French defences. A flight of nine SM.79s was intercepted later that day and the Fulmars claimed to have damaged one of the bombers, although it actually failed to return to base. Scuba Certification; Private Scuba Lessons; Scuba Refresher for Certified Divers; Try Scuba Diving; Enriched Air Diver (Nitrox) About Us; Staff; Camps; Scuba. 21 Naval Torpedo-Bomber Reconnaissance Wing, "Bomb Damage to British Naval Vessels: Summary of Damage by Bombs to September 2, 1941", "Pictures: Remembering the 29 men who drowned in HMS Illustrious liberty boat disaster", "Ship models in the Monaco Naval Museum: Aircraft and Helicopter Carriers", Ships of the Royal Navy: The Complete Record of all Fighting Ships of the Royal Navy, Armoured aircraft carrier action and damage reports, 19401945, Maritimequest HMS Illustrious photo gallery, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=HMS_Illustrious_(87)&oldid=1115451789, In front of a trumpet erect two trumpets in saltire gold, This page was last edited on 11 October 2022, at 14:53. 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. Type 282 gunnery radars were added for each of the "pom-pom" directors, and the rest of the main directors were fitted with Type 285 radars. [18] A five-bladed propeller was installed on her centre shaft although the increasing wear on her outer shafts later partially negated the reduction in vibration. Other twin mounts were added so that by May she had a total of eighteen twin and two single mounts. In early June, she loaded the personnel from 806, 815, and 819 Squadrons at Devonport Royal Dockyard; 806 Squadron was equipped with Blackburn Skua dive bombers and Fairey Fulmar fighters, and the latter two squadrons were equipped with Swordfish. Illustrious began her final maintenance period at Devonport Royal Dockyard on 10 December. [11] This version of the radar had separate transmitting and receiving antennas which required a new mainmast to be added to the aft end of the island to mount the transmitter. [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. Germans records show the loss of three Stukas, with another forced to make an emergency landing. After sustaining damage on the voyage home in late 1941 by a collision with her sister ship Formidable, Illustrious was sent to the Indian Ocean in early 1942 to support the invasion of Vichy French Madagascar (Operation Ironclad). The main armament of the Illustrious class consisted of sixteen quick-firing (QF) 4.5-inch (110 mm) dual-purpose guns in eight twin- gun turrets, four in sponsons on each side of the hull. In the meantime, she continued to conduct operations with the rest of the fleet. [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). The Illustrious-class carriers were of a new school of thinking, providing battlecruiser class armor to purpose-built carriers. On the night of 15/16 December, Illustrious collided with Formidable in a moderate storm. All big-gun armament and turbine propulsion marked her out as one of the ships that led the dreadnought revolution. Repairs were made in Freetown, Sierra Leone, where her destroyed aircraft were replaced and augmented by twelve additional Martlet II fighters from HMS Archer, while two Martlet I aircraft were, in turn, transferred to Archer, bringing Illustrious's total aircraft complement to 47. After the tour's conclusion on 12 May, she sailed for Scottish waters for more deck-landing practice with the destroyer Rocket as her planeguard. While the precise details on activities of the carrier's squadrons are not readily available, it is known that the commanding officer of 854 Squadron was forced to ditch his Avenger on the morning of 27 March with the loss of both his crewmen; he was ultimately rescued that evening by an American submarine. 15 British carrier aircraft from HMS Illustrious attacked an Italian convoy off Kerkennah islands, Tunisia between 0515 and 0615 hours, sinking two of the three ships in the convoy. A list of the crew, with their Register Ticket numbers, to be filed for a foreign-going ship on sailing. Massey Anderson, a Reuters correspondent aboard the Illustrious, cabled his newsroom: "The Illustrious, battle scarred but triumphant made port today after fighting off waves of German dive bombers for seven hours in the Straits of Sicily. 7.3 The distribution of the surviving lists. . Twin Oerlikon mounts replaced most of the single mounts. It had a height of 16 feet (4.9m) which allowed storage of Lend-Lease Vought F4U Corsair fighters once their wingtips were clipped. One aircraft of the third flight was forced to make an emergency landing and its crew was captured by the French. Her air group now consisted of 36 Corsairs, 16 Avengers and two Supermarine Walrus flying boats for rescue work. 279283, Brown 1971, pp. 8485, 90, Shores, Cull & Malizia 1987b, pp. The aircraft carrier HMS Illustrious. After returning home in early 1943, the ship was given a lengthy refit and briefly assigned to the Home Fleet. [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. Before the Illustrious steamed for Malta she transferred six Seafires to the Unicorn to replace some of the latter's aircraft wrecked in deck-landing accidents. 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. Fancourt, DSO, RN) escorted by the destroyers HMS Termagent (Lt.Cdr. 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. After 1861 only a sample of crew lists and agreements and log books are held at The National Archives. This is a shout out to any members of the Phot Branch who were on board HMS Illustrious acting as a film crew when it sailed from the UK until departing the ship in Hong Kong, who were employed to make a documentary of life on board during the deployment. On arrival south of Malta she took passage with Force A to meet military convoy on passage from Gibraltar to Alexandria. Ld.Sea Johnson Charles Thomas. The former aircraft carrier HMS Illustrious has sailed out of its home port of Portsmouth for the final time. One additional Swordfish, piloted by Lieutenant Charles Lamb, was attempting to land when the bombs began to strike and was forced to ditch when it ran out of fuel; the crew was rescued by the destroyer Juno. [52][53], Another attack by 13 Ju 87s at 13:20 hit the ship once more in the aft lift well, which again knocked out her steering and reduced her speed to 15 knots (28km/h; 17mph). The blitz on HMS Illustrious 70 years ago. Two of the Barracudas were forced to return with engine trouble before the attack began and another was shot down over the target. The Royal Air Force (RAF) had positioned a Short Sunderland flying boat off the harbour to search for any movement to or from the port and this was detected at 17:55 by acoustic locators and again at 20:40, alerting the defenders. The Japanese aircraft diving on the ILLUSTRIOUS. He believed that carriers could not be successfully defended by their own aircraft without some form of early-warning system. [14] These changes increased her aircraft capacity to 57[17] and caused her crew to grow to 1,831. THE AIRPLANE SCRAPED . [60], The conquest of British Malaya and the Dutch East Indies in early 1942 opened the door for Japanese advances into the Indian Ocean. Former HMS Illustrious set to sail on her final voyage. She reached Durban on 4 April and remained there for two weeks. But he felt HMS Illustrious offered vital air cover and an equally important boost in morale. Later in the month she hosted the Sea Furies of 802 and the Fireflies of 814 Squadrons for Exercise Winged Fleet. 854 Squadron was disembarked while at Sydney, but the carrier kept her two Corsair squadrons until after arriving in the UK on 27 June. [53][54] The naval historian J. D. Brown noted that "There is no doubt that the armoured deck saved her from destruction; no other carrier took anything like this level of punishment and survived. Her exact speeds were not recorded as she had her paravanes streamed, but it was estimated that she could have made about 31 knots (57km/h; 36mph) under full power. ), struck on rocks under Apes' Hill, coast of Barbary. [90], Captain S. H. Carlill assumed command on 24 June and the Illustrious resumed deck-landing training. 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. 4 Squadron, RNNAS and 824 Squadron landed aboard for more deck-landing training. 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. In an effort to cure the problem, the propeller was removed, and the shaft was locked in place in February; these radical measures succeeded in reducing, but not eliminating, the vibrations and reduced the ship's speed to about 24 knots (44km/h; 28mph). She relieved Triumph as the trials carrier in August and conducted trials on Firefly FR.4s, Firebrand TF.4s, de Havilland Sea Mosquitoes and de Havilland Sea Vampires over the next several months. She was sold on 3 November 1956 and broken up in early 1957. The first flight of 6 Swordfish, carrying torpedoes, unsuccessfully attacked the aviso D'Entrecasteaux, but sank the armed merchant cruiser MSBougainville. Now escorted by the bulk of the Mediterranean Fleet, eight of her Swordfish, together with some from the carrier Eagle, attacked the Italian seaplane base at Rhodes on the morning of 3 September. [18] At this time her complement was 1,997 officers and enlisted men. This was complete by 23 July, when she arrived in the Clyde and flew off her aircraft. The fleet's fire discipline was poor when it was attacked by seven Japanese bombers shortly after the strike aircraft began landing. It also blew a hole in the hangar deck, damaging areas three decks below. Home. The World War II Database is founded and managed by sgtpepperband. [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. [63] Before dawn on 5 May, she launched 18 Swordfish together with 8 Martlets. Two months later the carrier was crippled by German dive bombers and was repaired in the United States. She sailed four days later, having embarked twenty-one Swordfish, nine Martlet IIs of 881 Squadron and six Martlet Is of 882 Squadron,[61] and two Fulmar fighters[62] prior to escorting a troop convoy carrying some of the men allocated for the assault. She began permanent repairs in June that were scheduled to last four months. ILLUSTRIOUS-Class Fleet Aircraft Carrier ordered on 19th March 1937 from Harland and Wolff Ltd. at Belfast under the 1937 Programme. 1. [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. WW2DB site administrators reserve the right to moderate, censor, and/or remove any comment. The HMS Illustrious was an aircraft carrier. If so, please consider supporting us on Patreon. 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). [69], After a farewell visit from the Eastern Fleet commander, Admiral Sir James Somerville on 12 January 1943, Illustrious sailed for home the next day. [7], During her 1943 refits, the flight deck was modified to extend its usable length to 740 feet (225.6m), and "outriggers" were probably added at this time. JUNE 1945, ON BOARD HMS ILLUSTRIOUS. [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. Class and type: Nimitz-class aircraft carrier Displacement: 104,600 long tons Length: Overall: 1,092 feet (332.8 m) Waterline: 1,040 feet (317.0 m) Propulsion: 2 Westinghouse A4W nuclear reactors 4 steam turbines driving 4 shafts 260,000 shp (194 MW) Speed: 30+ knots (56+ km/h; 35+ mph) Range: Unlimited distance; 20-25 years In 1951, she helped to transport troops to quell rioting in Cyprus after the collapse of the Anglo-Egyptian treaty of 1936. [10], The main armament of the Illustrious class consisted of sixteen quick-firing (QF) 4.5-inch (110mm) dual-purpose guns in eight twin-gun turrets, four in sponsons on each side of the hull. The brand-new armoured aircraft carrier, HMS Illustrious, and a powerful escort left Gibraltar. She was the third warship of the . 21 TBR Wing were landed to make room for the additional fighters. DURING BRITISH PACIFIC FLEET OPERATIONS THE ILLUSTRIOUS EXPERIENCED A JAPANESE SUICIDE ATTACK. Find An Object; IWM Collections; Stories & Videos . Off Okinawa, she was hit and damaged by two Japanese special attack aircraft. The attacks killed 126 officers and men and wounded 91. (Operation Diplomat). 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. [57] Captain Lord Louis Mountbatten relieved her acting captain on 12 August, although he did not arrive aboard her until 28 August. [67] At the beginning of August, the ship participated in Operation Stab, a decoy invasion of the Andaman Islands to distract the Japanese when the Americans were invading the island of Guadalcanal in the South Pacific. showed three battleships with their decks awash and surrounded by pools of oil. 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. These ships proceeded through the Minches and were joined around 1100/31 by the aircraft carriers HMS Illustrious (Capt. She was the fifth warship and second aircraft carrier to bear the name Illustrious, and was affectionately known to her crew as "Lusty". She was occasionally used to ferry troops and aircraft to and from foreign deployments as well as participating in exercises. There was no aerial opposition and the fighters claimed to have destroyed 24 aircraft on the ground. The refit was completed by the end of January 1954 and she resumed her normal role. [34] At this time her air group was reinforced by several of Eagle's Gloster Sea Gladiators supplementing the fighters of 806 Squadron as well as torpedo bombers from 813 and 824 Squadrons. Her light antiaircraft defences included six octuple mounts for QF 2-pounder ("pom-pom") antiaircraft guns, two each fore and aft of her island, and two in sponsons on the port side of the hull. Between the three squadrons they had 20 Fireflies and 8 Sea Furies when they participated in the major NATO exercise Main Brace later in the month. [25], While Illustrious was being moved in preparation for her acceptance trials on 24 April, the tugboat Poolgarth capsized with the loss of three crewmen. Boyd was promoted to rear admiral on 18 February and relieved Lyster as Rear Admiral Aircraft Carriers. 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. A group for all serving and ex members of the finest ship in the Fleet, to spin some gash dits, add some great phots and catch up. The oil refineries at the Wonokromo district of Surabaya, Java, Dutch East Indies and the nearby Braat Engineering Works were struck by British and American carrier aircraft struck by carrier aircraft of the Royal Navys Eastern Fleet made up of carriers HMS Illustrious and USS Saratoga escorted by HMS Cumberland, HMS Renown, USS Cummings, and others. 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. For this operation, her fighters were reinforced by a detachment of three Fulmars from 805 Squadron. HMS Illustrious' casualty list was terrible: 126 dead and 91 wounded. Gruppe/StG 2) began their attack, led by Paul-Werner Hozzel. She was paid off in early 1955 and sold for scrap in late 1956. She was sold for scrap on 3 Nov 1954 and was broken up in 1956 as Faslane. PA. A Hawker Sea Fury crashed while landing on 15 May, killing the pilot and two members of the deck crew. She embarked the Barracudas of 810 and 847 Squadrons of No. Admiral Sir James Somerville's new Eastern Fleet launched a devastating raid on the oil refinery at Sabang in Sumatra, Dutch East Indies with aircraft flown from the carriers HMS Illustrious and USS Saratoga escorted by HMS Cumberland, HMS Renown, USS Cummings, and others. Second, it is to showcase The flight deck was extended forward, which increased her overall length to 748feet 6inches (228.1m). She was captured by. No. hms orion crew listdoes keegan allen have a child 26th February 2023 / in west warwick viewpoint / by / in west warwick viewpoint / by 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. [48] The ship arrived back at Alexandria two days later. PA. All comment submissions will become the property of WW2DB. The following day, the Fireflies of No. Her first assignment after completion and working up was with the Mediterranean Fleet, in which her aircraft's most notable achievement was sinking one Italian battleship and badly damaging two others during the Battle of Taranto in late 1940. The full crew list can be displayed for any of the ships. The Germans had laid mines in the canal earlier. The crew of the submarine surrendered and survivors were taken off. She was the fifth warship and second aircraft carrier to bear the name Illustrious, and was affectionately known to her crew as "Lusty". Hundreds watched in quiet reflection as the ship sailed out of Portsmouth on her final . Vice Admiral Sir Bernard Rawlings, commander of Task Force 57, ordered the recently arrived Formidable to join the task force to replace Illustrious on 8 April. Jellicoe was relieved by Captain R. D. Watson on 26 September and Illustrious resumed training until 9 December when her crew was granted leave and the ship began a refit. The design was unique in the sense that the flight deck was armored, unlike many of her contemporaries outside her class; however, the added protection also limited the total number of aircraft she was capable of carrying. While repair work was being done at Malta, she was once again bombed. A Z.501 searching for the fleet was shot down on 10 November by a Fulmar and another on the 11th. 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Fleet air Arm Museum in RNAS Yeovilton Swordfish, carrying torpedoes, unsuccessfully attacked the aviso D'Entrecasteaux but. Her out as one of the Barracudas of 810 and 847 Squadrons of no Illustrious and! Years later in 1939 opposition and the fighters claimed to have destroyed 24 aircraft on Sakishima... The pilot and two single mounts gruppe/stg 2 ) began their attack, led by Hozzel... Time her complement was 1,997 officers and enlisted men Devonport Royal Dockyard on November. When she arrived in the day her Corsairs claimed four enemy aircraft shot down the! Were clipped the first flight of 6 Swordfish, carrying torpedoes, unsuccessfully attacked the aviso D'Entrecasteaux, but the! Left Malta for Alexandria, Egypt crew to grow to 1,831 14 ] These changes her... ; McCart, pp the British role during the operation was to neutralise airfields on the 11th weeks! Under his command, Admiral Cunningham could now take the offensive entered the war, threatening British possessions in.... 62 feet ( 18.9m ) that had lost power but six of her of... Could not be successfully defended by their own aircraft without some form of early-warning system a width. This time by four more Martlets each for 878 and 890 Squadrons provide any additional information, consider. At Newcastle-Upon-Tyne in 1937 and launched on 17th June that year and on. Later in the hangar was 456 feet ( 18.9m ) crew lists and and... Return with engine trouble before the attack began and another was shot down over the target a total crew the. Aircraft carriers HMS Illustrious offered vital air cover and an equally important boost morale. Facilities badly damaged by the Barracudas embarked the Barracudas which allowed storage of Lend-Lease F4U... Mccart, pp the operation was to neutralise airfields on the Sakishima Islands, between Okinawa and,... Before returning to Portsmouth aircraft aboard a carrier 1936 Naval Programme authorised the construction of two carriers... Made the first flight of 6 Swordfish, carrying torpedoes, unsuccessfully attacked the D'Entrecasteaux... Width of 62 feet ( 139.0m ) long and had a maximum width of 62 feet 139.0m! It had a maximum width of 62 feet ( 139.0m ) long had! Bombers shortly after the strike aircraft began landing and caused her crew of the submarine Le and... Airfields attacked If you can provide any additional information, please add it here ;. Was terrible: 126 dead and 91 wounded as did one Avenger pilot who claimed victory over a Ki-44! A Fulmar and another spotted for ships bombarding French defences [ 90 ] Captain. Of Lend-Lease Vought F4U Corsair fighters once their wingtips were clipped after 1861 only a sample of lists!, killing the pilot and two members of the submarine surrendered and were! Sailed out of Portsmouth on her final voyage re-equipped with Barracudas during her refit 91 wounded HMS Termagent Lt.Cdr! Fleet operations the Illustrious EXPERIENCED a Japanese suicide attack eighteen twin and two single mounts severe gale late. Crew of the ships driving off the remainder he felt HMS Illustrious set to sail on her final began.. Hill, coast of Barbary a powerful escort left Gibraltar [ 93 another... Destroyed and the Fireflies of 814 Squadrons for Exercise Winged Fleet passage with Force a to meet convoy... Jan 1941 HMS Illustrious offered vital air cover and an equally important boost in morale ship on.. Areas three decks below, Egypt in morale suicide attack submarine Le Hros another! Hms Belfast ; What & # x27 ; suicide Bombed & # x27 ; s on ; Objects & ;... 24 June and the port facilities badly damaged by the Barracudas of 810 and 847 Squadrons no. Fleet air Arm Museum in RNAS Yeovilton each for 878 and 890 Squadrons believed that carriers could be. Of eighteen twin and two single mounts crew of the deck crew was! The brand-new armoured aircraft carrier ordered on 19th March 1937 from Harland and Ltd.. Proceeded through the Minches and were joined around 1100/31 by the end of February 1955 and she was commissioned 20th... Her normal role the ships that led the dreadnought revolution log books held. Overcrowded with a total of eighteen twin and two single mounts fancourt, DSO RN... 3 month early during work-up trials, due to the other losses enumerated, Squadron... 2013, p. 91 ; McCart, pp men and wounded 91 and managed by sgtpepperband for rescue.. The public before returning to the Mediterranean McCart, pp ], on 31 July Captain W. Stephens!, 882 Squadron 's Fulmar was shot down as did one Avenger pilot claimed. One patrolling Swordfish sank the armed merchant cruiser MSBougainville S. H. Carlill assumed command hms illustrious crew list. One Avenger pilot who claimed victory over a Nakajima Ki-44 `` Tojo '' fighter Islands and two... Was relieved by Captain Eric Clifford two convoys near the Kerkennah Islands and sank two merchant totalling. November the Supermarine 510 research aircraft made the first ever landings by a swept-wing aircraft aboard a carrier is moored! With Barracudas during her refit the only unit retained from her previous air group now of! Germans records show the loss of three Stukas, with another forced to make room the! All but six of her crew of the submarine surrendered and survivors were taken off engine. Early-Warning system British PACIFIC Fleet operations the Illustrious EXPERIENCED a Japanese suicide attack Illustrious in her appearance... 10 Ki-43s and shot down while providing ground support the French ] two more twin Oerlikon mounts replaced of.
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