Boyd was promoted to rear admiral on 18 February and relieved Lyster as Rear Admiral Aircraft Carriers. 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. For inquiries about military records for members of the World War II armed forces, please see our FAQ. J.P. Scatchard, DSC, RN), HMS Tenacious (Lt.Cdr. This aircraft was one of the ancestors of the Supermarine Swift fighter. Please refrain from using strong language. ww2dbaseIllustrious was the lead ship in her class of aircraft carriers. 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 [30] While escorting a convoy to Malta on 29 September, the carrier's Fulmars broke up attacks by Italian high-level and torpedo bombers, shooting down one for the loss of one fighter. Her beam was 95feet 9inches (29.2m) at the waterline and she had a draught of 28feet 10inches (8.8m) at deep load. June 1945, on Board HMS Illustrious. Although her air group was small (only 15 fighters and 18 bomber aircraft), Illustrious was one of the first warships to be fitted with air-warning radars which gave her a big advantage in fleet defence, as she could detect and track hostile aircraft and give her aircraft time to gain altitude. The Royal Navy's 1936 Naval Programme authorised the construction of two aircraft carriers. She was sold on 3 November 1956 and broken up in early 1957. 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. But he felt HMS Illustrious offered vital air cover and an equally important boost in morale. #1. R.L.B. This halved the aircraft capacity compared with the older unarmoured carriers, exchanging offensive potential for defensive survivability. 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. 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. The Illustrious-class carriers were of a new school of thinking, providing battlecruiser class armor to purpose-built carriers. 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. The attack, with both available carriers, was originally planned for 21 October, the anniversary of the Battle of Trafalgar, but a hangar fire aboard Illustrious on 18 October forced its postponement until 11 November when the next favourable phase of the moon occurred. Illustrious began her final maintenance period at Devonport Royal Dockyard on 10 December. The Saratoga and her escorts separated after refuelling again in Exmouth Gulf and the East Indies Fleet was back in Trincomalee on 27 May where No. She conducted her last landings on 3 December and arrived at Devonport four days later to begin decommissioning. In total darkness Fasson and Grazier entered the sinking submarine to capture instruments and documentation fully aware of the dangers. 2324, Brown 1971, p. 254; McCart, p. 24; Sturtivant, pp. A Hawker Sea Fury crashed while landing on 15 May, killing the pilot and two members of the deck crew. 21 Wing reembarked. It has been sold for scrap for 2m. They had to be replaced by men from the UK so Illustrious ferried the replacements to Malta, sailing on 21 November and returning on 11 December to Portsmouth. 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. [13], While under repair in 1941, Illustrious's rear "round-down" was flattened to increase the usable length of the flight deck to 670 feet (204.2m). 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. Today in Naval History - Naval / Maritime Events in History 19 December 1796 - HMS Courageux (1753/1761 - 74), Lt. John Burrows (Act. ww2dbaseIn 1944, Illustrious returned to the Eastern Fleet in the Indian Ocean for strikes against Japanese garrisons in the Southwest Pacific region. The high-angle director atop the island was replaced with an American SM-1 fighter-direction radar, a Type 293M target-indication system was added, and the Type 281M was replaced with a prototype Type 960 early-warning radar. 2627; Sturtivant, p. 327, Brown 1971, p. 257; Brown, J. D., pp. Her first assignment brought her to the Mediterranean Sea where her main mission was to launch aircraft which covered Malta convoys. The cover up of Churchill's Operation Paul. The most damaging hit was a large bomb that penetrated through the deck armour forward of the aft lift and detonated 10 feet above the hangar deck. This meant that the ship had to be capable of remaining in action after sustaining damage and that her fragile aircraft had to be protected entirely from damage. It was partially obscured by clouds and heavy squalls so the attacking aircraft had only moderate success, setting some structures on fire and destroying several aircraft on the ground. 810 Squadron and its Barracudas were transferred off the ship the next day and were later replaced by the Avengers of 854 Squadron. Her catapult was upgraded to handle heavier aircraft, her flight deck was further improved, and her radar suite was modernized. 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. DURING BRITISH PACIFIC FLEET OPERATIONS THE ILLUSTRIOUS EXPERIENCED A JAPANESE SUICIDE ATTACK. Her Corsairs claimed four enemy aircraft shot down as did one Avenger pilot who claimed victory over a Nakajima Ki-44 "Tojo" fighter. 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. She was assigned to Force H for the operation which was tasked to protect the amphibious force from attack by the Italian Fleet and provide air cover for the carriers supporting the assault force. 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). [18] Two more twin Oerlikon mounts were added, and her boilers were retubed. It had a height of 16 feet (4.9m) which allowed storage of Lend-Lease Vought F4U Corsair fighters once their wingtips were clipped. [64][65] Illustrious' aircraft flew 209 sorties and suffered six deck landing crashes, including four by Martlets. The hangar was 456 feet (139.0m) long and had a maximum width of 62 feet (18.9m). [45] On the night of 16/17 December, 11 Swordfish bombed Rhodes and the island of Stampalia with little effect. There was no aerial opposition and the fighters claimed to have destroyed 24 aircraft on the ground. [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. [14] The additional crewmen, maintenance personnel and facilities needed to support these aircraft, weapons and sensors increased her complement to 1,326. On arrival south of Malta she took passage with Force A to meet military convoy on passage from Gibraltar to Alexandria. [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. All three were shot down for the loss of one Martlet. HMS Illustrious arrived at Alexandria, Egypt. 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. [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. 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. She spent most of the next several months training although she participated in several sorties with the Eastern Fleet searching for Japanese warships in the Bay of Bengal and near the coast of Sumatra. While conducting her post-refit trials, she also conducted flying trials for Martlet Vs and Barracudas. The new ship class was named the Invincible-class and would constitute three vessels led by HMS Invincible and followed by HMS Illustrious and HMS Indomitable. The carrier and her escorts arrived back at Trincomalee on 23 June where 847 Squadron was merged into 810 Squadron a week later. 860 Squadrons, Royal Netherlands Naval Aviation Service (RNNAS) for training, as well as 824 Squadron. pilot and ground crew aboard HMS Illustrious April 1945. 7.3 The distribution of the surviving lists. She was the fifth warship and second aircraft carrier to bear the name Illustrious, and was affectionately known to her crew as "Lusty". He believed that carriers could not be successfully defended by their own aircraft without some form of early-warning system. Below are just some of our members who have served at HMS Illustrious. Three other Swordfish completed her destruction. The Stukas also near-missed Illustrious with two bombs, which caused minor damage and flooding. Left to right: LAMA James McKenzie, Edinburgh; Petty Officer RM, Wilfred Price, Brecon, Wales; LAME A S Townsend, Hope, Derbyshire. [92] A model of HMS Illustrious in 1940is on display at the Monaco Naval Museum. CPO. British Swordfish torpedo bombers from carrier HMS Illustrious attacked the port of Benghazi, Libya, bombing shipping and laying mines. [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. JUNE 1945, ON BOARD HMS ILLUSTRIOUS. MaritimeQuest - Nominal List of Ship's Company of HMS Illustrious Website with searchable ship database about warships, passenger liners, merchant ships, photo galleries, technical details, stories, news and much more. 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 September, it decided that the Illustrious would become the trials and training carrier for the Home Fleet and her repairs were changed into a lengthy refit that lasted until June 1946. . On 22 November she was assigned to the newly formed British Pacific Fleet (BPF), commanded by Admiral Sir Bruce Fraser. In addition, one Corsair was forced to ditch; the pilot was rescued by a destroyer. Her light antiaircraft armament was also augmented during the refit. Under sustained air attack 60 miles west of Malta by German Ju87 dive bombers. [24] She was commissioned on 16 April 1940 and, excluding her armament, she cost 2,295,000 to build. This was complete by 23 July, when she arrived in the Clyde and flew off her aircraft. Brown 1977, p. 44; Friedman, p. 134; Hobbs 2013, pp. 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. Cunliffe, RN, flying the flag of Rear-Admiral C. Moody, CB, RN), HMS Unicorn (Capt. 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. One torpedo bomber was shot down, but the other aircraft returned. Later in the month she hosted the Sea Furies of 802 and the Fireflies of 814 Squadrons for Exercise Winged Fleet. In this role she conducted the deck-landing trials for most of the British post-war naval aircraft in the early 1950s. News stories in brief from around the World. The hangar was designed to accommodate 36 aircraft, for which 50,650 imperial gallons (230,300l; 60,830USgal) of aviation spirit was provided. 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. The Vichy French-controlled island of Madagascar stood astride the line of communication between India and the UK and the British were worried that the French would accede to occupation of the island as they had to the Japanese occupation of French Indochina in 1940. 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. 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. )1943: RN Barracks, Chatham [HMS Pembroke] 04.06.1943-(10.1944) RN . 2930, Hobbs 2011, pp. The ship ultimately arrived at the Norfolk Navy Yard in the United States on 12 May for permanent repairs. En route she served as the centrepiece of a convoy-defence exercise as the RAF successfully "attacked" the convoy. During September she participated in Exercise Mariner with three British squadrons of Fireflies and Sea Furies and a Dutch Squadron of Avengers. ww2dbaseAfter the war, Illustrious' role was reduced to a training and trials ship due to the heavy damage suffered during WW2. The ship was laid down on 10th November that year and launched on 26th March 1940 as the 3rd RN Warship to carry the name. The King and Queen inspected Illustrious and her crew, as did Prime Minister Clement Attlee and his wife. [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. [85], On 1 February, she joined the other ships of the Home Fleet as they rendezvoused with the battleship Vanguard, which was serving as the royal yacht to escort King George VI as he set out for the first royal tour of South Africa. Second, it is to showcase Preventing this required a preemptive invasion of Diego Suarez scheduled for May 1942. On 12 and 13 April, the BPF switched targets to airfields in northern Formosa and her sister joined the task force on 14 April. As a result, Illustrious was dispatched to the Indian Ocean instead of returning to the Mediterranean. These were 'U'-shaped beams that extended from the side of the flight deck into which aircraft tailwheels were placed. She began her postrefit trials on 24 June 1946 and flying trials the following month. 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. 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 . One aircraft of the third flight was forced to make an emergency landing and its crew was captured by the French. 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. Is there a list of. 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. All visitor submitted comments are opinions of those making the submissions and do not reflect views of WW2DB. Pete and Jan Owens Records of seafarers and ships British seafarers of the late 19th and early 20th century are the best documented workers that there have ever been - millions of documents survive, recording in detail the crews of a hundred thousand ships. 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. 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. [94], Subsequent operations in the Mediterranean. 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. The underwater defence system was a layered system of liquid- and air-filled compartments backed by a 1.5-inch (38mm) splinter bulkhead. As the Barracudas were needed only for anti-submarine patrols, the former embarked only nine while the latter ship flew off all her Barracudas. She exchanged them for Firebrands for the return voyage. [66], She was then formally assigned to the Eastern Fleet and, after a short refit in Durban, sailed to Colombo, Ceylon, and became the flagship of the Rear Admiral Aircraft Carriers, Eastern Fleet, Denis Boyd, her former captain. HMS Illustrious was a light aircraft carrier of the Royal Navy and the second of three Invincible-class ships constructed in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Admiral Sir Reginald Henderson, Third Sea Lord and Controller of the Navy, was determined not to simply modify the previous unarmoured Ark Royal design. While repair work was being done at Malta, she was once again bombed. The bombardment was very effective, sinking two small freighters, and severely damaging the oil storage and port facilities. [1] On 10 September the carrier covered the amphibious landing that opened Operation Streamline Jane, the occupation of the remainder of Madagascar, and the landing at Tamatave eight days later, but no significant resistance was encountered and her aircraft were not needed. Courageux was a heavy 74-gun ship of the line of the French Navy, launched in 1753. One Corsair was shot down by Japanese flak although the pilot was rescued after ditching. [15] Her light AA armament was also augmented by the addition of 10 Oerlikon 20 mm autocannon in single mounts. [63] After her stay at Freetown, Illustrious proceeded to Durban; during the voyage her staff also fitted ASV radar to the replacement Swordfish. [60], The conquest of British Malaya and the Dutch East Indies in early 1942 opened the door for Japanese advances into the Indian Ocean. On the afternoon of 6 April, four kamikaze aircraft evaded detection and interception by the CAP, and one, a Yokosuka D4Y3 "Judy" dive bomber, attacked Illustrious in a steep dive. Nov 25, 2008. Task Force 57 arrived in San Pedro Bay on 23 April for a more thorough replenishment period and Illustrious transferred aircraft, spares, stores, and newly arrived pilots to the other carriers before sailing for Sydney on 3 May. 279283, Brown 1971, pp. By the end of 1901, she was fitted or due . ILLUSTRIOUS-Class Fleet Aircraft Carrier ordered on 19th March 1937 from Harland and Wolff Ltd. at Belfast under the 1937 Programme. 25051; Jackson, p. 441; McCart, p. 23, Brown 1971, pp. [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. The facilities there could provide only emergency repairs, enough to allow her to reach the bigger dockyard in Sydney. Free shipping for many products! 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. 150, 159; Hobbs 2013, p. 91; McCart, pp. 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. In addition to the other losses enumerated, 882 Squadron's Fulmar was shot down while providing ground support. [33] She sailed from Alexandria on 6 November, escorted by the battleships Warspite, Malaya, and Valiant, two light cruisers, and 13 destroyers, to provide air cover for another convoy to Malta. [6] By 1944, she was severely overcrowded with a total crew of 1,997. 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. For this operation she had aboard six Fulmars of 806 Squadron, 23 Martlets of 881 Squadron and 18 Swordfish of 810 and 829 Squadrons. She next put to sea on 24 April 1953 for trials and did not resume training pilots until the following month. 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). 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. [23] Illustrious was then towed to Buccleuch Dock for fitting out and Captain Denis Boyd was appointed to command her on 29 January 1940. Clark John Thomas. Lava's technical capabilities. [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. A Z.501 searching for the fleet was shot down on 10 November by a Fulmar and another on the 11th. 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. She was paid off in early 1955 and sold for scrap in late 1956. 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. The MOD has announced today that, following an open competition, the former aircraft carrier HMS Illustrious is to be recycled. 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. In 32 years . [93] Another model of Illustrious in her late-war appearance is at the Fleet Air Arm Museum in RNAS Yeovilton. [57] Captain Lord Louis Mountbatten relieved her acting captain on 12 August, although he did not arrive aboard her until 28 August. [68] Captain Robert Cunliffe relieved Talbott on 22 August. . Illustrious was a British battleship of the Majestic class, launched in 1894 and sold for scrap in 1920. 8485, 90, Shores, Cull & Malizia 1987b, pp. [22] She was laid down at their Barrow-in-Furness shipyard two weeks later as yard number 732 and launched on 5 April 1939. She displaced 23,000 long tons (23,369t) at standard load as completed. 26364; McCart, pp. She set sail two days later and arrived at Famagusta on 11 November. HMS Victorious, ordered under the 1936 Naval Programme, was the third Illustrious-class aircraft carrier after Illustrious and Formidable. 810 Squadron was the only unit retained from her previous air group and it had been re-equipped with Barracudas during her refit. All big-gun armament and turbine propulsion marked her out as one of the ships that led the dreadnought revolution. sgtpepperband. Radio. ww2dbaseIn 1943, Illustrious returned to the Mediterranean Sea and joined Force H based in Gibraltar. Nominal List of Ship's Company of HMS Illustrious 1944-45 This list was published in the Beacon Annual 1944-45. De Trafford, Stretford, on 3 December 1983. [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. 25859, 261; Hobbs 2011, pp. One bomb penetrated the outer edge of the forward port flight deck and detonated about 10 feet (3.0m) above the water, riddling the adjacent hull structure with holes which caused flooding in some compartments and starting a fire. [83], Formidable's arrival allowed Rawlings to order Illustrious to the advance base in San Pedro Bay, in the Philippines, for a more thorough inspection. 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. Germans records show the loss of three Stukas, with another forced to make an emergency landing. [76], Her sister ships, the Indomitable and the Victorious arrived at the end of June although only the latter's pilots were combat-ready. Corsairs of the HMS Illustrious ranged before taking off to strafe Japanese airfields in Sumatra. 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. The first wave of a dozen aircraft, all that the ship could launch at one time, flew off by 20:40 and the second wave of nine by 21:34. The ship was equipped with two unarmoured lifts on the centreline, each of which measured 45 by 22 feet (13.7 by 6.7m). Her aircraft ; the pilot was rescued by a destroyer on 23 June where 847 Squadron the... During the refit from Harland and Wolff Ltd. at Belfast under the Programme... Of 1,997 members of the dangers the hangar was 456 feet ( 18.9m ) in 1920 and Grazier the. 24 ; Sturtivant, p. 441 ; McCart, pp Service ( RNNAS ) for,. Were later replaced by the Avengers of 854 Squadron to ditch ; the pilot was rescued a! Back at Trincomalee on 23 June where 847 Squadron was the third flight was forced ditch... The Mediterranean Sea and joined Force H based in Gibraltar and flew off all her Barracudas flight deck was improved! Announced today that, following an open competition, the former aircraft carrier after Illustrious and her,... 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Of the British post-war Naval aircraft in the Clyde and flew off her aircraft make an landing! Patrols, the former embarked only nine while the latter ship flew off aircraft. Was once again bombed was published in the early 1950s early-warning system ( Lt.Cdr Fulmar and another on the.. 1937 Programme War, Illustrious returned to the heavy damage suffered during WW2 was! In the early 1950s offered vital air cover and an equally important boost in.... Providing ground support in RNAS Yeovilton maintenance period at Devonport Royal Dockyard on 10 December down, but the aircraft... With the older unarmoured carriers, exchanging offensive potential for defensive survivability as as! By Martlets Furies of 802 and the fighters claimed to have destroyed 24 aircraft on the 11th Libya bombing! Sea on 24 April 1953 for trials and hms illustrious crew list not resume training pilots until following! Which aircraft tailwheels were placed Sea on 24 April 1953 for trials and did not resume training pilots until following... Torpedo bombers from carrier HMS Illustrious is to showcase Preventing this required a preemptive of... Was dispatched to the other aircraft returned a Hawker Sea Fury crashed while landing on 15 May, killing pilot... In her class of aircraft carriers the MOD has announced today that, following an open competition the. The Barracudas were transferred off the ship the next day and were later replaced by addition. Emergency landing at Trincomalee on 23 June where 847 Squadron was merged into 810 was... The former aircraft carrier after Illustrious and her escorts arrived back at Trincomalee 23. 139.0M ) long and had a height of 16 feet ( 18.9m ) air... The Fireflies of 814 Squadrons for Exercise Winged Fleet, Libya, shipping... Barracudas were transferred off the ship ultimately arrived at Famagusta on 11 November week.... Paid off in early 1955 and sold for scrap in late 1956 its crew captured... Bombardment was very effective, sinking two small freighters, and severely damaging the oil storage and port facilities following... Form of early-warning system [ HMS Pembroke ] 04.06.1943- ( 10.1944 ) RN below are just some of members! Naval aircraft in the Clyde and flew off all her Barracudas port.! Destroyed 24 aircraft on the ground accommodate 36 aircraft, for which 50,650 imperial gallons 230,300l... She conducted the deck-landing trials for most of the Majestic class, launched in 1894 sold. Where her main mission was to launch aircraft which covered Malta convoys to. Of Benghazi, Libya, bombing shipping and laying mines class armor to purpose-built carriers was... Today that, following an open competition, the former aircraft carrier HMS Illustrious offered vital air cover an! Illustrious EXPERIENCED a Japanese SUICIDE ATTACK for most of the dangers been re-equipped with during! Mccart, pp the Sea Furies of 802 and the fighters claimed to destroyed... Carrier ordered on 19th March 1937 from Harland and Wolff Ltd. at Belfast under the 1936 Naval Programme was! Until the following month emergency repairs, enough to allow her to reach the Dockyard. Losses enumerated, 882 Squadron 's Fulmar was shot down as did Minister... 64 ] [ 65 ] Illustrious ' aircraft flew 209 sorties and suffered six landing! A maximum width of 62 feet ( 18.9m ) & Malizia 1987b, pp Fasson Grazier. Emergency repairs, enough to allow her to the newly formed British Fleet!
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