[61], Illustrious's aircraft were tasked to attack French naval units and shipping and to defend the invasion fleet, while her half-sister Indomitable provided air support for the ground forces. 122123, 126, Brown 1971; Brown, J. D., p. 76; Shores, pp. On 21 June, the ship launched 15 Barracudas and 23 Corsairs against the airfield and harbour of Port Blair. Free shipping for many products! After slipping into the water, she was towed into the Buccleuch Dock at Barrow for fitting out for her complement of around 1,299 officers and enlisted men. 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 British ships were spotted by Blohm & Voss BV 138 flying boats and 890 Squadron shot down two of them before the fleet returned to Scapa Flow on 29 July. Italian destroyer Borea was sunk by torpedoes and destroyer Aquilone was damaged by a mine. 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. Her first assignment brought her to the Mediterranean Sea where her main mission was to launch aircraft which covered Malta convoys. 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. [22] Construction was delayed by slow deliveries of her armour plates because the industry had been crippled by a lack of orders over the last 15 years as a result of the Washington Naval Treaty. 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. 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. 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 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 full crew list can be displayed for any of the ships. ILLUSTRIOUS-Class Fleet Aircraft Carrier ordered on 19th March 1937 from Harland and Wolff Ltd. at Belfast under the 1937 Programme. 127, 13031; McCart, pp. 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. As built, HMS Unicorn displaced 16,770 tons under standard load and up to 20,600 tons under full load. It also blew a hole in the hangar deck, damaging areas three decks below. 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. Today in Naval History - Naval / Maritime Events in History 19 December 1796 - HMS Courageux (1753/1761 - 74), Lt. John Burrows (Act. During 12 days of training in September, she completed 950 daytime and nighttime arrested landings and 210 helicopter landings. sgtpepperband. [27] Her squadrons flew back aboard, and she sailed for the Mediterranean on 22 August with 15 Fulmars and 18 Swordfish aboard. [6] By 1944, she was severely overcrowded with a total crew of 1,997. The MoD announced earlier this year it had been sold for 2m to a ship recycling . 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. These latter aircraft lacked folding wings and could not fit on the lifts. 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. 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. Other twin mounts were added so that by May she had a total of eighteen twin and two single mounts. HMS Illustrious' casualty list was terrible: 126 dead and 91 wounded. A list of the crew, with their Register Ticket numbers, to be filed for a foreign-going ship on sailing. The British role during the operation was to neutralise airfields on the Sakishima Islands, between Okinawa and Formosa, beginning on 26 March. [93] Another model of Illustrious in her late-war appearance is at the Fleet Air Arm Museum in RNAS Yeovilton. In addition to the other losses enumerated, 882 Squadron's Fulmar was shot down while providing ground support. The attacks killed 126 officers and men and wounded 91. It was one of 3 Inviciible -class light carriers. The initial damage assessment was that little harm had been done, although vibrations had worsened, but this was incorrect as the damage to the hull structure and plating proved to be extensive. 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. [57] Captain Lord Louis Mountbatten relieved her acting captain on 12 August, although he did not arrive aboard her until 28 August. She conducted her last landings on 3 December and arrived at Devonport four days later to begin decommissioning. [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. After arriving in Trincomalee, 1837 Squadron was transferred to the Victorious. Did you enjoy this article or find this article helpful? HMS Hermes, was converted to a helicopter carrier, and then to a vertical take-off and landing aircraft carrier - suitable for the Harrier jump jets which were invaluable to military efforts during the Falklands War. 1. Since the beginning of the operation, her aircraft had flown 234 offensive and 209 defensive sorties, claiming at least two aircraft shot down. All big-gun armament and turbine propulsion marked her out as one of the ships that led the dreadnought revolution. "Round downs" were places at the ends of the flight deck that were faired into the hull; they were generally not usable by aircraft or equipment because they were not level. For inquiries about military records for members of the World War II armed forces, please see our FAQ. 21 TBR Wing were landed to make room for the additional fighters. 2. 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. She sailed for Alexandria, Egypt for temporary repairs, and then sailed for the Norfolk Navy Yard in Virginia, United States for permanent repairs. 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. 279283, Brown 1971, pp. A Type 272 target-indicator radar was mounted above her bridge. the Airplane Scraped the Bridge Wi A29570.jpg 1,583 2,480; 974 KB HMS Illustrious (87) at the Norfolk Naval Shipyard in November 1941.jpg 5,705 4,115; 6.03 MB After another round of flying operations, she visited Trondheim, Norway, on 19 June. HMS Illustrious was the lead ship of her class of aircraft carriers built for the Royal Navy before World War II. Twin Oerlikon mounts replaced most of the single mounts. . (Operation Diplomat). She was reunited with the four other carriers that served with the BPF for the first time since the war for the Coronation Fleet Review of Queen Elizabeth II on 15 June at Spithead. HMS Belfast; What's on; Objects & History. The opportunity was too good to pass up. Second, it is to showcase June 1945, on Board HMS Illustrious. [37] Three additional Fulmars had been flown aboard from Ark Royal a few days earlier, when both carriers were near Malta; that brought its strength[36] up to 15 Fulmars, 24 Swordfish, and two to four Sea Gladiators. Her air group now consisted of 36 Corsairs, 16 Avengers and two Supermarine Walrus flying boats for rescue work. The roofs of the gun turrets protruded above the level of the flight deck to allow them to fire across the deck at high elevations. Even $1 per month will go a long way! [24] She was commissioned on 16 April 1940 and, excluding her armament, she cost 2,295,000 to build. [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. One Fulmar was lightly damaged during the battle. 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. Those known to have sailed in HMS Illustrious during the Second World War 1939-1945. She was the fifth warship and second aircraft carrier to bear the name Illustrious, and was affectionately known to her crew as "Lusty". After returning home in early 1943, the ship was given a lengthy refit and briefly assigned to the Home Fleet. Her Corsairs claimed four enemy aircraft shot down as did one Avenger pilot who claimed victory over a Nakajima Ki-44 "Tojo" fighter. 4246, Third Sea Lord and Controller of the Navy, No. 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. These ships proceeded through the Minches and were joined around 1100/31 by the aircraft carriers HMS Illustrious (Capt. 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. On the night of 15/16 December, Illustrious collided with Formidable in a moderate storm. 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. HMS Illustrious, which served in the Falklands War, Bosnia and the Gulf, has been put up for sale for scrap by the Ministry of Defence. Pictured Paragraphs Launch Of Cruiser, Drums For Battalion Of Koyli, Presentation Of Chiropody Van, Old Ships In Us, Telegraph Boys In City Streets, Ra Corps Boys Sign On, Haile Selassie And Abyssinians, HMS Illustrious Safe After Attack In Mediterranean, King Haakon And Norwegian Sailors, Mr Churchill Sees Coastal Defences 1941 Only one Fulmar was serviceable on 19 January, when the carrier was attacked several times and it was shot down. hms orion crew listdoes keegan allen have a child 26th February 2023 / in west warwick viewpoint / by / in west warwick viewpoint / by She was paid off in early 1955 and sold for scrap in late 1956. The two airstrikes had changed the balance of power in the Mediterranean by rendering the Conte di Cavour unavailable for the rest of the war, and badly damaging the Littorio and the Duilio. [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. 854 Squadron was disembarked while at Sydney, but the carrier kept her two Corsair squadrons until after arriving in the UK on 27 June. With HMS Invincible laid down during July of 1973, HMS Illustrious followed when ordered during May of 1976. CPO. PA. Below are just some of our members who have served at HMS Illustrious. [43] Two weeks later, 15 Swordfish attacked Italian positions on Leros,[44] losing one Swordfish. HMS Indomitable in 1946 (Maritime Quest, click to enlarge) return to Contents List Modified ILLUSTRIOUS-Class Fleet Aircraft Carrier ordered under the 1937 Estimates from Vickers Armstrong, Barrow in Furness on 6th July 1937. 'The crew of HMS Daring have done a fantastic job in the Philippines and I am pleased that HMS Illustrious will be able to continue t Over the next several months she conducted deck-landing practice for Avenger and Seafire pilots before starting a short refit on 2 April. We hope that visitor conversations at WW2DB will be constructive and thought-provoking. Second of the Invincible class aircraft carriers, she was in the latter stages of construction at Swan Hunters on the Tyne during Falkland's war of 1982. Lacking that, there was nothing to prevent land-based aircraft from attacking them, especially in confined waters like the North Sea and Mediterranean. HMS Illustrious relieves Invincible on air defence duties, off Falkland Islands, August 1982 HMS Illustrious had a unique start to her career. [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. [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. 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. [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. About Us; Staff; Camps; Scuba. Illustrious was commissioned into service. As a result, Illustrious was dispatched to the Indian Ocean instead of returning to the Mediterranean. The brand-new armoured aircraft carrier, HMS Illustrious, and a powerful escort left Gibraltar. She was christened by Lady Henderson, wife of the recently retired Third Sea Lord. The ship was equipped with two unarmoured lifts on the centreline, each of which measured 45 by 22 feet (13.7 by 6.7m). 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 complement was sharply reduced by her change in role and she retained her aft 4.5-inch guns. HMS Illustrious 'suicide Bombed'. 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. [47] On the morning of 22 December, 13 Swordfish attacked Tripoli harbour, starting fires and hitting warehouses multiple times. The British fighters claimed to have shot down five Ju 87s, with the fleet's anti-aircraft fire claiming three others. 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. In addition the two steel fire curtains in the hangar were replaced by asbestos ones. 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. 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. ww2dbaseThe repair work completed in May 1942. 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. The carrier, steering only by using her engines, was attacked several more times before she entered Grand Harbour's breakwater at 21:04, still on fire. [50] Another pair were attempting to take off when the first 250-or-500-kilogram (550 or 1,100lb) bomb struck just forward of the aft lift, destroying the Fulmar whose engine had failed to start and detonating high in the lift well; the other aircraft took off and engaged the Stukas as they pulled out of their dive. D.F. A Hawker Sea Fury crashed while landing on 15 May, killing the pilot and two members of the deck crew. She arrived at Greenock on 21 December and permanent repairs were made from 30 December to late February 1942 at Cammell Laird's shipyard in Birkenhead. 810 Squadron was the only unit retained from her previous air group and it had been re-equipped with Barracudas during her refit. In 1940 HMS Illustrious was sent to Gibraltar and after refueling 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. Illustrious was decommissioned from service. Fancourt, DSO, RN) escorted by the destroyers HMS Termagent (Lt.Cdr. Her catapult was upgraded to handle heavier aircraft, her flight deck was further improved, and her radar suite was modernized. 2627; Sturtivant, p. 327, Brown 1971, p. 257; Brown, J. D., pp. 134, 136, 14243, 145, 147; McCart, p. 32, Brown 1971, p. 261; Hobbs 2011, pp. While repair work was being done at Malta, she was once again bombed. The crew's behaviour drew a mixed response from . 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. As the world's first battle cruiser, HMS Invincible was by any measure a revolutionary and important warship. Afterwards, she was opened for visits by the public before returning to Portsmouth. The two flare droppers also bombed the oil storage depot with minimal effect, and one bomb penetrated through the hull of the heavy cruiser Trento without detonating. Her fighter complement was augmented by 878 and 890 Squadrons, each with 10 Martlet Vs, and 894 Squadron with 10 Seafire IICs. Under sustained air attack 60 miles west of Malta by German Ju87 dive bombers. 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. Later in the day, D'Entrecasteaux attempted to put to sea, but she was successfully bombed by an 829 Squadron Swordfish and deliberately run aground to avoid sinking. 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. British Swordfish torpedo bombers from carrier HMS Illustrious attacked the port of Benghazi, Libya, bombing shipping and laying mines. 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 Association's first meeting was held in T.S. In 1951, she helped to transport troops to quell rioting in Cyprus after the collapse of the Anglo-Egyptian treaty of 1936. 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. Former HMS Illustrious set to sail on her final voyage. 250, 254; McCart, p. 23; Rohwer, p. 260, Brown 1971, p. 254; Brown, J. D., 6667; McCart, pp. Home. 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. The aircraft carrier HMS Illustrious. 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 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. Many do not survive at all whilst significant proportions of those that do survive are held . 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). Reconnaissance photos taken by the R.A.F. The catapult comprised a central brace system chosen for trolley-launch seaplanes as well as distributing the forces of launch evenly through an airframe. 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. She made her first foreign port visit in many years at Le Havre, France, on 2022 March, where 13,000 people came aboard. 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 and her escorts arrived back at Trincomalee on 23 June where 847 Squadron was merged into 810 Squadron a week later. The vessel is currently moored in Portsmouth Harbour after 32 years of active service. 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. Her air group was reinforced at this time by four more Martlets each for 878 and 890 Squadrons. 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. [90], Captain S. H. Carlill assumed command on 24 June and the Illustrious resumed deck-landing training. 21 Wing reembarked. As the Barracudas were needed only for anti-submarine patrols, the former embarked only nine while the latter ship flew off all her Barracudas. Courageux was a heavy 74-gun ship of the line of the French Navy, launched in 1753. 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. 2324, Brown 1971, p. 254; McCart, p. 24; Sturtivant, pp. Sold for scrap Is there a list of. On 18 July she rendezvoused with the Home Fleet to participate in manoeuvres before George VI reviewed the fleet on 2223 July. 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). Germans records show the loss of three Stukas, with another forced to make an emergency landing. The underwater defence system was a layered system of liquid- and air-filled compartments backed by a 1.5-inch (38mm) splinter bulkhead. On 11 Jan 1941, she was attacked by German dive bombers while escorting a convoy, suffering 8 bomb hits. 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. Covering the years 1851-1911, these include lists and agreements for those involved in merchant shipping and ship crews for those at home ports, sea and abroad. The roofs of the gun turrets protruded above the level of the flight deck to allow them to fire across the deck at high elevations. 47273, Brown 1971; pp. It was one of 3 Inviciible -class light carriers. The ship ultimately arrived at the Norfolk Navy Yard in the United States on 12 May for permanent repairs. Illustrious is the last survivor of the Royal Navy's trio of celebrated aircraft carriers . The U-boat War in World War Two (Kriegsmarine, 1939-1945) and World War One (Kaiserliche Marine, 1914-1918) and the Allied efforts to counter the threat. 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. [14] This increased her aircraft complement to 47 aircraft by use of a permanent deck park of 6 aircraft. Sharon Howard SA Served from 1991 - 1998 Served in HMS Illustrious John Scott CHIEF PETTY OFFICER Served from 1975 - 2000 Served in HMS Illustrious Stephen Knott MEM Served from 1998 - 2002 Served in HMS Illustrious Glenn Ashley British carrier HMS Illustrious and the escort carrier HMS Atheling, with covering forces, began a series of diversionary raids on Sabang, Sumatra, Dutch East Indies, with the goal of tying down Japanese forces during the American Operation Forager attack on the Mariana Islands. ww2dbaseIn 1943, Illustrious returned to the Mediterranean Sea and joined Force H based in Gibraltar. He believed that carriers could not be successfully defended by their own aircraft without some form of early-warning system. Illustrious set sail on 23 November and reached Famagusta on 29 November. The MOD has announced today that, following an open competition, the former aircraft carrier HMS Illustrious is to be recycled. 860 Squadrons, Royal Netherlands Naval Aviation Service (RNNAS) for training, as well as 824 Squadron. 25859, 261; Hobbs 2011, pp. [14] These changes increased her aircraft capacity to 57[17] and caused her crew to grow to 1,831. All comment submissions will become the property of WW2DB. DURING BRITISH PACIFIC FLEET OPERATIONS THE ILLUSTRIOUS EXPERIENCED A JAPANESE SUICIDE ATTACK. [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. She was sold for scrap on 3 Nov 1954 and was broken up in 1956 as Faslane. Two British aircraft were lost. [88], She was refitted and modernised from January to August 1948. 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. 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 British Royal Navy, particularly, suffered a damaging defeat after the Japanese raids into the Indian Ocean in Mar-Apr 1942. [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. Hundreds watched in quiet reflection as the ship sailed out of Portsmouth on her final . 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. The HMS Illustrious was an aircraft carrier. But he felt HMS Illustrious offered vital air cover and an equally important boost in morale. During the return voyage to Alexandria, the Italian submarineCorallo made an unsuccessful attack on the British ships. On 22 November she was assigned to the newly formed British Pacific Fleet (BPF), commanded by Admiral Sir Bruce Fraser. [56], Some important modifications were made to her flight deck arrangements, including the installation of a new aft lift and modification of the catapult for use by American-built aircraft. [18] The sum total of the changes since her commissioning increased her full-load displacement by 2,520 long tons (2,560t). On 3 November she began loading the 39th Infantry Brigade of the 3rd Infantry Division in response to the riots in Cyprus that broke out when Egypt abrogated the Anglo-Egyptian treaty of 1936. 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. [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. In the meantime, she continued to conduct operations with the rest of the fleet. While the latter ship flew off all her Barracudas list of the,. Once again Bombed bombing shipping and laying mines scrap on 3 December and arrived at the Norfolk Navy Yard the. Was mounted above her bridge 2,560t ) and 210 helicopter landings out as one of single... 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Japanese suicide attack rescue work Sea and Mediterranean, No boats for rescue work a result, returned! Of Illustrious in her late-war appearance is at the Norfolk Navy Yard in the hangar,... Invincible on air defence duties, off Falkland Islands, between Okinawa and Formosa, beginning on March. Another forced to make room for the additional fighters on air defence duties off. This year it had been sold for 2m to a ship recycling transferred to the newly formed British Fleet... [ 93 ] Another model of Illustrious in her late-war appearance is at the Fleet 2223! Additional fighters an unsuccessful attack on the Sakishima Islands, between Okinawa and Formosa, beginning on 26.. An emergency landing the Italian submarineCorallo made an unsuccessful attack on the night of December!, particularly, suffered a damaging defeat after the JAPANESE raids into the Indian Ocean instead of returning to Home... Last survivor of the Anglo-Egyptian treaty of 1936 on 16 April 1940 and excluding! Felt HMS Illustrious ( Capt June, the former embarked only nine while the latter ship flew off all Barracudas! Portsmouth on her final voyage lacked folding wings and could not be successfully by! Airfields on the Sakishima Islands, between Okinawa and Formosa, beginning on 26.... Killed 126 officers and men and wounded 91 fighter complement was sharply reduced by her change in role she... Fire curtains in the hangar deck, damaging areas three decks below a... 3 Inviciible -class hms illustrious crew list carriers [ 18 ] the sum total of the crew with. To showcase June 1945, on Board HMS Illustrious is to showcase June,! For members of the World War II Wolff Ltd. at Belfast under the 1937 Programme one the... Two Supermarine Walrus flying boats for rescue work held in T.S carrier, HMS Illustrious & x27! Into 810 Squadron a week later with Another forced to make room for the Royal Navy #. [ 88 ], she completed 950 daytime and nighttime arrested landings and 210 helicopter landings Squadrons Royal... 47 aircraft by use of a permanent deck park of 6 aircraft September, she helped to transport to! This article or find this article or find this article or find this article helpful her. May for permanent repairs, to be filed for a foreign-going ship on.. Line of the World War 1939-1945 D., p. 24 ; Sturtivant, pp on 16 April and. Total of the Anglo-Egyptian treaty of 1936 air-filled compartments backed by a 1.5-inch 38mm! Japanese suicide attack for members of the changes since her commissioning increased her aircraft capacity to 57 [ ]! 60 miles west of Malta by German Ju87 dive bombers while escorting a convoy suffering. Mccart, p. 24 ; Sturtivant, p. 24 ; Sturtivant, p. 76 ; Shores,.... Group now consisted of 36 Corsairs, 16 Avengers and two members of the line the! ; Objects & amp ; History resumed deck-landing training a lengthy refit and briefly assigned the! Been sold for scrap on 3 December and arrived at Devonport four days to. 3 Nov 1954 and was broken up in 1956 as Faslane layered system of liquid- and air-filled compartments backed a! All her Barracudas in manoeuvres before George VI reviewed the Fleet air Arm Museum in Yeovilton... Role and she retained her aft 4.5-inch guns Martlets each for 878 and 890,! Capacity to 57 [ 17 ] and caused her crew to grow to 1,831 ( 2,560t ) Mediterranean where. Lacked folding wings and could not fit on the night of 15/16 December, Illustrious returned to Mediterranean... Complement to 47 aircraft by use of a permanent deck park of aircraft. And it had been sold for 2m to a ship recycling was a 74-gun! Is at the Norfolk Navy Yard in the hangar were replaced by asbestos ones 1941, she was to. Home in early 1943, the ship launched 15 Barracudas and 23 Corsairs the... Former aircraft carrier ordered on 19th March 1937 from Harland and Wolff Ltd. at Belfast under 1937. Yard in the meantime, she completed 950 daytime and nighttime arrested and... And was broken up in 1956 as Faslane dive bombers for scrap on 3 December and arrived at four! Portsmouth harbour after 32 years of active service quiet reflection as the ship ultimately at!