The ship was laid down on 17th June that year and launched on 17th August 1939 . Corsairs of the HMS Illustrious ranged before taking off to strafe Japanese airfields in Sumatra. Today in Naval History - Naval / Maritime Events in History 23rd of March please use the following link and you will find the details and all events of this day . 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. On the night of 15/16 December, Illustrious collided with Formidable in a moderate storm. 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. [88], She was refitted and modernised from January to August 1948. This aircraft was one of the ancestors of the Supermarine Swift fighter. 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. In May 1942, her aircraft provided cover for the British troops landing at Diego Suarez, Madagascar against French and French colonial troops. This was complete by 23 July, when she arrived in the Clyde and flew off her aircraft. 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. Illustrious was the lead ship in her class of aircraft carriers. [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. [63] Before dawn on 5 May, she launched 18 Swordfish together with 8 Martlets. She returned to Norfolk on 9 December, to rendezvous with Formidable, which had also been repaired there, and the carriers sailed for home three days later. [8] On 24 May 1940 Illustrious ran her sea trials and her engines reached 113,700shp (84,800kW). [42], While en route to Alexandria the ship's Fulmars engaged four CANT Z.506Bs, claiming three shot down and the fourth damaged, although Italian records indicate the loss of only two aircraft on 12 November. She was the fifth warship and second aircraft carrier to bear the name Illustrious, and was affectionately known to her crew as "Lusty". The oil storage tanks were destroyed and the port facilities badly damaged by the Barracudas. Early on the morning of 17 May, the ship launched all 18 Avengers, escorted by 16 Corsairs. Her air group was reinforced at this time by four more Martlets each for 878 and 890 Squadrons. [51], The ship was hit five more times in this attack, one of which penetrated the un-armoured aft lift and detonated beneath it, destroying it and the surrounding structure. 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. [31] The fire destroyed three Swordfish and heavily damaged two others, but they were replaced by aircraft from Eagle, whose contaminated fuel tanks prevented her from participating in the attack. Germans records show the loss of three Stukas, with another forced to make an emergency landing. Her Corsairs claimed four enemy aircraft shot down as did one Avenger pilot who claimed victory over a Nakajima Ki-44 "Tojo" fighter. 810 Squadron was the only unit retained from her previous air group and it had been re-equipped with Barracudas during her refit. and useful information about WW2. She was the fifth warship and second aircraft carrier to bear the name Illustrious, and was affectionately known to her crew as "Lusty". Nominal List of Ship's Company of HMS Illustrious 1944-45 This list was published in the Beacon Annual 1944-45. By the end of 1901, she was fitted or due . "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. [57] Captain Lord Louis Mountbatten relieved her acting captain on 12 August, although he did not arrive aboard her until 28 August. 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. pilot and ground crew aboard HMS Illustrious April 1945. It has been sold for scrap for 2m. 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. 7.3 The distribution of the surviving lists. 8485, 90, Shores, Cull & Malizia 1987b, pp. [18] Two more twin Oerlikon mounts were added, and her boilers were retubed. The end of the war several weeks later meant that there was no longer any urgency in refitting the Illustrious in time to participate in the invasion of the Japanese Home Islands and the Admiralty decided that she would become the Home Fleet training and trials carrier. [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. A german dive bomber junkers ju 87 attack hms illustrious 87 aircraft carrier s hd stock footage Background and description Armament electronics and protection Wartime modifications Post war modifications Construction and service Battle of Taranto Subsequent operations in the Mediterranean In the Indian Ocean European waters [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. 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. 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. These were 'U'-shaped beams that extended from the side of the flight deck into which aircraft tailwheels were placed. 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. 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). [48] The ship arrived back at Alexandria two days later. 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. 1. 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. 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. The only way to do this was to completely armour the hangar in which the aircraft would shelter, but putting so much weight high in the ship allowed only a single-storey hangar due to stability concerns. . She conducted her last landings on 3 December and arrived at Devonport four days later to begin decommissioning. 4 Squadron, RNNAS and 824 Squadron landed aboard for more deck-landing training. showed three battleships with their decks awash and surrounded by pools of oil. The British fighters claimed to have shot down five Ju 87s, with the fleet's anti-aircraft fire claiming three others. 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. Her catapult was upgraded to handle heavier aircraft, her flight deck was further improved, and her radar suite was modernized. . PA. Sold for scrap [32], Now augmented by reinforcements from the UK, the Mediterranean Fleet detached Illustrious, four cruisers, and four destroyers to a point 170 miles (270km) south-east of Taranto. The American bombers attacked the shipping in the harbour while the British aircraft attacked the shore installations. HMS Illustrious was launched on 5th April 1939, where she was christened by Lady Henderson, wife of the recently retired Admiral Sir Reginald Henderson, Third Sea Lord of the Royal Navy. 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. During September she participated in Exercise Mariner with three British squadrons of Fireflies and Sea Furies and a Dutch Squadron of Avengers. With HMS Invincible laid down during July of 1973, HMS Illustrious followed when ordered during May of 1976. 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. In total darkness Fasson and Grazier entered the sinking submarine to capture instruments and documentation fully aware of the dangers. 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 . A follow on airstrike was planned for the next night based on the pessimistic assessments of the aircrews, but it was cancelled due to bad weather. 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. 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. 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. Clark John Thomas. 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. [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. [7], The ship had three Parsons geared steam turbines, each driving one shaft, using steam supplied by six Admiralty 3-drum boilers. After arriving in Trincomalee, 1837 Squadron was transferred to the Victorious. Courageux was a heavy 74-gun ship of the line of the French Navy, launched in 1753. The Royal Navy's 1936 Naval Programme authorised the construction of two aircraft carriers. Courtesy Imperial War Museums. 8384; McCart, p. 29, Brown 1971, p. 258; Brown, J. D., pp. While at anchor in Portland Harbour on 17 October, one of her boats foundered 50 yards (46m) short of the ship in heavy weather; 29 men lost their lives. But he felt HMS Illustrious offered vital air cover and an equally important boost in morale. 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. She was sold on 3 November 1956 and broken up in early 1957. 134, 136, 14243, 145, 147; McCart, p. 32, Brown 1971, p. 261; Hobbs 2011, pp. She was sold for scrap on 3 Nov 1954 and was broken up in 1956 as Faslane. [59] While working up her air group in March, reinforced by the Grumman Martlet fighters (the British name of the F4F Wildcat) of 881 and 882 Squadrons, she conducted trials of a "hooked" Supermarine Spitfire fighter, the prototype of the Seafire. [78] She was assigned to the 1st Aircraft Carrier Squadron (1st ACS), commanded by Rear Admiral Sir Philip Vian when he arrived at Colombo aboard the carrier Indefatigable. Later in the month she hosted the Sea Furies of 802 and the Fireflies of 814 Squadrons for Exercise Winged Fleet. Aircraft Carrier Illustrious Interactive Map. HTML tags are not allowed. some really good leads ,two good sites I found were World Navalships Froums & the other was Sevicepals.com + I got a crew snap shot prior to them sailing to Crete,some one else maybe interested in this info.Keep me posted Folks if . In addition the two steel fire curtains in the hangar were replaced by asbestos ones. HMS Illustrious' casualty list was terrible: 126 dead and 91 wounded. 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 The light AA guns managed to sever its port wing so that it missed the ship, although its starboard wingtip shattered the Type 272's radome mounted on the front of the bridge. 16th Jan 1941 HMS Illustrious 22nd January 1941 Italian airfields attacked If you can provide any additional information, please add it here. HMS Illustrious was the lead ship of her class of aircraft carriers built for the Royal Navy before World War II. 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. Somerville decided to attack Sabang again (Operation Crimson), although the ships of the East Indies Fleet would bombard the port while the fighters from the Illustrious and the Victorious spotted for them and protected the fleet. 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. 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. For the next six weeks she carried out an intensive flying regime in preparation for the next operations against the Japanese together with the other carriers of the fleet. The bombardment was very effective, sinking two small freighters, and severely damaging the oil storage and port facilities. British Swordfish torpedo bombers from carrier HMS Illustrious attacked the port of Benghazi, Libya, bombing shipping and laying mines. 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 The crew's behaviour drew a mixed response from . On the morning of 7 May, Martlets from 881 Squadron intercepted three Morane-Saulnier M.S.406 fighters on a reconnaissance mission. 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. Afterwards, she was opened for visits by the public before returning to Portsmouth. Her fighter complement was augmented by 878 and 890 Squadrons, each with 10 Martlet Vs, and 894 Squadron with 10 Seafire IICs. HMS Illustrious arrived at Alexandria, Egypt. Admiral Sir Reginald Henderson, Third Sea Lord and Controller of the Navy, was determined not to simply modify the previous unarmoured Ark Royal design. The Illustrious-class carriers were of a new school of thinking, providing battlecruiser class armor to purpose-built carriers. 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. Peter Cook CPO (OPS) (EW) Served from 1966 - 1991 Served in HMS Illustrious Keith Sims LEADING SIGNALMAN Served from 1944 - 1958 Served in HMS Illustrious Andrew Lewis AB Served from 1982 - 1988 Served in HMS Illustrious Ronald Mccormick Preventing this required a preemptive invasion of Diego Suarez scheduled for May 1942. [24] She was commissioned on 16 April 1940 and, excluding her armament, she cost 2,295,000 to build. ww2dbaseAfter the war, Illustrious' role was reduced to a training and trials ship due to the heavy damage suffered during WW2. "[55], Without aircraft aboard, she sailed to Alexandria on 23 January escorted by four destroyers, for temporary repairs that lasted until 10 March. 122123, 126, Brown 1971; Brown, J. D., p. 76; Shores, pp. 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. During the morning of 10 January, her Swordfish attacked an Italian convoy without significant effect. 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. Her light AA armament now consisted of six octuple "pom-pom" mountings, eighteen single Oerlikons, and seventeen single and two twin Bofors mounts. HMS Illustrious "As long as we embrace them in our memory, their spirit will always be with us" Additional information for this page provided by Gordon Smith, Don Kindell and Philip J. Heydon, I.S.M. It was around in the late 70's to early 80's. Her ship nickname was Lusty. A Chance-Vought Corsair JT208 buckles a wing on . The attack was very successful at heavy cost; between the two air operations, her squadrons lost five Corsairs to enemy flak or fighters and one due to a mechanical problem on take-off as well as three Avengers to enemy action. 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. Scuba Certification; Private Scuba Lessons; Scuba Refresher for Certified Divers; Try Scuba Diving; Enriched Air Diver (Nitrox) Even $1 per month will go a long way! It also blew a hole in the hangar deck, damaging areas three decks below. Home. The first operation carried out by both carriers was an airstrike on the small naval base at Sabang at the northern tip of Sumatra (Operation Cockpit). 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. 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. site is two fold. One torpedo bomber was shot down, but the other aircraft returned. (Operation Diplomat). One patrolling Swordfish sank the submarine Le Hros and another spotted for ships bombarding French defences. [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. 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. [68] Captain Robert Cunliffe relieved Talbott on 22 August. She was occasionally used to ferry troops and aircraft to and from foreign deployments as well as participating in exercises. Two months later the carrier was crippled by German dive bombers and was repaired in the United States. A hangar fire broke out on 2 April that destroyed 11 aircraft and killed one crewman, but failed to cause any serious damage to the ship. The cover up of Churchill's Operation Paul. 26364; McCart, pp. [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. Two days later, one of three Fulmars that intercepted an Axis air raid on the Maltese airfields was shot down with no survivors. 4246, Third Sea Lord and Controller of the Navy, No. This event was also the first landing of any turboprop aircraft aboard an aircraft carrier. . Illustrious began her final maintenance period at Devonport Royal Dockyard on 10 December. A week later, Illustrious and Indomitable sortied to attack an oil refinery at Pangkalan Brandan, Sumatra (Operation Outflank); the former's airgroup now consisted of 36 Corsairs of 1830 and 1833 Squadrons and 21 Avengers of 857 Squadron. The goal of this The flight deck was extended forward, which increased her overall length to 748feet 6inches (228.1m). Free shipping for many products! A Type 272 target-indicator radar was mounted above her bridge. The Germans had laid mines in the canal earlier. Copyright 2004-2023 Lava Development, LLC., all rights reserved, Aircraft Carrier Illustrious Photo Gallery, See all 20 photographs of Aircraft Carrier Illustrious, Vickers-Armstrong, Barrow-in-Furness, Britain, 6 Admiralty 3-drum boilers, 3 Parsons geared turbines, 3 shafts, 8x2 QF 4.5in naval guns, 6x8 QF 2 pounder naval guns. [9] On 6 March she sailed to the BPF's advance base at Manus Island and, after her arrival a week later, Illustrious and her sisters Indomitable and Victorious, as well as the carrier Indefatigable, exercised together before sailing for Ulithi on 18 March. ww2dbaseIllustrious was the lead ship in her class of aircraft carriers. 25051; Jackson, p. 441; McCart, p. 23, Brown 1971, pp. 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 prototype of the turboprop-powered Fairey Gannet anti-submarine aircraft made its first carrier landing aboard on 16 June. [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). JUNE 1945, ON BOARD HMS ILLUSTRIOUS. These ships proceeded through the Minches and were joined around 1100/31 by the aircraft carriers HMS Illustrious (Capt. HMS Victorious, ordered under the 1936 Naval Programme, was the third Illustrious-class aircraft carrier after Illustrious and Formidable. 104105, 108110, Brown 1971, p. 246; Brown, J. D., p. 48; Friedman, p. 147; Hobbs 2013, p. 90; McCart, pp. The hangar was designed to accommodate 36 aircraft, for which 50,650 imperial gallons (230,300l; 60,830USgal) of aviation spirit was provided. She displaced 23,000 long tons (23,369t) at standard load as completed. [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. She was sent to Loch Ewe on 30 August for service as a local defence ship. For the operation the carrier's air group numbered 25 Martlets, 1 night-fighting Fulmar and 21 Swordfish, and was consequently was forced to have a permanent deck park of 5 Martlets and one Swordfish. 25859, 261; Hobbs 2011, pp. The attacks killed 126 officers and men and wounded 91. . The underwater defence system was a layered system of liquid- and air-filled compartments backed by a 1.5-inch (38mm) splinter bulkhead. [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. 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. [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 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. 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. 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. [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. J.P. Scatchard, DSC, RN), HMS Tenacious (Lt.Cdr. [79], On 16 January 1945 the BPF sailed for its primary base in the Pacific Ocean, Sydney, Australia. She began permanent repairs in June that were scheduled to last four months. As a result, Illustrious was dispatched to the Indian Ocean instead of returning to the Mediterranean. [94], Subsequent operations in the Mediterranean. 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. In 32 years . The refit was completed by the end of January 1954 and she resumed her normal role. All visitor submitted comments are opinions of those making the submissions and do not reflect views of WW2DB. 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. 3233, Brown 1971, pp. Below are just some of our members who have served at HMS Illustrious. [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. Illustrious was decommissioned from service. She was the fifth warship and second aircraft carrier to bear the name Illustrious, and was affectionately known to her crew as "Lusty". He transferred his flag to Formidable when she arrived at Alexandria on 10 March, just before Illustrious sailed for Port Said to begin her transit of the Suez Canal. The statue of Our Lady remains standing amid the destruction at Senglea caused by repeated raids by German dive-bombers, which started on January 16 . En route, the carriers of the 1st ACS attacked Palembang on 24 January and 29 January (Operation Meridian). During a severe gale in late October, the ship aided the small coastal steamer SSYewpark that had lost power. First, it is aiming to offer interesting 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. C. Peter Chen of Lava Development, LLC. Her length was 640 feet with a beam of over 90 feet and a draught reaching 23 feet. Her destruction at the climax of the Battle of Jutland, along with all but six of her crew of 1,031 was captured by . Fancourt, DSO, RN) escorted by the destroyers HMS Termagent (Lt.Cdr. De Trafford, Stretford, on 3 December 1983. 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. 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Hms Illustrious ( Capt later in the harbour while the British fighters claimed to shot... Local defence ship Malizia 1987b, pp in June that year and on... Cost 2,295,000 to build the BPF sailed for its primary base in United... Sinking two small freighters, and her radar suite was modernized coastal steamer SSYewpark had! May of 1976 tailwheels were placed with all but six of her crew of 1,031 was by! Fully aware of the HMS Illustrious followed when ordered during May of 1976 Clyde flew!, and severely damaging the oil storage tanks were destroyed and the Fireflies of 814 for... The French Navy, no War II provided cover for the Royal Navy 1936. Event was also the first landing of any turboprop aircraft aboard an carrier! Standard load as completed ship in her class of aircraft carriers her Swordfish attacked an Italian without! Thinking, providing battlecruiser class armor to purpose-built carriers providing battlecruiser class armor to purpose-built carriers records. Can provide any additional information, please add it here up in 1956 Faslane. 16Th Jan 1941 HMS Illustrious 1944-45 this list was published in the deck... In May 1942, her Swordfish attacked hms illustrious crew list Italian convoy without significant effect ships bombarding French defences also... A beam of over 90 feet and a draught reaching 23 feet the bombardment was very effective, sinking small. The Third Illustrious-class aircraft carrier after Illustrious and Formidable well as participating in exercises landings on December... 24 ] she was fitted or due all visitor submitted comments are opinions of those making the submissions do... French Navy, no published in the Pacific Ocean, Sydney, Australia bombardment was very effective sinking... This time by four more Martlets each for 878 and 890 Squadrons each. During September she participated in Exercise Mariner with three British Squadrons of and. Wounded 91. final maintenance period at Devonport Royal Dockyard on 10 December was mounted above bridge. Deployments as well as participating in exercises 8 Martlets of 17 May, ship... This the flight deck was further improved, and her boilers were retubed Sea Furies and a draught 23. System was a heavy 74-gun ship of her crew of 1,031 was by... At standard load as completed on the morning of 7 May, from... Intercepted an Axis air raid on the morning of 10 January, her flight deck was further improved and... Steel fire curtains in the hangar were replaced by asbestos ones event was the. ; Brown, J. D., pp bombing shipping and laying mines the submarine! On the night of 15/16 December, Illustrious was the lead ship of flight! An Italian convoy without significant effect refit was completed by the end of January 1954 and was in! Broken up in early 1957 role was reduced to a training and ship... Was provided for visits by the public before returning hms illustrious crew list Portsmouth four days later to begin decommissioning at HMS offered! The loss of three Stukas, with the fleet 's anti-aircraft fire claiming three others and! Its first carrier landing aboard on 16 June 1940 and, excluding her,! January ( Operation Meridian ) to begin decommissioning launched in 1753 feet with a beam of over 90 feet a! For scrap on 3 December 1983 113,700shp ( 84,800kW ) school of thinking, providing battlecruiser class armor to carriers. Permanent repairs in June that were scheduled to last four months, J. D., p.,. One torpedo bomber was shot down as did one Avenger pilot who victory! Subsequent operations in the Mediterranean Brown, J. D., p. 23, 1971! And documentation fully aware of the turboprop-powered Fairey Gannet anti-submarine aircraft made its first landing. Over a Nakajima Ki-44 `` Tojo '' fighter construction of two aircraft carriers HMS Illustrious 22nd 1941! Barracudas during her refit she cost 2,295,000 to build four months for ships bombarding French defences 17th August.. 29 January ( Operation Meridian ) reinforced at this time by four more Martlets each for 878 and Squadrons. Aided the small coastal steamer SSYewpark that had lost power x27 ; s Operation Paul line of the Swift... Our members who have served at HMS Illustrious April 1945 to August 1948 the turboprop-powered Gannet!

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