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. [94], Subsequent operations in the Mediterranean. [43] Two weeks later, 15 Swordfish attacked Italian positions on Leros,[44] losing one Swordfish. 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. One Avenger crashed on take-off and an American Avenger was shot down over the target; only one small ship was sunk, and little damage was done to the refinery. She flew off her aircraft to Gibraltar on 31 January and continued on to the Clyde where she arrived five days later. The Disposal Services Authority (DSA) is inviting expressions of interest for the sale of the warship "for recycling". 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. This was complete by 23 July, when she arrived in the Clyde and flew off her aircraft. The vessel is currently moored in Portsmouth Harbour after 32 years of active service. But he felt HMS Illustrious offered vital air cover and an equally important boost in morale. The oil storage tanks were destroyed and the port facilities badly damaged by the Barracudas. Home. With both Illustrious and Eagle under his command, Admiral Cunningham could now take the offensive. [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. 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. Ld.Sea Johnson Charles Thomas. Many do not survive at all whilst significant proportions of those that do survive are held . The ship then sailed for Durban, South Africa, to have the extent of her underwater damage assessed in the drydock there. 3233, Brown 1971, pp. [35] The former aircraft were carried "as a permanent deck park"[36][Note 2] and they shot down a CANT Z.501 seaplane two days later. [7], During her 1943 refits, the flight deck was modified to extend its usable length to 740 feet (225.6m), and "outriggers" were probably added at this time. Only one Fulmar was serviceable on 19 January, when the carrier was attacked several times and it was shot down. 4 Squadron and No. All comment submissions will become the property of WW2DB. PA. It gives details of over 439,000 Royal Navy and Merchant Seamen records which are searchable by name, rank, age and ship. [84], On 31 July Captain W. D. Stephens relieved Lambe. While repair work was being done at Malta, she was once again bombed. [81] By this time the vibration problems with her centre propeller shaft, which had never been properly repaired after she was bombed at Malta, were so bad that the propeller was removed and the shaft locked in place, reducing her maximum speed to 24 knots. En route, the carriers of the 1st ACS attacked Palembang on 24 January and 29 January (Operation Meridian). [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 ship ultimately arrived at the Norfolk Navy Yard in the United States on 12 May for permanent repairs. [6], The 753-foot (229.5m) armoured flight deck had a usable length of 620 feet (189.0m), due to prominent "round-downs"[Note 1] at each end designed to reduce the effects of air turbulence caused by the carrier's structure on aircraft taking-off and landing, and a maximum width of 95 feet (29.0m). 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. About Us; Staff; Camps; Scuba. during British Pacific Fleet Operations the Illustrious Experienced a Japanese Suicide Attack. The following day, the Fireflies of No. PA. [24] She was commissioned on 16 April 1940 and, excluding her armament, she cost 2,295,000 to build. [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. 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. ww2dbaseIllustrious was the lead ship in her class of aircraft carriers. 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. On arrival south of Malta she took passage with Force A to meet military convoy on passage from Gibraltar to Alexandria. [49], On 7 January 1941, Illustrious set sail to provide air cover for convoys to Piraeus, Greece and Malta as part of Operation Excess. 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. 134, 136, 14243, 145, 147; McCart, p. 32, Brown 1971, p. 261; Hobbs 2011, pp. As built, HMS Unicorn displaced 16,770 tons under standard load and up to 20,600 tons under full load. [88], She was refitted and modernised from January to August 1948. 25051; Jackson, p. 441; McCart, p. 23, Brown 1971, pp. After returning home in early 1943, the ship was given a lengthy refit and briefly assigned to the Home Fleet. 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. If so, please consider supporting us on Patreon. 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. hms orion crew listdoes keegan allen have a child 26th February 2023 / in west warwick viewpoint / by / in west warwick viewpoint / by She was the fifth warship and second aircraft carrier to bear the name Illustrious, and was affectionately known to her crew as "Lusty". 30, 32, Brown 1971, pp. 854 Squadron was disembarked while at Sydney, but the carrier kept her two Corsair squadrons until after arriving in the UK on 27 June. WW2DB site administrators reserve the right to moderate, censor, and/or remove any comment. 250, 254; McCart, p. 23; Rohwer, p. 260, Brown 1971, p. 254; Brown, J. D., 6667; McCart, pp. site is two fold. War Hero. Illustrious was a British battleship of the Majestic class, launched in 1894 and sold for scrap in 1920. 122123, 126, Brown 1971; Brown, J. D., p. 76; Shores, pp. Later that day seven Savoia-Marchetti SM.79 medium bombers were intercepted by three Fulmars, which claimed to have shot down one bomber and damaged another. 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. Illustrious is the last survivor of the Royal Navy's trio of celebrated aircraft carriers . 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 Royal Navy's 1936 Naval Programme authorised the construction of two aircraft carriers. The carrier's air group consisted of 21 Barracudas and 28 Corsairs for the operation; Illustrious launched 17 of the former escorted by 13 of the latter on the morning of 19 April. Admiral Sir Reginald Henderson, Third Sea Lord and Controller of the Navy, was determined not to simply modify the previous unarmoured Ark Royal design. ww2dbaseIn 1944, Illustrious returned to the Eastern Fleet in the Indian Ocean for strikes against Japanese garrisons in the Southwest Pacific region. [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. The Germans had laid mines in the canal earlier. The underwater defence system was a layered system of liquid- and air-filled compartments backed by a 1.5-inch (38mm) splinter bulkhead. She arrived on 14 May and departed 10 days later, bound for Rosyth for permanent repairs. Eight Corsair and 15 Barracuda aircraft attacked the Japanese airfield and harbour. The BPF joined the American Fifth Fleet there two days later, under the designation Task Force 57 (TF 57), to participate in the preliminary operations for the invasion of Okinawa (Operation Iceberg). 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. 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 . Today in Naval History - Naval / Maritime Events in History 19 December 1796 - HMS Courageux (1753/1761 - 74), Lt. John Burrows (Act. [92] A model of HMS Illustrious in 1940is on display at the Monaco Naval Museum. In total darkness Fasson and Grazier entered the sinking submarine to capture instruments and documentation fully aware of the dangers. [18] The sum total of the changes since her commissioning increased her full-load displacement by 2,520 long tons (2,560t). 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. Corsairs of the HMS Illustrious ranged before taking off to strafe Japanese airfields in Sumatra. She was christened by Lady Henderson, wife of the recently retired Third Sea Lord. It was one of 3 Inviciible -class light carriers. [4], Illustrious was 740 feet (225.6m) in length overall and 710 feet (216.4m) at the waterline. 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. Nominal List of Ship's Company of HMS Illustrious 1944-45 This list was published in the Beacon Annual 1944-45. During a severe gale in late October, the ship aided the small coastal steamer SSYewpark that had lost power. 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. In addition to the other losses enumerated, 882 Squadron's Fulmar was shot down while providing ground support. 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). After sustaining damage on the voyage home in late 1941 by a collision with her sister ship Formidable, Illustrious was sent to the Indian Ocean in early 1942 to support the invasion of Vichy French Madagascar (Operation Ironclad). The aircraft carrier HMS Illustrious. The MOD has announced today that, following an open competition, the former aircraft carrier HMS Illustrious is to be recycled. For this operation she had aboard six Fulmars of 806 Squadron, 23 Martlets of 881 Squadron and 18 Swordfish of 810 and 829 Squadrons. [6] By 1944, she was severely overcrowded with a total crew of 1,997. APRIL 1945, ON . She was commissioned on 20th June 1982 (3 month early during work-up trials, due to the Falklands crisis). She embarked the Barracudas of 810 and 847 Squadrons of No. Later in the day her Corsairs intercepted 10 Ki-43s and shot down two of them while driving off the remainder. [76], Her sister ships, the Indomitable and the Victorious arrived at the end of June although only the latter's pilots were combat-ready. Nov 25, 2008. One Corsair was shot down by Japanese flak although the pilot was rescued after ditching. and useful information about WW2. Her exact speeds were not recorded as she had her paravanes streamed, but it was estimated that she could have made about 31 knots (57km/h; 36mph) under full power. The multiple hits at the aft end of the carrier knocked out her steering gear, although it was soon repaired. Later that morning three of the five Fulmars on Combat Air Patrol (CAP) engaged three SM.79s at low altitude, claiming one shot down. 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. [68] Captain Robert Cunliffe relieved Talbott on 22 August. On 8 and 9 November the Supermarine 510 research aircraft made the first ever landings by a swept-wing aircraft aboard a carrier. small french chateau house plans; comment appelle t on le chef de la synagogue; felony court sentencing mansfield ohio; accident on 95 south today virginia Led by HMS Illustrious (aka "Lusty"), elements of the UK's Response Force Task Group (RFTG), left Portsmouth on Oct. 1, to take part to part to a series of exercises around the UK as well . [89] Illustrious resumed her duties in early 1949 and conducted trials and training for Avengers, Fireflies, Gloster Meteors, de Havilland Sea Hornets, Vampires and Seafires. 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 King and Queen inspected Illustrious and her crew, as did Prime Minister Clement Attlee and his wife. It also blew a hole in the hangar deck, damaging areas three decks below. By the end of 1901, she was fitted or due . Germans records show the loss of three Stukas, with another forced to make an emergency landing. As the Barracudas were needed only for anti-submarine patrols, the former embarked only nine while the latter ship flew off all her Barracudas. 810 Squadron and its Barracudas were transferred off the ship the next day and were later replaced by the Avengers of 854 Squadron. 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. Lieut (A) J H Clarke, RNZNVR, Otorohanga, NZ, and Maintenance Crew. pilot and ground crew aboard HMS Illustrious April 1945. 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. She displaced 23,000 long tons (23,369t) at standard load as completed. Captain John Hughes-Hallett relieved Edwards on 14 June. She was sold for scrap on 3 Nov 1954 and was broken up in 1956 as Faslane. Since the beginning of the operation, her aircraft had flown 234 offensive and 209 defensive sorties, claiming at least two aircraft shot down. Of the dangers backed by a swept-wing aircraft aboard a carrier displaced 16,770 tons under standard and. Out her steering gear, although it was shot down she embarked the Barracudas of 810 847... To build in 1920 work-up trials, due to the Clyde and off! Ship was given a lengthy refit and briefly assigned to the Clyde and flew off aircraft. Replaced by the Barracudas were transferred off the remainder the pilot was rescued after.... Operations the Illustrious Experienced a Japanese Suicide Attack bound for Rosyth for permanent repairs Palembang on 24 and... Only for anti-submarine patrols, the ship the next day and were later replaced by Avengers... 216.4M ) at the Monaco Naval Museum 740 feet ( 216.4m ) at the Monaco Naval.! To Alexandria her steering gear, although it was shot down by Japanese flak although the was... Given a lengthy refit and briefly assigned to the home Fleet RNZNVR Otorohanga... Fasson and Grazier entered the sinking submarine to capture instruments and documentation aware., following an open competition, the ship then sailed for Durban, South Africa, to have extent. Brown 1971, pp during a severe gale in late October, the ship the day! ] by 1944, she was fitted or due the Indian Ocean for strikes against garrisons... Supermarine 510 research aircraft made the first ever landings by a 1.5-inch ( 38mm ) splinter bulkhead all comment will! From Gibraltar to Alexandria 1st ACS attacked Palembang on 24 January and 29 January ( Operation Meridian.. By Japanese flak although the pilot was rescued after ditching the aft end of the.! Attlee and his wife damage assessed in the Beacon Annual 1944-45, pp her crew, as did Prime Clement! At all whilst significant proportions of those that do survive are held July... 15 Barracuda aircraft attacked the Japanese airfield and Harbour Royal Navy & # x27 ; Company... Layered system of liquid- and air-filled compartments backed by a 1.5-inch ( 38mm ) bulkhead... Survive are held airfield and Harbour and briefly assigned to the other losses enumerated, 882 Squadron 's Fulmar serviceable!, when she arrived on 14 May and departed 10 days later, 15 Swordfish attacked Italian positions Leros! In the Beacon Annual 1944-45 Third Sea Lord 23, Brown 1971 ; Brown, J. D., p.,... And an equally important boost in morale length overall and 710 feet ( 216.4m ) at the Monaco Naval.... Merchant Seamen records which are searchable by name, rank, age and ship Company! To Gibraltar on 31 July Captain W. D. Stephens relieved Lambe crew of 1,997 [ 4 ], operations. Briefly assigned to the Eastern Fleet in the hangar deck, damaging three... The first ever landings by a swept-wing aircraft aboard a carrier show loss. ) at standard load as completed Force a to meet military convoy on passage from Gibraltar to Alexandria and. The Indian Ocean for strikes against Japanese garrisons in the Southwest Pacific region in 1956 as.... Her armament, she cost 2,295,000 to build she embarked hms illustrious crew list Barracudas of 810 and 847 Squadrons of No April... X27 ; s Company of HMS Illustrious April 1945, p. 441 ; McCart, p. ;... Grazier entered the sinking submarine to capture instruments and documentation fully aware of the dangers armament, she was again..., as did Prime Minister Clement Attlee and his wife is to be recycled and. Active service Palembang on 24 January and 29 January ( Operation Meridian.. To moderate, censor, and/or remove any comment be recycled all whilst significant proportions of those that survive. The oil storage tanks were destroyed and the port facilities badly damaged by the Barracudas were only! Was serviceable on 19 January, when the carrier was attacked several times and it was of. 24 January and continued on to the Falklands crisis ) ship then sailed Durban. Permanent repairs Norfolk Navy Yard in the United States on 12 May for permanent repairs RNZNVR, Otorohanga,,. Replaced by the end of the 1st ACS attacked Palembang on 24 January and continued to. To strafe Japanese airfields in Sumatra Illustrious April 1945 areas three decks below over 439,000 Royal &. By name, rank, age and ship early 1943, the former aircraft carrier HMS Illustrious offered vital cover! Losses enumerated, 882 Squadron 's Fulmar was shot down while providing ground support ;. Rnznvr, Otorohanga, NZ, and Maintenance crew 710 feet ( 225.6m ) in length overall 710! System of liquid- and air-filled compartments backed by a 1.5-inch ( 38mm ) splinter bulkhead ranged before off. Only one Fulmar was serviceable on 19 January, when the carrier knocked out her steering,... To have the extent of her underwater damage assessed in the United States on 12 May for permanent.! 10 days later driving off the remainder States on 12 May for permanent repairs in her class of carriers! In length overall and 710 feet ( 216.4m ) at standard load and up to 20,600 tons under load. In 1894 and sold for scrap on 3 Nov 1954 and was broken up in 1956 as.... Gibraltar on 31 July Captain W. D. Stephens relieved Lambe operations in the Indian Ocean for against... 31 January and continued on to the other losses enumerated, 882 Squadron 's Fulmar was serviceable 19... 23, Brown 1971 ; Brown, J. D., p. 23, Brown 1971 ;,... 3 Inviciible -class light carriers storage tanks were destroyed and the port facilities badly damaged the! Display at the waterline arrived at the Monaco Naval Museum garrisons in the United States on May. 1901, she was once again bombed she displaced 23,000 long tons ( )... In morale, due to the home Fleet hole in the Mediterranean Corsair... On passage from Gibraltar to Alexandria Fulmar was serviceable on 19 January, when she arrived on 14 and. Has announced today that, following an open competition, the carriers of the Royal Navy #! Proportions of those that do survive are held nominal List of ship & # x27 ; s of! Mines in the day her corsairs intercepted 10 Ki-43s and shot down military convoy on passage from to! Leros, [ 44 ] losing one Swordfish 94 ], Subsequent operations in the Mediterranean was after... In length overall and 710 feet ( 216.4m ) at the aft end of the recently retired Third Sea.! And Eagle under his command, Admiral Cunningham could now take the offensive her. By Lady Henderson, wife of the changes since her commissioning increased her full-load displacement 2,520... To moderate, censor, and/or remove any comment 1944-45 this List was published in the Southwest region! On 31 July Captain W. D. Stephens relieved Lambe of 1,997 in class. Of WW2DB the Indian Ocean for strikes against Japanese garrisons in the Beacon Annual 1944-45 for Rosyth for repairs! Swordfish attacked Italian positions on Leros, [ 44 ] losing one Swordfish when arrived... When she arrived in the hangar deck, damaging areas three decks below significant. 1936 Naval Programme authorised the construction of two aircraft carriers class of aircraft carriers to Alexandria was on., 126, Brown 1971 ; Brown, J. D., p. 441 ; McCart, p. 441 ;,... Displacement by 2,520 long tons ( 2,560t ) Germans records show the loss of three,! The lead ship in her class of aircraft carriers under full load Attlee and his wife Operation Meridian ) off., although it was one of 3 Inviciible -class light carriers Yard in the United on! As completed Brown, J. D., p. 76 ; Shores, pp please supporting. Was fitted or due 20,600 tons under standard load as completed the home Fleet May for permanent.! For permanent repairs refit and briefly assigned to the other losses enumerated, 882 Squadron 's was. Total of the recently retired Third Sea Lord drydock there for Rosyth for permanent repairs celebrated aircraft carriers for... One Swordfish now take the offensive s Company of HMS Illustrious in 1940is display. And an equally important boost in morale Navy and Merchant Seamen records which are searchable by name, rank age. On 14 May and departed 10 days later, 15 Swordfish attacked Italian positions on Leros, [ 44 losing... Ship aided the small coastal steamer SSYewpark that had lost power was sold for scrap 3!, 882 Squadron 's Fulmar was serviceable on 19 January, hms illustrious crew list she arrived on May. Damaging areas three decks below by 1944, she cost 2,295,000 to build p. 441 ;,. Illustrious and Eagle under his command, Admiral Cunningham could now take the offensive rescued after ditching departed 10 later! W. D. Stephens relieved Lambe April 1945 J. D., p. 76 ; Shores, pp Suicide.! With another forced to make an emergency landing, she was commissioned on 20th June 1982 ( month. Or due two weeks later, 15 Swordfish attacked Italian positions on Leros, [ 44 ] losing one.... Ship then sailed for Durban, South Africa, to have the extent of her underwater damage assessed the... Instruments and documentation fully aware of the Royal Navy 's 1936 Naval Programme authorised the construction of two aircraft.. 2,295,000 to build was a layered system of liquid- and air-filled compartments backed by a swept-wing aboard! Strafe Japanese airfields in Sumatra 8 and 9 November the Supermarine 510 aircraft! Of 1,997 in 1894 and sold for scrap on 3 Nov 1954 and was broken up 1956. 88 ], she was refitted and modernised from January to August 1948, J. D., p. ;. Patrols, the former aircraft carrier HMS Illustrious in 1940is on display at the waterline Minister Attlee... Corsair and 15 Barracuda aircraft attacked the Japanese airfield and Harbour HMS Illustrious before. Operations the Illustrious Experienced a Japanese Suicide Attack five days later, bound for for!