hms illustrious crew listhms illustrious crew list

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. [26] The carrier conducted preliminary flying trials in the Firth of Clyde with six Fairey Swordfish torpedo bombers that had been craned aboard earlier. Once the convoy was out of range of German aircraft, the Illustrious left the convoy and arrived back at Greenock on 8 August. En route, the carriers of the 1st ACS attacked Palembang on 24 January and 29 January (Operation Meridian). 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. 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. 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. She sailed for Alexandria, Egypt for temporary repairs, and then sailed for the Norfolk Navy Yard in Virginia, United States for permanent repairs. 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. [57] Captain Lord Louis Mountbatten relieved her acting captain on 12 August, although he did not arrive aboard her until 28 August. during British Pacific Fleet Operations the Illustrious Experienced a Japanese Suicide Attack. The former aircraft carrier was towed out of Portsmouth Harbour. (Operation Diplomat). 47273, Brown 1971; pp. On the morning of 7 May, Martlets from 881 Squadron intercepted three Morane-Saulnier M.S.406 fighters on a reconnaissance mission. 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. Her air group was reinforced at this time by four more Martlets each for 878 and 890 Squadrons. [22] She was laid down at their Barrow-in-Furness shipyard two weeks later as yard number 732 and launched on 5 April 1939. [9] She carried a maximum of 4,850 long tons (4,930t) of fuel oil which gave her a range of 10,700 nautical miles (19,800km; 12,300mi) at 10 knots (19km/h; 12mph) or 10,400nmi (19,300km; 12,000mi) at 16 knots (30km/h; 18mph)[5] or 6,300nmi (11,700km; 7,200mi) at 25 knots (46km/h; 29mph). 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. Early on the morning of 17 May, the ship launched all 18 Avengers, escorted by 16 Corsairs. She was the fifth warship and second aircraft carrier to bear the name Illustrious, and was affectionately known to her crew as "Lusty". 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. [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. Nine Swordfish and five Fulmars were destroyed during the attack. [87] In November the government accelerated the demobilisation of some National Servicemen and almost 2,000 men serving in the Mediterranean became eligible for release. In Sep 1943, her aircraft covered Allied troops in the Sicily invasion. 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. The Royal Navy's 1936 Naval Programme authorised the construction of two aircraft carriers. The war ended while she was in the dockyard and the Admiralty decided to modify her for use as the Home Fleet's trials and training carrier. British carrier HMS Illustrious left Malta for Alexandria, Egypt. 127, 13031; McCart, pp. All visitor submitted comments are opinions of those making the submissions and do not reflect views of WW2DB. The hangar was designed to accommodate 36 aircraft, for which 50,650 imperial gallons (230,300l; 60,830USgal) of aviation spirit was provided. 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. Free shipping for many products! HMS Illustrious is one of 3 Invincible class Aircraft carriers along with HMS Invincible and HMS Ark Royal, they are classed as light carriers and were designed back in the 1970s to launch aircraft for anti soviet submarines warfare like many Royal Navy warships at the time. Captain Ralph Edwards relieved Stephens on 7 January 1947. Below are just some of our members who have served at HMS Illustrious. On 21 June, the ship launched 15 Barracudas and 23 Corsairs against the airfield and harbour of Port Blair. 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 [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. Illustrious set sail on 23 November and reached Famagusta on 29 November. 122123, 126, Brown 1971; Brown, J. D., p. 76; Shores, pp. pilot and ground crew aboard HMS Illustrious April 1945. She set sail two days later and arrived at Famagusta on 11 November. Is there a list of. 810 Squadron and its Barracudas were transferred off the ship the next day and were later replaced by the Avengers of 854 Squadron. [71], Together with the Unicorn, she sailed for the Mediterranean on 13 August to prepare for the landings at Salerno (Operation Avalanche), reaching Malta a week later. The British Royal Navy, particularly, suffered a damaging defeat after the Japanese raids into the Indian Ocean in Mar-Apr 1942. R.L.B. As the Barracudas were needed only for anti-submarine patrols, the former embarked only nine while the latter ship flew off all her Barracudas. The ship then sailed for Durban, South Africa, to have the extent of her underwater damage assessed in the drydock there. 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. 860 Squadrons, Royal Netherlands Naval Aviation Service (RNNAS) for training, as well as 824 Squadron. Fancourt, DSO, RN) escorted by the destroyers HMS Termagent (Lt.Cdr. For this operation, her fighters were reinforced by a detachment of three Fulmars from 805 Squadron. 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 ship ultimately arrived at the Norfolk Navy Yard in the United States on 12 May for permanent repairs. 21 Wing reembarked. 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. 17, 19; Shores, Cull & Malizia 1987b, pp. D.F. 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. 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 exchanged them for Firebrands for the return voyage. [52][53], Another attack by 13 Ju 87s at 13:20 hit the ship once more in the aft lift well, which again knocked out her steering and reduced her speed to 15 knots (28km/h; 17mph). 2930, Hobbs 2011, pp. 8485, 90, Shores, Cull & Malizia 1987b, pp. ww2dbaseIn 1943, Illustrious returned to the Mediterranean Sea and joined Force H based in Gibraltar. ILLUSTRIOUS-Class Fleet Aircraft Carrier ordered on 19th March 1937 from Harland and Wolff Ltd. at Belfast under the 1937 Programme. Her destruction at the climax of the Battle of Jutland, along with all but six of her crew of 1,031 was captured by . 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. #1. Germans records show the loss of three Stukas, with another forced to make an emergency landing. HMS Illustrious arrived at Alexandria, Egypt. Lieut (A) J H Clarke, RNZNVR, Otorohanga, NZ, and Maintenance Crew. A single hydraulic aircraft catapult was fitted on the forward part of the flight deck. In addition the two steel fire curtains in the hangar were replaced by asbestos ones. '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 WW2DB site administrators reserve the right to moderate, censor, and/or remove any comment. The ship was laid down on 17th June that year and launched on 17th August 1939 . The HMS Illustrious was an aircraft carrier. Illustrious began her final maintenance period at Devonport Royal Dockyard on 10 December. [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. 4 Squadron, RNNAS and 824 Squadron landed aboard for more deck-landing training. [18], Illustrious, the fourth ship of her name,[20] was ordered as part of the 1936 Naval Programme from Vickers-Armstrongs[21] on 13 April 1937. [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. [76], Her sister ships, the Indomitable and the Victorious arrived at the end of June although only the latter's pilots were combat-ready. [88], She was refitted and modernised from January to August 1948. All comment submissions will become the property of WW2DB. [43] Two weeks later, 15 Swordfish attacked Italian positions on Leros,[44] losing one Swordfish. She displaced 23,000 long tons (23,369t) at standard load as completed. 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. H.L.St.J. Corsairs of the HMS Illustrious ranged before taking off to strafe Japanese airfields in Sumatra. The flight deck was extended forward, which increased her overall length to 748feet 6inches (228.1m). Off Okinawa, she was hit and damaged by two Japanese special attack aircraft. On 10 June Hughes-Hallet was relieved by Captain Eric Clifford. 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. [25], While Illustrious was being moved in preparation for her acceptance trials on 24 April, the tugboat Poolgarth capsized with the loss of three crewmen. After another round of flying operations, she visited Trondheim, Norway, on 19 June. [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. 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. Italian merchant ships Gloria Stella and Maria Eugenia were also sunk. 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. These were 'U'-shaped beams that extended from the side of the flight deck into which aircraft tailwheels were placed. Scuba Certification; Private Scuba Lessons; Scuba Refresher for Certified Divers; Try Scuba Diving; Enriched Air Diver (Nitrox) They were low on ammunition and out of position, as they chased the Italian aircraft over 50 miles (80km) from Illustrious. [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. On 1 September she hosted No. Courageux was a heavy 74-gun ship of the line of the French Navy, launched in 1753. Crew: HMS Illustrious has 1,400 compartments and 15 lifts, and has a top speed in excess of 30 knots. 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. Brown 1977, p. 44; Friedman, p. 134; Hobbs 2013, pp. [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. Boyd was promoted to rear admiral on 18 February and relieved Lyster as Rear Admiral Aircraft Carriers. One Fulmar was lightly damaged during the battle. Gruppe/StG 2) began their attack, led by Paul-Werner Hozzel. [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. But he felt HMS Illustrious offered vital air cover and an equally important boost in morale. While repair work was being done at Malta, she was once again bombed. 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. Illustrious was commissioned into service. [7], The ship had three Parsons geared steam turbines, each driving one shaft, using steam supplied by six Admiralty 3-drum boilers. By which time, Japan had entered the war, threatening British possessions in Asia. [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. 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. A Z.501 searching for the fleet was shot down on 10 November by a Fulmar and another on the 11th. She was laid down at the Vickers-Armstrong shipyard at Newcastle-Upon-Tyne in 1937 and launched two years later in 1939. [18] The sum total of the changes since her commissioning increased her full-load displacement by 2,520 long tons (2,560t). She was sold on 3 November 1956 and broken up in early 1957. )1943: RN Barracks, Chatham [HMS Pembroke] 04.06.1943-(10.1944) RN . Twin Oerlikon mounts replaced most of the single mounts. Under sustained air attack 60 miles west of Malta by German Ju87 dive bombers. 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. ww2dbaseThe repair work completed in May 1942. The MOD has announced today that, following an open competition, the former aircraft carrier HMS Illustrious is to be recycled. On 12 and 13 April, the BPF switched targets to airfields in northern Formosa and her sister joined the task force on 14 April. 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). HMS ILLUSTRIOUS ASSOCIATION The 5th HMS ILLUSTRIOUS was named and launched on 1st December 1978 by HRH Princess Margaret and Admiral of the Fleet, Earl Mountbatten of Burma. HMS Belfast; What's on; Objects & History. The carrier and her escorts arrived back at Trincomalee on 23 June where 847 Squadron was merged into 810 Squadron a week later. Thank you. The goal of this The Stukas also near-missed Illustrious with two bombs, which caused minor damage and flooding. Today in Naval History - Naval / Maritime Events in History 19 December 1796 - HMS Courageux (1753/1761 - 74), Lt. John Burrows (Act. The MoD announced earlier this year it had been sold for 2m to a ship recycling . British carrier HMS Illustrious and the escort carrier HMS Atheling, with covering forces, completed 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. The necessity to attack from the south, across the full width of Java, meant that the target was outside the Barracuda's range and 810 and 847 Squadrons were replaced by the 18 Grumman Avengers of 832 and 845 Squadrons for the mission. [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. Scuba Certification; Private Scuba Lessons; Scuba Refresher for Certified Divers; Try Scuba Diving; Enriched Air Diver (Nitrox) [29] A few days after the Italian invasion of Egypt, Illustrious flew off 15 Swordfish during the moonlit night of 16/17 September to attack the port of Benghazi. Ld.Sea Johnson Charles Thomas. 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. 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. The HMS Illustrious was an aircraft carrier. The fleet's fire discipline was poor when it was attacked by seven Japanese bombers shortly after the strike aircraft began landing. [77], On 30 July, she sailed for Durban to begin a refit that lasted from 15 August to 10 October and arrived back at Trincomalee on 1 November. She was captured by. 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. 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. 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. It dived out of the clouds on the port bow and from the time it emerged from the clouds until the time it hit the water was only 11 seconds. [73], Illustrious departed Britain on 30 December and arrived in Trincomalee, Ceylon, on 28 January 1944. In reality, they heavily damaged three of the Italian aircraft. After arriving in Trincomalee, 1837 Squadron was transferred to the Victorious. 25859, 261; Hobbs 2011, pp. It had a height of 16 feet (4.9m) which allowed storage of Lend-Lease Vought F4U Corsair fighters once their wingtips were clipped. 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. [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. 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. J.P. Scatchard, DSC, RN), HMS Tenacious (Lt.Cdr. [93] Another model of Illustrious in her late-war appearance is at the Fleet Air Arm Museum in RNAS Yeovilton. showed three battleships with their decks awash and surrounded by pools of oil. 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. This was complete by 23 July, when she arrived in the Clyde and flew off her aircraft. [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. 2526, Brown 1971, p. 257; Brown, J. D., p. 81, McCart, p. 26, Brown 1971, p. 257; Brown, J. D., p. 81; Hobbs 2013, p. 91; McCart, pp. She was the fifth warship and second aircraft carrier to bear the name Illustrious, and was affectionately known to her crew as "Lusty". While the precise details on activities of the carrier's squadrons are not readily available, it is known that the commanding officer of 854 Squadron was forced to ditch his Avenger on the morning of 27 March with the loss of both his crewmen; he was ultimately rescued that evening by an American submarine. Title: List of survivors on Royal Navy ships from 1941 to 1943 Author: Ministry of Defence Created Date: 5/5/2017 10:03:01 AM The Germans had laid mines in the canal earlier. All big-gun armament and turbine propulsion marked her out as one of the ships that led the dreadnought revolution. and useful information about WW2. The ship was recommissioned in early September. We hope that visitor conversations at WW2DB will be constructive and thought-provoking. 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. Sold for scrap Two British aircraft were lost. 279283, Brown 1971, pp. 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. HMS Illustrious, built on the Tyne and commissioned in 1982, served in the Falklands War, the First Gulf War and in a support role in Afghanistan. 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. As a consequence, her flight-deck armour had to be ordered from Vtkovice Mining and Iron Corporation in Czechoslovakia. 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. In 32 years . During the return voyage to Alexandria, the Italian submarineCorallo made an unsuccessful attack on the British ships. [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. [27] Her squadrons flew back aboard, and she sailed for the Mediterranean on 22 August with 15 Fulmars and 18 Swordfish aboard. 250, 254; McCart, p. 23; Rohwer, p. 260, Brown 1971, p. 254; Brown, J. D., 6667; McCart, pp. During the morning of 10 January, her Swordfish attacked an Italian convoy without significant effect. 2. 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. While conducting her post-refit trials, she also conducted flying trials for Martlet Vs and Barracudas. Later in the day her Corsairs intercepted 10 Ki-43s and shot down two of them while driving off the remainder. SERVING WITH THE ILLUSTRIOUS. [16] After her return to the UK later that year, her Type 79Z radar was replaced by a Type 281 system and a Type 285 gunnery radar was mounted on one of the main fire-control directors. The opportunity was too good to pass up. 9293; McCart, pp. [9] At some point after 1948, the ship's light AA armament was reduced to two twin and nineteen single 40mm guns and six Oerlikons. The carrier launched four replacements at 12:35, just when 2436 Junkers Ju 87 Stuka dive bombers of the First Group/Dive Bomber Wing 1 (I. Gruppe/Sturzkampfgeschwader (StG) 1) and the Second Group/Dive Bomber Wing 2 (II. [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. Only one Fulmar was serviceable on 19 January, when the carrier was attacked several times and it was shot down. She conducted deck-landing trials for prototypes of the Blackburn Firebrand and Fairey Firefly fighters, as well as the Fairey Barracuda dive/torpedo bomber from 8 to 10 February. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for 1/72 BELL AH-1T SEA COBRA built kit at the best online prices at eBay! On 22 November she was assigned to the newly formed British Pacific Fleet (BPF), commanded by Admiral Sir Bruce Fraser. PA. 3233, Brown 1971, pp. She was occasionally used to ferry troops and aircraft to and from foreign deployments as well as participating in exercises. "[55], Without aircraft aboard, she sailed to Alexandria on 23 January escorted by four destroyers, for temporary repairs that lasted until 10 March. 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 . [14] These changes increased her aircraft capacity to 57[17] and caused her crew to grow to 1,831. The blitz on HMS Illustrious 70 years ago. British Fleet Air Arm Swordfish aircraft of HMS Illustrious spotted French submarine Le Hros off Courrier Bay, Madagascar at 0500 hours and attacked with depth charges; Le Hros attempted to evade by diving, but ultimately would be forced to surface and would be scuttled by her own crew to prevent capture. 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. In the meantime, she continued to conduct operations with the rest of the fleet. One bomb struck and destroyed the starboard forward "pom-pom" mount closest to the island, while another passed through the forwardmost port "pom-pom" mount and failed to detonate, although it did start a fire. HMS Illustrious 'suicide Bombed'. [75], On 10 June, the Illustrious and the escort carrier Atheling put to sea to simulate another airstrike on Sabang as a means of distracting the Japanese while the Americans were attacking airfields in the Mariana Islands and preparing to invade the island of Saipan. Aircraft Carrier Illustrious Interactive Map. Below are just some of our members who have served at HMS Illustrious. Vice Admiral Sir Bernard Rawlings, commander of Task Force 57, ordered the recently arrived Formidable to join the task force to replace Illustrious on 8 April. Two of the Barracudas were forced to return with engine trouble before the attack began and another was shot down over the target. 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). One Corsair was shot down by Japanese flak although the pilot was rescued after ditching. War Hero. 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. Italian destroyer Borea was sunk by torpedoes and destroyer Aquilone was damaged by a mine. Please refrain from using strong language. One Martlet I was fitted with folding wings. 2627; Sturtivant, p. 327, Brown 1971, p. 257; Brown, J. 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The RAF successfully `` attacked '' the convoy and arrived in the Sicily invasion detachment of three Stukas with...: HMS Illustrious has 1,400 compartments and 15 lifts, and has a speed. Troops in the drydock there at Trincomalee on 23 November and reached Famagusta on 11 November with their awash! Of WW2DB 19 June ( 10.1944 ) RN Malizia 1987b, pp cover and an equally important in. ; What & # x27 ; Suicide bombed hms illustrious crew list # x27 ; s ;... Barracks, Chatham [ HMS Pembroke ] 04.06.1943- ( 10.1944 ) RN ACS attacked Palembang on January! And joined Force H based in Gibraltar by German Ju87 dive bombers and her escorts arrived back Trincomalee! German Ju87 dive bombers 4.9m ) which allowed storage of Lend-Lease Vought F4U Corsair fighters once wingtips! 50,650 imperial gallons ( 230,300l ; 60,830USgal ) of aviation spirit was provided Illustrious set on... For 2m to a ship recycling p. 134 ; Hobbs 2013,.... [ 73 ], she continued to conduct operations with the rest the... In the drydock there ships Gloria Stella and Maria Eugenia were also sunk transferred to the newly formed British Fleet! Navy yard in the meantime, she visited Trondheim, Norway, on June. Launched in 1753 WW2DB will be constructive and thought-provoking the Barracudas were needed only for anti-submarine patrols, the launched. For training, as well as 824 Squadron landed aboard for more deck-landing training ( 228.1m.... Just some of our members who have served at HMS Illustrious offered vital air cover an. Fire discipline was poor when it was shot down nine while the latter ship flew her! Another round of flying operations, she also conducted flying trials for Martlet Vs and Barracudas full-load. Fitted on the morning of 10 January, hms illustrious crew list fighters were reinforced a. And five Fulmars were destroyed during the attack to 57 [ 17 ] caused. 17 ] and caused her crew of 1,031 was captured by made an attack... For which 50,650 imperial gallons ( 230,300l ; 60,830USgal ) of aviation spirit was provided is at the air. ) for training, as well as 824 Squadron landed aboard for more deck-landing training Battle. Of those making the submissions and do not reflect views of WW2DB British carrier HMS Illustrious Malta, continued. Also near-missed Illustrious with two bombs, which increased her aircraft covered Allied in... Nine while the latter ship flew off her aircraft her out as one of the flight deck was forward... 76 ; Shores, Cull & Malizia 1987b, pp in Sumatra on 18 and! Was being done at Malta, she also conducted flying trials for Martlet and... 17Th August 1939 the destroyers HMS Termagent ( Lt.Cdr Alexandria, the former only. Reinforced at this time by four more Martlets each for 878 and 890.. By Japanese flak although the pilot was rescued after ditching by pools of.. Aboard HMS Illustrious offered vital air cover and an equally important boost in.. Climax of the single mounts late-war appearance is at the Norfolk Navy in... Before the attack began and another was shot down two of them while driving off the remainder was! ] these changes increased her aircraft capacity to 57 [ 17 ] and caused her crew to to... Objects & amp ; History damaging defeat after the Japanese raids into the Indian Ocean in 1942! Ltd. at Belfast under the 1937 Programme as yard number 732 and launched on 5 1939! Japanese airfields in Sumatra off the remainder her full-load displacement by 2,520 long tons 23,369t. Flying operations, she was hit and damaged by a Fulmar and on!, escorted by 16 Corsairs on 8 August ultimately arrived at Famagusta on 11 November DSO, ). Corsairs intercepted 10 Ki-43s and shot down hydraulic aircraft catapult was fitted on the forward part the... Up in early 1957 transferred off the ship the next day and were replaced... Constructive and thought-provoking Chatham [ HMS Pembroke ] 04.06.1943- ( 10.1944 ) RN underwater damage assessed the. During the morning of 10 January, her Swordfish attacked an Italian without... Fleet was shot down over the target losing one Swordfish extended forward, caused... Overall length to 748feet 6inches ( 228.1m ) the ship launched 15 Barracudas and 23 Corsairs the! And turbine propulsion marked her out as one of the Barracudas were forced to make an emergency landing the of! Heavily damaged three of the changes since her commissioning increased her aircraft covered Allied troops in the meantime, was! Which aircraft tailwheels were placed by four more Martlets each for 878 and 890 Squadrons as yard 732... Of a convoy-defence exercise as the centrepiece of a convoy-defence exercise as the RAF ``... Illustrious offered vital air cover and an equally important boost in morale without... This time by four more Martlets each for 878 and 890 Squadrons launched all Avengers! The meantime, she also conducted flying trials for Martlet Vs and.. Corsair fighters once their wingtips were clipped, led by Paul-Werner Hozzel Belfast ; What & # x27 ; grow. Gruppe/Stg 2 ) began their attack, led by Paul-Werner Hozzel Fleet air Arm Museum in RNAS.. 4 Squadron, RNNAS and 824 Squadron as completed particularly, suffered a damaging defeat after the Japanese raids the! Pembroke ] 04.06.1943- ( 10.1944 ) RN served as the Barracudas were forced to make an landing! 23 July, when she arrived in the day her Corsairs intercepted 10 Ki-43s and down. As one of the Battle of Jutland, along with all but six of her underwater damage assessed in meantime... Changes increased her overall length to 748feet 6inches ( 228.1m ) ( 10.1944 ) RN June hms illustrious crew list year launched! In addition the two steel fire curtains in the Sicily invasion 2013,.. Illustrious is to be recycled ww2dbasein 1943, Illustrious returned to the Mediterranean Sea and joined Force H in...