HMS Illustrious (87), the fourth Illustrious of the British Royal Navy, was an aircraft carrier which saw service in World War II, the lead ship of the Illustrious class of carriers which also included HMS Victorious (R38), HMS Formidable (R67), and HMS Indomitable (R92). HMS Illustrious (Illustrious Class Carrier) courtesy of [1] This image is copyrighted by the maintainer of the Web site http://www. ... Image File history File links Naval_Ensign_of_the_United_Kingdom. ... January 13 is the 13th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1937 (MCMXXXVII) was a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ... April 27 is the 117th day of the year (118th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 248 days remaining. ... 1937 (MCMXXXVII) was a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ... April 5 is the 95th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (96th in leap years). ... 1939 (MCMXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full year calendar). ... May 25 is the 145th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (146th in leap years). ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ... November 3 is the 307th day of the year (308th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 58 days remaining. ... 1956 (MCMLVI) was a leap year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Bofors 40mm/L60. ... The design of the Oerlikon 20mm cannon, by Reinhold Becker dates back to 1914, and is still in use today, after having been used extensively during the Second World War. ... The Fulmar was a carrier-borne fighter aircraft of the Fleet Air Arm built by Fairey Aviation during 1940. ... Fairey Swordfish The Fairey Swordfish was a torpedo bomber built by the Fairey Aviation Company and used by the Fleet Air Arm of the Royal Navy during World War II. Affectionately known as the Stringbag by its crews, it was outdated by 1939, but achieved some spectacular successes during the... The Chance Vought F4U Corsair was an American fighter aircraft that saw service in World War II and the Korean War (and in isolated local conflicts). ... Grumman TBF Avengers in 1942 The Grumman TBF Avenger (designated TBM for aircraft manufactured by General Motors) was an American torpedo bomber, developed initially for the United States Navy and Marine Corps and used by a large number of air forces around the world. ... The Royal Navy of the United Kingdom is the oldest of the British armed services (and is therefore the Senior Service). ... Four aircraft carriers, (front-to-back) Principe de Asturias, amphibious assault carrier USS Wasp, supercarrier USS Forrestal and light V/STOL carrier HMS Invincible, showing size differences. ... The lead ship is the first of a series or class of ships all constructed according to the same general design. ... The Illustrious-class aircraft carriers were some of the most important ships to the United Kingdom in World War II. They were laid down in the late 1930s as part of the rearmament of the Royal Navy in response to the threats of Hitler, Mussolini and militarist Japan. ... HMS Victorious (R38) was the second Illustrious-class aircraft carrier ordered under the 1936 Naval Programme. ... HMS Formidable was an Illustrious class aircraft carrier of the Royal Navy during World War II. She was constructed by Harland & Wolff, Belfast and commissioned on 24 November 1940. ... HMS Indomitable (R92) was a modified Illustrious class aircraft carrier of the British Royal Navy. ...

Illustrious was built by Vickers-Armstrong at Barrow-in-Furness, launched in 1939, and commissioned in May 1940. She displaced 23,000 tonnes and had the capability to carry up to 36 aircraft, a number greatly reduced by her armoured deck. Perhaps predictably, she was nicknamed "Lusty" by the men who served on her. The Vickers corporation, founded as the Vickers company in 1828, was a British manufacturer, primarily of military equipment. ... Barrow-in-Furness is a town in Cumbria, England. ...

Service

Illustrious under Stukas attack

Illustrious joined the fleet in August 1940. Her first assignment was in the Mediterranean, where she was used to provide convoy cover, perform anti-shipping strikes, and raid positions in North Africa. Image File history File links Illustrious under attack of German and Italian bombers. ... Image File history File links Illustrious under attack of German and Italian bombers. ... The Mediterranean Sea is an intercontinental sea positioned between Europe to the north, Africa to the south and Asia to the east, covering an approximate area of 2. ... A convoy is a group of vehicles traveling together for mutual support. ...  Northern Africa (UN subregion)  geographic, including above North Africa or Northern Africa is the northernmost region of the African continent, generally divided politically from Sub-Saharan Africa. ...

On 31 August, she was used to launch a strike against airfields at Maritza. On 11 November 1940, she became the first carrier in history to launch a major strike against an enemy fleet in a daring attack against the Italian fleet at Taranto. Twenty-one aircraft from Numbers 813, 815, 819, and 824 Squadrons based on Illustrious attacked the Italian fleet at night. The Italians were caught off-guard, and one battleship was sunk and 2 were heavily damaged. August 31 is the 243rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (244th in leap years), with 122 days remaining. ... Maritza can be: The river Maritsa Maritza (musical) This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... November 11 is the 315th day of the year (316th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 50 days remaining. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ... Combatants United Kingdom Italy Commanders Lumley Lyster Inigo Campioni Strength 21 bombers 6 battleships Casualties 2 bombers destroyed 1 battleship sunk 2 battleships damaged 1 cruiser damaged The naval Battle of Taranto took place on the night of 11 November – 12 November 1840 during World War II. The Royal Navy... The firepower of a battleship demonstrated by USS Iowa. ...

On 11 January 1941 Illustrious was attacked while escorting a convoy east of Sicily by Axis Savoia-Marchetti SM.79 and Ju-87 "Stuka" dive-bombers, being hit by 8 bombs and suffering extensive damage, destroying her sick bay and ward room. While in Malta receiving repairs for her battle damage she was again bombed, flooding her boiler room. On 23 January she sailed to Alexandria, Egypt for temporary repairs, arriving at noon on 25 January, and then sailed to Virginia for permanent repairs at the safer Norfolk Navy Yard. One propeller shaft had to be cut away and her speed fell to 23 knots. January 11 is the 11th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... For the movie, see 1941 (film). ... Sicily (Sicilia in Italian and Sicilian) is an autonomous region of Italy and the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, with an area of 25,708 km² (9,926 sq. ... The Savoia-Marchetti SM.79 Sparviero (Italian: sparrowhawk) was important Italian bomber of World War II. The three engine airplane was well made, and performed well both as a torpedo and medium bomber. ... Junkers Ju 87 Dive-Bombers The Junkers Ju 87 or Stuka was the most famous Sturzkampfflugzeug (German dive bomber) in World War II, instantly recognisable by its inverted gull-wings and fixed undercarriage. ... Junkers Ju-87 Stuka dive bombers A dive bomber is a bomber aircraft that dives directly at its targets in order to provide greater accuracy and limit the exposure to and effectiveness of anti-aircraft fire. ... January 23 is the 23rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Antiquity and modernity stand cheek-by-jowl in Egypts chief Mediterranean seaport For other uses, see Alexandria (disambiguation). ... January 25 is the 25th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Official language(s) English Capital Richmond Largest city Virginia Beach Area  Ranked 35th  - Total 42,793 sq mi (110,862 km²)  - Width 200 miles (320 km)  - Length 430 miles (690 km)  - % water 7. ... Aerial View of the Norfolk Naval Shipyard The Norfolk Naval Shipyard, often called the Norfolk Navy Yard, is a U.S. Navy facility in Portsmouth, Virginia, for building, remodeling, and repairing the Navys ships. ...

She returned to service in May 1942, and was immediately dispatched to the Indian Ocean. Later in May, Illustrious and her sister ship Indomitable participated in Operation Ironclad, covering the landings at Diego Suarez in Vichy French controlled Madagascar. In 1943, she returned to the Mediterranean, for operations with Force H, based at the British territory of Gibraltar. She was used to help cover the Allied landings in Sicily in September 1943. HMS Indomitable (R92) was a modified Illustrious class aircraft carrier of the British Royal Navy. ... The Battle of Madagascar is another name for Operation Ironclad, the Allied invasion of Madagascar launched on May 5, 1942, when it was feared that bases on the Vichy French_controlled island might be used by Japan. ... Antsiranana, named Diégo-Suarez prior to 1975, is a city at the northern tip of Madagascar, in Antsiranana province. ... Motto Travail, famille, patrie French: Work, family, fatherland Unoccupied zone of Vichy France (until November 1942) Capital Vichy Language(s) French Religion Roman Catholic Government Dictatorship Head of state  - 1940 — 1944 Philippe Pétain President of the Council  - 1940 — 1942 Philippe Pétain  - 1942 - 1944 Pierre Laval Legislature National Assembly... The Mediterranean Sea is an intercontinental sea positioned between Europe to the north, Africa to the south and Asia to the east, covering an approximate area of 2. ... Force H was a British naval squadron during World War II. It was formed in 1940 to replace French naval power in the western Mediterranean that had been removed by the French armistice with Nazi Germany. ...

In 1944, she joined the Eastern Fleet, where she participated in raids on the Indonesian islands of Sabang on 22 July 1944 and Palembang on 24 January and 29 January 1945. After this, Illustrious put into Fremantle, Australia, for rest and re-supply. She then sailed with the rest of the British Pacific Fleet on 4 March to Manus, and from there sailed on 19 March to Ulithi. Later in 1945, as part of the British Pacific Fleet, designated Task Force 57 by Admiral Nimitz she covered the landings at Okinawa with her sister ships Formidable and Victorious, where she won her last Battle Honour. While in the Pacific, she was hit by two kamikaze aircraft. Her armored flight deck absorbed the brunt of some hits, but the hull was progressively warped by damage that would have been confined to the superstructure in her American counterparts. The British Eastern Fleet (also known as the East Indies Fleet) was a fleet of the Royal Navy during World War II. It operated in the Indian Ocean and was based in Trincomalee in Ceylon. ... Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... July 22 is the 203rd day (204th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar, with 162 days remaining. ... 1944 (MCMXLIV) was a leap year starting on Saturday. ... Location of Palembang Palembang is a city in the south of the Indonesian island of Sumatra. ... January 24 is the 24th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... January 29 is the 29th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1945 (MCMXLV) was a common year starting on Monday. ... Location of Fremantle, Western Australia Fremantle ( ) is a city located within the Perth metropolitan area on Australias western coast, at the mouth of the Swan River, 19 kilometres southwest of Perths Central Business District. ... The British Pacific Fleet (BPF) was a multinational Allied naval force which saw action against Japan during World War II. The fleet was comprised mainly of British Commonwealth naval vessels. ... March 4 is the 63rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (64th in leap years). ... Manus Island is part of Manus Province in Papua New Guinea and is the largest island of the Admiralty Islands. ... March 19 is the 78th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (79th in leap years). ... Ulithi atoll Ulithi is an atoll in the Caroline Islands of the western Pacific Ocean, about 100 km (62 mi) east of Yap. ... Chester Nimitz Chester William Nimitz (February 24, 1885 _ February 20, 1966) was the Commander in Chief of Pacific Forces for the United States and Allied forces during World War II. He was the nations leading authority on submarines, as well as Chief of the Navy Bureau of Navigation... This article is about the prefecture. ... A battle honour is a military tradition practiced in the Commonwealth countries of the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand and is an official acknowledgement rewarded to military units for their achievements in specific wars or operations of a military campaign. ... For other meanings of Pacific, see Pacific (disambiguation). ... It has been suggested that Personnel involved in the development of World War II suicide attacks be merged into this article or section. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

After the war she was given the role of training and trials ship, with a speed limited to 22 knots due to accumulated wartime damage. She was refitted and modernized from January through August 1948, decommissioned at the end of 1954, sold on 3 November 1956, and finally scrapped, after a successful career, at Faslane. Formidable and Indomitable were also scrapped in the 1950s; Victorious, the last of the class, was scrapped in 1969. November 3 is the 307th day of the year (308th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 58 days remaining. ... 1956 (MCMLVI) was a leap year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Location of Faslane and RNAD Coulport Faslane Naval Base, HMNB Clyde Her Majestys Naval Base (HMNB) Clyde (HMS Neptune), is one of three operating bases for the Royal Navy (the others being HMNB Devonport and HMNB Portsmouth). ... This does not cite its references or sources. ...

See also

See HMS Illustrious for other RN ships of the same name. There have been five ships in the Royal Navy to bear the proud name Illustrious, and as her name suggests, she and her predecessors have had an illustrious history. ...

Battle honours

• Taranto 1940
• Mediterranean 1940-41
• Malta Convoys 1941
• Diego Suarez 1942
• Salerno 1943
• Sabang 1944
• Palembang 1945
• Okinawa 1945

Taranto is a coastal city in Apulia, southern Italy. ... The Mediterranean Sea is an intercontinental sea positioned between Europe to the north, Africa to the south and Asia to the east, covering an approximate area of 2. ... The Malta Convoys were a series of supply convoys to sustain the Mediterranean island of Malta during World War 2. ... Antsiranana, named Diégo-Suarez prior to 1975, is a city at the northern tip of Madagascar, in Antsiranana province. ... Salerno is a town in Campania, south-western Italy, the capital of the province of the same name. ... Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Location of Palembang Palembang is a city in the south of the Indonesian island of Sumatra. ... This article is about the prefecture. ...

References

• V.B. Blackman, ed., Jane's Fighting Ships 1950-51 (Sampson Low, Marston, & Company, London, 1951)
• Roger Chesneau, Aircraft Carriers of the World, 1914 to the Present; An Illustrated Encyclopedia (Naval Institute Press, Annapolis, 1984)
• Correlli Barnett, Engage the Enemy More Closely (W.W. Norton & Company, New York, 1991) ISBN 0-393-02918-2
• Richard Collier, War in the Desert (Caxton Publishing Group, London, 2000) ISBN 0783557213

External links

• Maritimequest HMS Illustrious photo gallery