HMS Indomitable (pennant number 92) was a modified Illustrious class aircraft carrier of the British Royal Navy. The Illustrious class came about due to the 1937 Naval Progamme. She had been designed to the original configuration of the Illustrious class, but was soon revised to enable her to operate far more aircraft than her sister-ships were able to. Download high resolution version (1022x756, 100 KB)HMS Indomitable (Illustrious-class aircraft carrier. ... Image File history File links Naval_Ensign_of_the_United_Kingdom. ... July 6 is the 187th day of the year (188th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 178 days remaining. ... 1937 (MCMXXXVII) was a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ... December 10 is the 344th day (345th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar, 21 days before the next year. ... 1937 (MCMXXXVII) was a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ... March 26 is the 85th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (86th in leap years). ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ... October 10 is the 283rd day of the year (284th in leap years). ... For the movie, see 1941 (film). ... The Supermarine Spitfire was an iconic British single-seat fighter used primarily by the RAF and many Allied countries through the Second World War and into the 1950s. ... The Fairey Albacore is a single-engine carrier-borne biplane torpedo bomber built by Fairey Aviation between 1939 and 1943 for the Fleet Air Arm. ... Grumman F6F-3 Hellcats on 1943-01-21. ... 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. ... HMS Leeds Castle, launched in 1943 as a corvette with pennant number K384, was redesignated a frigate in 1948 and given the new flag superior F as seen here. ... 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. ... 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 Royal Navy of the United Kingdom is the oldest of the British armed services (and is therefore the Senior Service). ...

She was laid down by Vickers-Armstrong at Barrow-in-Furness, on 10 November 1937, as war loomed ever closer. She was launched on 26 March 1940 and commissioned the following year in October. 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. ... November 10 is the 314th day of the year (315th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 51 days remaining. ... 1937 (MCMXXXVII) was a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ... March 26 is the 85th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (86th in leap years). ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ...

She sailed to the West Indies in November 1941 for her maiden voyage. While there, Indomitable ran aground on a coral reef near Jamaica, though she returned to service soon afterwards. This short delay proved fatal for British plans for Singapore: it had been planned that Indomitable was to join HMS Prince of Wales and HMS Repulse in the port of Singapore as part of a deterrent force, Force Orange, against Japanese aggression in the Far East. The other two capital ships, designated Force Z, did not have adequate air cover, and were sunk by Japanese aircraft (see Sinking of Prince of Wales and Repulse) when the Japanese landed in Malaya in December 1942. In January 1942 Indomitable joined the Eastern Fleet based at Ceylon, now Sri Lanka, where she ferried 48 Royal Air Force Hawker Hurricanes for Singapore via Java, during January. These planes again came too late as the British commanders in Singapore surrendered to the Japanese in February. The Caribbean or the West Indies is a group of islands in the Caribbean Sea. ... HMS Prince of Wales was a King George V-class battleship of the Royal Navy, built at the Cammell Laird shipyard in Birkenhead, England. ... HMS Repulse was a Renown-class battlecruiser, the second to last battlecruiser built for the Royal Navy. ... Two World War II military groups were called Force Z An Allied force attached to General Sir Archibald Wavells Middle East Command in 1941, consisting of Nos. ... The Sinking of Prince of Wales and Repulse was a World War II naval engagement which illustrated the effectiveness of aerial attacks against naval forces that were not protected by air cover and the resulting importance of including an aircraft carrier in any major fleet action. ... Map of Peninsular Malaysia Peninsular Malaysia (Malay: Semenanjung Malaysia) is the part of Malaysia which lies on the Malay Peninsula, and shares a land border with Thailand in the north. ... The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the air force branch of the British Armed Forces. ... The Hawker Hurricane was a British single-seat fighter aircraft designed and predominantly built by Hawker Aircraft Ltd. ... Java (Indonesian, Javanese, and Sundanese: Jawa) is an island of Indonesia, and the site of its capital city, Jakarta. ...

After the fall of Britain's Far Eastern colonies (Hong Kong and Burma also fell) Indomitable was redeployed. A new Eastern Fleet was established under the command of Admiral Sir James Somerville. Indomitable, the only modern aircraft carrier of the Fleet, was a vital asset to the Allies in the Far East; the other carrier, Hermes, was effectively obsolete. Hermes, the Australian destroyer HMAS Vampire, the corvette HMS Hollyhock, and two tankers were sunk in action against the Japanese in the Indian Ocean. 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. ... Admiral of the Fleet Sir James Fownes Somerville, GCB GBE DSO, (17 July 1882 – 19 March 1949) was one of the most famous British Admirals of World War II. // The son of Arthur Fownes Somerville (1850-1942, who appears to have spent some time farming sheep in New Zealand), James... The far east as a cultural block includes East Asia, Southeast Asia, Northeast Asia and South Asia. ... HMS Hermes (95) was the first purpose built aircraft carrier of the Royal Navy, and the second in the world after the Imperial Japanese Navys Hosho. ... HMAS Vampire (D68/I68) was a V-class destroyer of the British and Royal Australian navies. ...

In May 1942 the British launched Operation Ironclad, the invasion of Vichy-controlled Madagascar. It was feared that the Japanese would themselves occupy Madagascar and use it as a submarine base to attack allied convoy routes in the Indian Ocean. Combatants United Kingdom South Africa Vichy France Empire of Japan Commanders Robert Sturges Armand Léon Annet Strength 10,000-15,000 (land forces) 8,000 (land forces)[1] Casualties 107 killed in action; 280 wounded;[2] 620 casualties in total (including deaths from disease) 150 killed in action; 500... Vichy (Occitan: Vichèi) is a French commune, situated in the département of Allier and the région of Auvergne. ...

Indomitable, her sister-ship Illustrious, and many other warships converged at Durban, South Africa preparing for the invasion. The assault began on 5 May at Courrier Bay, just west of the actual objective. Sea Hurricanes made their first operationally hostile duties during the invasion and, in their escort role, destroyed three Vichy Morane-Saulnier M.S.406 fighters on the ground. The following day the Royal Marines launched an assault on the town itself and after bitter fighting that lasted almost two days the strategic town was taken. The fourth HMS Illustrious (R87) of the Royal Navy was an aircraft carrier, arguably the one with the most distinguished and vital career of this proud lineage. ... Durban (Zulu: eThekwini (IPA: ) is the second most populous city in South Africa, forming part of the eThekwini metropolitan municipality. ... May 5 is the 125th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (126th in leap years). ... The Hawker Hurricane was a British single-seat fighter aircraft designed and predominantly built by Hawker Aircraft Ltd. ... Morane-Saulnier M.S.406 Lyon-Bron escadre of the Polish Air Forces visited by Gen. ... The Royal Marines (RM), are the Royal Navys elite fighting forces. ...

In July, Indomitable returned to the United Kingdom. She was soon back in action, participating in Operation Pedestal, the largest convoy to supply the besieged island of Malta. This convoy comprised 14 cargo ships and an unprecedentedly large escort of warships: Cairo, Charybdis, Eagle, Indomitable,Victorious, Kenya, Manchester, Nelson, Nigeria, Phoebe, Rodney, Sirius, and 32 destroyers. One objective was for Furious to launch her Spitfires to land at Malta where they would remain; this was done successfully on 11 August, and Furious returned to Gibraltar. The HMS Eagle, sunk by the German submarine U-73 Operation Pedestal was a British operation to get vital supplies to the island of Malta in August 1942, during World War II and the height of the Axis siege of Malta. ... HMS Cairo (D87) was a C-class light cruiser of the Royal Navy, named after the Egyptian city of Cairo, was a light cruiser of the Royal Navy. ... Six ships of the Royal Navy have been named HMS Charybdis, after the sea monster Charybdis of Greek mythology. ... HMS Eagle was an aircraft carrier of the Royal Navy sunk during World War II. The Eagle was laid down at the Armstrong yards at Newcastle-on-Tyne on February 20, 1913. ... HMS Victorious (R38) was the second Illustrious-class aircraft carrier ordered under the 1936 Naval Programme. ... HMS Kenya (C14) was a Crown Colony-class cruiser of the British Royal Navy named after Kenya (at the time a British possession). ... The second HMS Manchester (15) was a Town-class light cruiser of the Royal Navy. ... HMS Nelson was a Nelson-class battleship of the Royal Navy active in World War II. She was named in honour of Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson, the victor at the Battle of Trafalgar. ... Several ships of the Royal Navy have been named HMS Phoebe after Phoebe from Greek mythology. ... HMS Rodney was a Nelson-class battleship of the Royal Navy. ... HMS Sirius was a Dido-class cruiser of the Royal Navy. ... HMS Furious was a modified Courageous class large light cruiser (an extreme form of battlecruiser) converted into an early aircraft carrier of the Royal Navy. ... The Supermarine Spitfire was an iconic British single-seat fighter used primarily by the RAF and many Allied countries through the Second World War and into the 1950s. ... August 11 is the 223rd day of the year (224th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

During the operation Indomitable was hit by 2 bombs and suffered 3 near misses; a 500kg bomb penetrated her armoured flight deck, causing damage that required her to withdraw for repairs. She sailed to the United States, where repairs were completed in February 1943, after which she immediately returned to the Mediterranean. She was torpedoed by a Ju-88 bomber on 15 June while supporting the Sicily Landings, and returned again to the USA where repairs were completed by February 1944. 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 Junkers Ju 88 was a WW2 Luftwaffe twin-engine multi-role aircraft. ... June 15 is the 166th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (167th in leap years), with 199 days remaining. ...

Indomitable returned to the Eastern Fleet in early 1944. She and Victorious launched effective strikes against Sumatra in August and September. They later launched strikes on the Nicobar Islands, after which Indomitable joined up with Illustrious for air strikes against Medan and once more against Sumatra on 20 December. HMS Victorious (R38) was the second Illustrious-class aircraft carrier ordered under the 1936 Naval Programme. ... Sumatra (also spelled Sumatera) is the sixth largest island in the world (approximately 470,000 km²) and is the largest island entirely in Indonesia (two larger islands, Borneo and New Guinea, are partially in Indonesia). ... Map of Nicobar Islands The Nicobar Islands are an island chain in the eastern Indian Ocean, and are part of India. ... The fourth HMS Illustrious (R87) of the Royal Navy was an aircraft carrier, arguably the one with the most distinguished and vital career of this proud lineage. ... Location of Medan in Indonesia. ... December 20 is the 354th day of the year (355th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

The following year, Indomitable joined the British Pacific Fleet. On the 4th of January 1945 she, her sister-ship Victorious and another fleet carrier Indefatigable attacked Medan. Subsequent actions were taken against Palembang and, yet again, Sumatra, later in January. 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. ... Seven ships of the British Royal Navy have been named HMS Indefatigable. ... Location of Palembang Palembang is a city in the south of the Indonesian island of Sumatra. ...

On 4 May 1945 she was hit by a Kamikaze, but her armoured flight deck saved her from serious damage. In August, with the war ending, Indomitable participated in the reconquest of Hong Kong. Her aircraft flew the carrier's last combat missions of the war and of her career on 31 August and 1 September against Japanese suicide boats which were attacking British forces. May 4 is the 124th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (125th in leap years). ... 1945 (MCMXLV) was a common year starting on Monday. ... It has been suggested that Personnel involved in the development of World War II suicide attacks be merged into this article or section. ... August 31 is the 243rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (244th in leap years), with 122 days remaining. ... September 1 is the 244th day of the year (245th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

She returned to the UK in November 1945. In 1947, she was placed in reserve, and then given a refit that took three years, from 1947 to 50. Late in her refit her boilers were discovered to have only 10 years of life, and the engine spaces had to be torn apart and rebuilt to replace the boilers. Upon the completion of her refit she returned to operational duty with the Home Fleet in far cooler climates than her wartime operations. On 3 February, she was badly damaged by an internal fire and explosion (caused when an F4U Corsair rolled off of a lift and raked the hangar with 20 mm cannon fire); the damage was later covered in concrete, and was never repaired. She had to be towed to Spithead for Elizabeth II's Coronation Review, then returned to the reserve fleet. In October 1953 she was placed in unmaintained reserve. She was sold for scrap in 1955. The Home Fleet is the traditional name of the fleet of the Royal Navy that protects the United Kingdoms territorial waters. ... February 3 is the 34th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 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). ... A set of lifts in the lower level of a London Underground station. ... Categories: UK geography stubs ...

Battle honours

• Malta Convoys 1942, Diego Suarez 1942, Sicily 1943, Palembang 1945, Okinawa 1945

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. ... 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. ... Location of Palembang Palembang is a city in the south of the Indonesian island of Sumatra. ... This article is about the prefecture. ...

External link

• Maritimequest HMS Indomitable photo gallery