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. He believed that carriers could not be successfully defended by their own aircraft without some form of early-warning system. She exchanged them for Firebrands for the return voyage. 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. War Hero. site is two fold. While running trials in 1948, after another refit, she reached a maximum speed of 29 knots (54km/h; 33mph) from 110,680shp (82,530kW). [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. Later in the month she hosted the Sea Furies of 802 and the Fireflies of 814 Squadrons for Exercise Winged Fleet. Fancourt, DSO, RN) escorted by the destroyers HMS Termagent (Lt.Cdr. HMS Indomitable in 1946 (Maritime Quest, click to enlarge) return to Contents List Modified ILLUSTRIOUS-Class Fleet Aircraft Carrier ordered under the 1937 Estimates from Vickers Armstrong, Barrow in Furness on 6th July 1937. Scuba Certification; Private Scuba Lessons; Scuba Refresher for Certified Divers; Try Scuba Diving; Enriched Air Diver (Nitrox) [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. While conducting her post-refit trials, she also conducted flying trials for Martlet Vs and Barracudas. [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. 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). ILLUSTRIOUS-Class Fleet Aircraft Carrier ordered on 19th March 1937 from Harland and Wolff Ltd. at Belfast under the 1937 Programme. Early on the morning of 17 May, the ship launched all 18 Avengers, escorted by 16 Corsairs. [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. Lava's technical capabilities. 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. The Japanese aircraft diving on the ILLUSTRIOUS. She began her postrefit trials on 24 June 1946 and flying trials the following month. 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 multiple hits at the aft end of the carrier knocked out her steering gear, although it was soon repaired. 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. HMS Belfast; What's on; Objects & History. One Corsair was shot down by Japanese flak although the pilot was rescued after ditching. JUNE 1945, ON BOARD HMS ILLUSTRIOUS. 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. Home. Captain Charles Lambe was appointed as the new captain of the Illustrious on 21 May, but he could not join his new ship until 9 July. Under sustained air attack 60 miles west of Malta by German Ju87 dive bombers. Aircraft Carrier Illustrious Interactive Map. 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. All comment submissions will become the property of WW2DB. The Illustrious-class carriers were of a new school of thinking, providing battlecruiser class armor to purpose-built carriers. [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. It also blew a hole in the hangar deck, damaging areas three decks below. She was the fifth warship and second aircraft carrier to bear the name Illustrious, and was affectionately known to her crew as "Lusty". 2. She was christened by Lady Henderson, wife of the recently retired Third Sea Lord. The following day, the Fireflies of No. The British fighters claimed to have shot down five Ju 87s, with the fleet's anti-aircraft fire claiming three others. Admiral Sir James Somerville's new Eastern Fleet launched a devastating raid on the oil refinery at Sabang in Sumatra, Dutch East Indies with aircraft flown from the carriers HMS Illustrious and USS Saratoga escorted by HMS Cumberland, HMS Renown, USS Cummings, and others. J.P. Scatchard, DSC, RN), HMS Tenacious (Lt.Cdr. 47273, Brown 1971; pp. The Association's first meeting was held in T.S. The oil storage tanks were destroyed and the port facilities badly damaged by the Barracudas. (Operation Diplomat). The ship was docked in Clydeside for a minor refit the following day; she arrived in Scapa Flow on 15 August, and became the flagship of Rear Admiral Lumley Lyster. She was the fifth warship and second aircraft carrier to bear the name Illustrious, and was affectionately known to her crew as "Lusty". 810 Squadron was the only unit retained from her previous air group and it had been re-equipped with Barracudas during her refit. One Martlet I was fitted with folding wings. The refit was completed by the end of January 1954 and she resumed her normal role. She displaced 23,000 long tons (23,369t) at standard load as completed. 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. Her complement was sharply reduced by her change in role and she retained her aft 4.5-inch guns. 3233, Brown 1971, pp. On the afternoon of 6 April, four kamikaze aircraft evaded detection and interception by the CAP, and one, a Yokosuka D4Y3 "Judy" dive bomber, attacked Illustrious in a steep dive. 150, 159; Hobbs 2013, p. 91; McCart, pp. [24] She was commissioned on 16 April 1940 and, excluding her armament, she cost 2,295,000 to build. 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. She was sent to Loch Ewe on 30 August for service as a local defence ship. This meant that the ship had to be capable of remaining in action after sustaining damage and that her fragile aircraft had to be protected entirely from damage. [83], Formidable's arrival allowed Rawlings to order Illustrious to the advance base in San Pedro Bay, in the Philippines, for a more thorough inspection. 25758; Brown, J. D., pp. This left only 21 aircraft available for the attack. HMS Kelly was Mountbatten's ship. The flight deck was extended forward, which increased her overall length to 748feet 6inches (228.1m). It gives details of over 439,000 Royal Navy and Merchant Seamen records which are searchable by name, rank, age and ship. In Nov 1940, she launched 21 torpedo bombers against the Italian fleet at Taranto, and achieved spectacular success after sinking one battleship and damaging two others. 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. A Chance-Vought Corsair JT208 buckles a wing on . In addition the two steel fire curtains in the hangar were replaced by asbestos ones. First, it is aiming to offer interesting De Trafford, Stretford, on 3 December 1983. [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. [68] Captain Robert Cunliffe relieved Talbott on 22 August. British carrier HMS Illustrious left Malta for Alexandria, Egypt. [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. The goal of this [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 full crew list can be displayed for any of the ships. 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. 15 British carrier aircraft from HMS Illustrious attacked an Italian convoy off Kerkennah islands, Tunisia between 0515 and 0615 hours, sinking two of the three ships in the convoy. [27] Her squadrons flew back aboard, and she sailed for the Mediterranean on 22 August with 15 Fulmars and 18 Swordfish aboard. [45] On the night of 16/17 December, 11 Swordfish bombed Rhodes and the island of Stampalia with little effect. The former aircraft carrier HMS Illustrious has sailed out of its home port of Portsmouth for the final time. The Disposal Services Authority (DSA) is inviting expressions of interest for the sale of the warship "for recycling". Captain John Hughes-Hallett relieved Edwards on 14 June. The light AA guns managed to sever its port wing so that it missed the ship, although its starboard wingtip shattered the Type 272's radome mounted on the front of the bridge. Former HMS Illustrious set to sail on her final voyage. She arrived on 14 May and departed 10 days later, bound for Rosyth for permanent repairs. She embarked the Barracudas of 810 and 847 Squadrons of No. June 1945, on Board HMS Illustrious. ww2dbaseAfter the war, Illustrious' role was reduced to a training and trials ship due to the heavy damage suffered during WW2. [23] Illustrious was then towed to Buccleuch Dock for fitting out and Captain Denis Boyd was appointed to command her on 29 January 1940. ww2dbaseIllustrious was the lead ship in her class of aircraft carriers. She flew off her aircraft to Gibraltar on 31 January and continued on to the Clyde where she arrived five days later. 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. Task Force 57 arrived in San Pedro Bay on 23 April for a more thorough replenishment period and Illustrious transferred aircraft, spares, stores, and newly arrived pilots to the other carriers before sailing for Sydney on 3 May. One aircraft of the third flight was forced to make an emergency landing and its crew was captured by the French. [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). 8384; McCart, p. 29, Brown 1971, p. 258; Brown, J. D., pp. In 1945, after a period of rest and re-supply in Fremantle, Australia, she sailed north and joined Allied Task Force 57 to cover the Okinawa operation. Illustrious set sail on 23 November and reached Famagusta on 29 November. On 18 July she rendezvoused with the Home Fleet to participate in manoeuvres before George VI reviewed the fleet on 2223 July. Germans records show the loss of three Stukas, with another forced to make an emergency landing. On 8 and 9 November the Supermarine 510 research aircraft made the first ever landings by a swept-wing aircraft aboard a carrier. [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. 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. A Type 272 target-indicator radar was mounted above her bridge. 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. In 32 years . A flight of nine SM.79s was intercepted later that day and the Fulmars claimed to have damaged one of the bombers, although it actually failed to return to base. The crew's behaviour drew a mixed response from . [91], After a brief refit in early 1952, she participated in Exercise Castanets off the Scottish coast in June and hosted 22,000 visitors during Navy Days at Devonport Royal Dockyard in August. 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