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HMS Illustrious (R87)
Encyclopedia
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 Victorious
, Formidable
, and Indomitable
.
, launched in 1939, and commissioned on 16 April 1940. She displaced 28,000 tons and carried up to 57 aircraft, including about 33 to 36 in her armoured hangar (depending on type). Illustrious carried fewer aircraft than the preceding Ark Royal and the subsequent Indomitable and Implacable class carriers. The heavily armoured hangar was smaller than on Ark Royal, but after her flight deck round-downs were removed during refits and she began using a permanent deck park, her aircraft capacity was greatly increased. She was nicknamed "Lusty" by the men who served in her. On 24 May 1940, Illustrious ran her full power trials and recorded 113,700 SHP at 234.2 RPM. Her exact speeds were not recorded as she had her Paravanes streamed, but it was estimated that she could have made about 31 knots under full power.
, where she provided convoy cover, attacked Axis shipping, and raided positions in North Africa
.
On 31 August, she launched 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 two were heavily damaged.
On 10 January 1941, while escorting a convoy east of Sicily
, Illustrious was attacked by Axis Savoia-Marchetti SM.79
and Junkers Ju 87
bombers. She was hit by six bombs and suffered extensive damage: her sick bay and ward room were destroyed, and among those killed was the England rugby
player W. G. E. Luddington
. While under repair in Malta
she was bombed again on 16 January and 19 January, which with the previous damage led to some flooding of her outer hull compartments and minor listing, but all her machinery spaces remained intact. On 23 January she sailed to Alexandria, Egypt for temporary repairs, arriving at noon on 25 January.
Illustrious was under repair at Alexandria until 19 March 1941, when she sailed for Durban
, South Africa
. At Durban she was drydocked for assessment of underwater damage. She then sailed to Virginia
for permanent repairs and substantial refitting at the Norfolk Navy Yard, arriving on 12 May.
At Norfolk, the battle damage was repaired, and also some important modifications were made. These included installation of another aircraft lift, an additional 50 ft of flight deck space, ten more 20mm AA guns, and modification of the catapult for use by US built aircraft. The work was completed in October. Illustrious then underwent trials, which were completed in December. She then sailed for Britain in company with sister carrier Formidable. On 16 December, due to extreme weather conditions, Illustrious collided with Formidable, causing serious damage to both ships.
Illustrious was under repair at Greenock
until late February 1942. On 23 March she sailed for the Indian Ocean
.
In May 1942, Illustrious and her sister Indomitable provided air cover for Operation Ironclad, the landings at Diego Suarez
in Vichy French
controlled Madagascar
. She was then assigned to the Far Eastern Fleet. From June to August 1942, Illustrious operated with the Far Eastern Fleet against Japanese
forces, including Operation STAB in August.
In September 1942, Illustrious returned to Madagascar for Operation STREAM, which completed the Allied occupation. She then proceeded to Durban for a brief refit, and rejoined the Far Eastern Fleet in December.
However, she was almost immediately withdrawn, departing for Britain on 5 January 1943. From March to May 1943, Illustrious was refitted at Birkenhead
. The flight deck was extended further, new radar
s were installed, her 20mm AA single mounts were replaced with twin mounts, and two new arrester wires were fitted.
After trials, Illustrious joined the Home Fleet in July 1943 for Operation CAMERA, a sweep against German
positions in Norway
. In September, she was transferred to Force H
in the Mediterranean, and provided air cover for the landings at Salerno
(Operation AVALANCHE).
Illustrious then returned to Britain for a quick refit, including additional twin 20mm AA mounts and upgrades to the catapult. Illustrious had been designated to rejoin the Far Eastern Fleet; she departed Britain on 30 December 1943, and arrived in Trincomalee
, Ceylon
, on 31 January.
From February through August 1944 she operated with the Far Eastern Fleet, and participated in numerous raids, including those against the Indonesian islands of Sabang on 19 April 1944
and again on 22 July 1944, and Soerabaya on 17 May 1944. She also raided Port Blair
in the Andaman Islands
on 22 June 1944 and carried 57 aircraft during this operation. At one point she had 51 of her 57 aircraft in the air, including the 15 Barracudas
and 23 Corsairs
that participated in the Port Blair strike.
In September and October 1944, Illustrious was refitted at Simon's Town
, South Africa. She rejoined the Far Eastern Fleet in November for additional raids. On 16 December Illustrious was assigned to the newly formed British Pacific Fleet
, and sailed for Australia
. En route, she attacked Palembang
on 24 January and 29 January 1945. She arrived in Sydney
on 9 February. At Sydney, her centre propeller shaft was removed due to a deteriorating shaft gland, and her maximum speed fell to 24 knots.
On 4 March, she sailed with the rest of the Pacific Fleet to Manus Island
, and from there on 19 March to Ulithi
. There Illustrious and her sisters Indomitable and Victorious, as well as HMS Indefatigable
joined the US Pacific Fleet, under the designation Task Force 57
.
From 26 March to 9 April, TF 57 provided air support for the invasion of Okinawa
(Operation ICEBERG), winning her last battle honour
. On 6 April, Illustrious suffered serious underwater damage from a near miss by a kamikaze
. On 9 April, Illustrious was detached for a raid against Formosa
, but on 14 April she was replaced by her sister, Formidable, and sent to the Philippines
for inspection.
The damage was more serious than suspected and she returned to Sydney and thence to Rosyth
for repairs and refit, which were completed in June 1946.
After the war she was given the role of a training and trials ship, and she continued to be plagued by vibration problems which were partially cured by new propeller designs. In 1946 she had a new 5 bladed propeller fitted to the centre shaft. She was refitted and modernised from January to August 1948, and made 29 knots on trials with 110,600 SHP at 227.5 RPM. In 1950 on full power trials she made 29.2 knots with 111,480 SHP at 225.1 RPM. She was decommissioned at the end of 1954, sold on 3 November 1956, and finally, after a successful career, scrapped at Faslane
.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
, was an aircraft carrier
Aircraft carrier
An aircraft carrier is a warship designed with a primary mission of deploying and recovering aircraft, acting as a seagoing airbase. Aircraft carriers thus allow a naval force to project air power worldwide without having to depend on local bases for staging aircraft operations...
which saw service in World War II, the lead ship
Lead ship
The lead ship or class leader is the first of a series or class of ships all constructed according to the same general design. The term is applicable military ships and larger civilian craft.-Overview:...
of the Illustrious-class of carriers which also included Victorious
HMS Victorious (R38)
HMS Victorious was the second Illustrious-class aircraft carrier ordered under the 1936 Naval Programme. She was laid down at the Vickers-Armstrong shipyard at Newcastle-Upon-Tyne in 1937 and launched two years later in 1939...
, Formidable
HMS Formidable (R67)
HMS Formidable was an Illustrious class aircraft carrier of the Royal Navy during World War II. She was constructed by Harland & Wolff, Belfast, and launched on 17 August 1939...
, and Indomitable
HMS Indomitable (R92)
HMS Indomitable was a modified Illustrious class aircraft carrier of the British Royal Navy. The Illustrious class came about due to the 1937 Naval Programme...
.
Construction
Illustrious was built by Vickers-Armstrongs at Barrow-in-FurnessBarrow-in-Furness
Barrow-in-Furness is an industrial town and seaport which forms about half the territory of the wider Borough of Barrow-in-Furness in the county of Cumbria, England. It lies north of Liverpool, northwest of Manchester and southwest from the county town of Carlisle...
, launched in 1939, and commissioned on 16 April 1940. She displaced 28,000 tons and carried up to 57 aircraft, including about 33 to 36 in her armoured hangar (depending on type). Illustrious carried fewer aircraft than the preceding Ark Royal and the subsequent Indomitable and Implacable class carriers. The heavily armoured hangar was smaller than on Ark Royal, but after her flight deck round-downs were removed during refits and she began using a permanent deck park, her aircraft capacity was greatly increased. She was nicknamed "Lusty" by the men who served in her. On 24 May 1940, Illustrious ran her full power trials and recorded 113,700 SHP at 234.2 RPM. Her exact speeds were not recorded as she had her Paravanes streamed, but it was estimated that she could have made about 31 knots under full power.
Cost
The cost of construction of Illustrious was £3,800,000. The electronic equipment fitted to her cost £13,500, and the naval aircraft embarked on her in 1939 cost £600,000.Service
Illustrious joined the fleet in August 1940. Her first assignment was in the Mediterranean SeaMediterranean Sea
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by the Mediterranean region and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Anatolia and Europe, on the south by North Africa, and on the east by the Levant...
, where she provided convoy cover, attacked Axis shipping, and raided positions in North Africa
North Africa
North Africa or Northern Africa is the northernmost region of the African continent, linked by the Sahara to Sub-Saharan Africa. Geopolitically, the United Nations definition of Northern Africa includes eight countries or territories; Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, South Sudan, Sudan, Tunisia, and...
.
On 31 August, she launched a strike against airfields at Maritza
Maritza
Maritza may refer to:*Maritza Correia , a Puerto Rican swimmer*Maritza Salas , a Puerto Rican track and field athlete*Maritza Olivares, a Mexican actress*Maritza Rodríguez, a Mexican actress...
. 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
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
fleet at Taranto
Battle of Taranto
The naval Battle of Taranto took place on the night of 11–12 November 1940 during the Second World War. The Royal Navy launched the first all-aircraft ship-to-ship naval attack in history, flying a small number of obsolescent biplane torpedo bombers from an aircraft carrier in the Mediterranean Sea...
. Twenty-one aircraft from Numbers 813
813 Naval Air Squadron
813 Naval Air Squadron was an aircraft squadron of the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm during World War II and again post-war. It initially operated Swordfish Mk Is from the aircraft carrier Illustrious and took part in the successful raid on Taranto in November 1940.In July 1943, the squadron was a...
, 815
815 Naval Air Squadron
815 Naval Air Squadron is a squadron of the Fleet Air Arm, part of the Royal Navy. The squadron is currently based at RNAS Yeovilton in Somerset, United Kingdom and it is the Navy's front line Lynx Naval Air Squadron. It currently comprises more than 30 Lynx helicopters of various types...
, 819
819 Naval Air Squadron
819 Naval Air Squadron was a Royal Navy aircraft squadron before and during World War II. Along with No. 815 Squadron, it performed the successful night attack on the Italian fleet at Taranto on 11 November 1940...
, and 824
824 Naval Air Squadron
824 Naval Air Squadron is a Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm squadron first formed on 3 April 1933, disbanding and reforming several times before assuming its current role at RNAS Culdrose as a training squadron....
Squadrons based on Illustrious attacked the Italian fleet at night. The Italians were caught off-guard, and one battleship
Battleship
A battleship is a large armored warship with a main battery consisting of heavy caliber guns. Battleships were larger, better armed and armored than cruisers and destroyers. As the largest armed ships in a fleet, battleships were used to attain command of the sea and represented the apex of a...
was sunk and two were heavily damaged.
On 10 January 1941, while escorting a convoy east of Sicily
Sicily
Sicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...
, Illustrious was attacked by Axis Savoia-Marchetti SM.79
Savoia-Marchetti SM.79
The Savoia-Marchetti SM.79 Sparviero was a three-engined Italian medium bomber with a wood and metal structure. Originally designed as a fast passenger aircraft, this low-wing monoplane, in the years 1937–39, set 26 world records that qualified it for some time as the fastest medium bomber in the...
and Junkers Ju 87
Junkers Ju 87
The Junkers Ju 87 or Stuka was a two-man German ground-attack aircraft...
bombers. She was hit by six bombs and suffered extensive damage: her sick bay and ward room were destroyed, and among those killed was the England rugby
Rugby football
Rugby football is a style of football named after Rugby School in the United Kingdom. It is seen most prominently in two current sports, rugby league and rugby union.-History:...
player W. G. E. Luddington
W. G. E. Luddington
William George Ernest Luddington was an English rugby union footballer, who gained 13 caps between 1922 and 1926...
. While under repair in Malta
Malta
Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...
she was bombed again on 16 January and 19 January, which with the previous damage led to some flooding of her outer hull compartments and minor listing, but all her machinery spaces remained intact. On 23 January she sailed to Alexandria, Egypt for temporary repairs, arriving at noon on 25 January.
Illustrious was under repair at Alexandria until 19 March 1941, when she sailed for Durban
Durban
Durban is the largest city in the South African province of KwaZulu-Natal and the third largest city in South Africa. It forms part of the eThekwini metropolitan municipality. Durban is famous for being the busiest port in South Africa. It is also seen as one of the major centres of tourism...
, South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
. At Durban she was drydocked for assessment of underwater damage. She then sailed to Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
for permanent repairs and substantial refitting at the Norfolk Navy Yard, arriving on 12 May.
At Norfolk, the battle damage was repaired, and also some important modifications were made. These included installation of another aircraft lift, an additional 50 ft of flight deck space, ten more 20mm AA guns, and modification of the catapult for use by US built aircraft. The work was completed in October. Illustrious then underwent trials, which were completed in December. She then sailed for Britain in company with sister carrier Formidable. On 16 December, due to extreme weather conditions, Illustrious collided with Formidable, causing serious damage to both ships.
Illustrious was under repair at Greenock
Greenock
Greenock is a town and administrative centre in the Inverclyde council area in United Kingdom, and a former burgh within the historic county of Renfrewshire, located in the west central Lowlands of Scotland...
until late February 1942. On 23 March she sailed for the Indian Ocean
Indian Ocean
The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's oceanic divisions, covering approximately 20% of the water on the Earth's surface. It is bounded on the north by the Indian Subcontinent and Arabian Peninsula ; on the west by eastern Africa; on the east by Indochina, the Sunda Islands, and...
.
In May 1942, Illustrious and her sister Indomitable provided air cover for Operation Ironclad, the landings at Diego Suarez
Antsiranana
Antsiranana , named Diego-Suarez prior to 1975, is a city at the northern tip of Madagascar.Antsiranana is the capital of Diana Region.-Transports:...
in Vichy French
Vichy France
Vichy France, Vichy Regime, or Vichy Government, are common terms used to describe the government of France that collaborated with the Axis powers from July 1940 to August 1944. This government succeeded the Third Republic and preceded the Provisional Government of the French Republic...
controlled Madagascar
Madagascar
The Republic of Madagascar is an island country located in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa...
. She was then assigned to the Far Eastern Fleet. From June to August 1942, Illustrious operated with the Far Eastern Fleet against Japanese
Empire of Japan
The Empire of Japan is the name of the state of Japan that existed from the Meiji Restoration on 3 January 1868 to the enactment of the post-World War II Constitution of...
forces, including Operation STAB in August.
In September 1942, Illustrious returned to Madagascar for Operation STREAM, which completed the Allied occupation. She then proceeded to Durban for a brief refit, and rejoined the Far Eastern Fleet in December.
However, she was almost immediately withdrawn, departing for Britain on 5 January 1943. From March to May 1943, Illustrious was refitted at Birkenhead
Birkenhead
Birkenhead is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral in Merseyside, England. It is on the Wirral Peninsula, along the west bank of the River Mersey, opposite the city of Liverpool...
. The flight deck was extended further, new radar
Radar
Radar is an object-detection system which uses radio waves to determine the range, altitude, direction, or speed of objects. It can be used to detect aircraft, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor vehicles, weather formations, and terrain. The radar dish or antenna transmits pulses of radio...
s were installed, her 20mm AA single mounts were replaced with twin mounts, and two new arrester wires were fitted.
After trials, Illustrious joined the Home Fleet in July 1943 for Operation CAMERA, a sweep against German
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
positions in Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
. In September, she was transferred to Force H
Force H
Force H was a British naval formation during the Second World War. 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 the Mediterranean, and provided air cover for the landings at Salerno
Allied invasion of Italy
The Allied invasion of Italy was the Allied landing on mainland Italy on September 3, 1943, by General Harold Alexander's 15th Army Group during the Second World War. The operation followed the successful invasion of Sicily during the Italian Campaign...
(Operation AVALANCHE).
Illustrious then returned to Britain for a quick refit, including additional twin 20mm AA mounts and upgrades to the catapult. Illustrious had been designated to rejoin the Far Eastern Fleet; she departed Britain on 30 December 1943, and arrived in Trincomalee
Trincomalee
Trincomalee is a port city in Eastern Province, Sri Lanka and lies on the east coast of the island, about 113 miles south of Jaffna. It has a population of approximately 100,000 . The city is built on a peninsula, which divides the inner and outer harbours. Overlooking the Kottiyar Bay,...
, Ceylon
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
, on 31 January.
From February through August 1944 she operated with the Far Eastern Fleet, and participated in numerous raids, including those against the Indonesian islands of Sabang on 19 April 1944
Operation Cockpit
Operation Cockpit was a bombing raid by aircraft from two Allied naval forces on 19 April 1944. The forces were made up of 22 warships, including two aircraft carriers, from the Royal Navy, Royal Australian Navy, French Navy, Royal Netherlands Navy, Royal New Zealand Navy, and United States Navy...
and again on 22 July 1944, and Soerabaya on 17 May 1944. She also raided Port Blair
Port Blair
Port Blair is the largest town and a municipal council in Andaman district in the Andaman Islands and the capital of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, a union territory of India...
in the Andaman Islands
Andaman Islands
The Andaman Islands are a group of Indian Ocean archipelagic islands in the Bay of Bengal between India to the west, and Burma , to the north and east...
on 22 June 1944 and carried 57 aircraft during this operation. At one point she had 51 of her 57 aircraft in the air, including the 15 Barracudas
Fairey Barracuda
The Fairey Barracuda was a British carrier-borne torpedo- and dive bomber used during the Second World War, the first of its type used by the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm to be fabricated entirely from metal. It was introduced as a replacement for the Fairey Swordfish and Fairey Albacore biplanes...
and 23 Corsairs
F4U Corsair
The Vought F4U Corsair was a carrier-capable fighter aircraft that saw service primarily in World War II and the Korean War. Demand for the aircraft soon overwhelmed Vought's manufacturing capability, resulting in production by Goodyear and Brewster: Goodyear-built Corsairs were designated FG and...
that participated in the Port Blair strike.
In September and October 1944, Illustrious was refitted at Simon's Town
Simon's Town
Simon's Town , sometimes spelled Simonstown; is a town in South Africa, near Cape Town which is home to the South African Navy. It is located on the shores of False Bay, on the eastern side of the Cape Peninsula. For more than two centuries it has been an important naval base and harbour...
, South Africa. She rejoined the Far Eastern Fleet in November for additional raids. On 16 December Illustrious was assigned to the newly formed British Pacific Fleet
British Pacific Fleet
The British Pacific Fleet was a British Commonwealth naval force which saw action against Japan during World War II. The fleet was composed of British Commonwealth naval vessels. The BPF formally came into being on 22 November 1944...
, and sailed for Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. En route, she attacked Palembang
Palembang
Palembang is the capital city of the South Sumatra province in Indonesia. Palembang is one of the oldest cities in Indonesia, and has a history of being a capital of a maritime empire. Located on the Musi River banks on the east coast of southern Sumatra island, it has an area of 400.61 square...
on 24 January and 29 January 1945. She arrived in Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
on 9 February. At Sydney, her centre propeller shaft was removed due to a deteriorating shaft gland, and her maximum speed fell to 24 knots.
On 4 March, she sailed with the rest of the Pacific Fleet to Manus Island
Manus Island
Manus Island is part of Manus Province in northern Papua New Guinea and is the largest island of the Admiralty Islands. It is the fifth largest island in Papua New Guinea with an area of 2,100 km², measuring around 100 km × 30 km. According to the 2000 census, Manus Island had a...
, and from there on 19 March to Ulithi
Ulithi
Ulithi is an atoll in the Caroline Islands of the western Pacific Ocean, about 191 km east of Yap. It consists of 40 islets totalling , surrounding a lagoon about long and up to wide—at one of the largest in the world. It is administered by the state of Yap in the Federated States of...
. There Illustrious and her sisters Indomitable and Victorious, as well as HMS Indefatigable
HMS Indefatigable (R10)
HMS Indefatigable was an Implacable-class aircraft carrier of the British Royal Navy. Indefatigable was present at the formal surrender of the Japanese on 2 September in Tokyo Bay. She later helped to repatriate Allied POWs held in Japan and was used as a spotting ship for later US nuclear tests in...
joined the US Pacific Fleet, under the designation Task Force 57
Task Force 57
Task Force 57 was a US Navy task force active during World War II. Task Force numbers were in constant use, and there were several incarnations of TF 57 during World War II. Land based bombers of the United States Air Force's Seventh Air Force were part of TF 57 during 1943–1944...
.
From 26 March to 9 April, TF 57 provided air support for the invasion of Okinawa
Battle of Okinawa
The Battle of Okinawa, codenamed Operation Iceberg, was fought on the Ryukyu Islands of Okinawa and was the largest amphibious assault in the Pacific War of World War II. The 82-day-long battle lasted from early April until mid-June 1945...
(Operation ICEBERG), winning her last battle honour
Battle honour
A battle honour is an award of a right by a government or sovereign to a military unit to emblazon the name of a battle or operation on its flags , uniforms or other accessories where ornamentation is possible....
. On 6 April, Illustrious suffered serious underwater damage from a near miss by a kamikaze
Kamikaze
The were suicide attacks by military aviators from the Empire of Japan against Allied naval vessels in the closing stages of the Pacific campaign of World War II, designed to destroy as many warships as possible....
. On 9 April, Illustrious was detached for a raid against Formosa
Formosa
Formosa or Ilha Formosa is a Portuguese historical name for Taiwan , literally meaning, "Beautiful Island". The term may also refer to:-Places:* Formosa Strait, another name for the Taiwan Strait...
, but on 14 April she was replaced by her sister, Formidable, and sent to the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
for inspection.
The damage was more serious than suspected and she returned to Sydney and thence to Rosyth
Rosyth Dockyard
Rosyth Dockyard is a large naval dockyard on the Firth of Forth at Rosyth, Fife, Scotland, owned by Babcock Marine, which primarily undertakes refitting of Royal Navy surface vessels.-History:...
for repairs and refit, which were completed in June 1946.
After the war she was given the role of a training and trials ship, and she continued to be plagued by vibration problems which were partially cured by new propeller designs. In 1946 she had a new 5 bladed propeller fitted to the centre shaft. She was refitted and modernised from January to August 1948, and made 29 knots on trials with 110,600 SHP at 227.5 RPM. In 1950 on full power trials she made 29.2 knots with 111,480 SHP at 225.1 RPM. She was decommissioned at the end of 1954, sold on 3 November 1956, and finally, after a successful career, scrapped at Faslane
HMNB Clyde
Her Majesty's Naval Base Clyde is one of three operating bases in the United Kingdom for the Royal Navy...
.
Battle honours
- TarantoBattle of TarantoThe naval Battle of Taranto took place on the night of 11–12 November 1940 during the Second World War. The Royal Navy launched the first all-aircraft ship-to-ship naval attack in history, flying a small number of obsolescent biplane torpedo bombers from an aircraft carrier in the Mediterranean Sea...
1940 - MediterraneanMediterranean Theatre of World War IIThe African, Mediterranean and Middle East theatres encompassed the naval, land, and air campaigns fought between the Allied and Axis forces in the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and Africa...
1940-41 - Malta ConvoysMalta ConvoysThe Malta Convoys were a series of Allied supply convoys that sustained the besieged island of Malta during the Mediterranean Theatre of the Second World War...
1941 - Diego SuarezAntsirananaAntsiranana , named Diego-Suarez prior to 1975, is a city at the northern tip of Madagascar.Antsiranana is the capital of Diana Region.-Transports:...
1942 - Salerno 1943
- SabangSabangSabang is a city consisting of several islands in Aceh, Indonesia. The metropolitan area is located on Weh Island, 17 km north of Banda Aceh. The city covers an area of 118 square kilometres and according to the 2000 census had a population of 23,654 people...
1944 - Palembang 1945
- OkinawaBattle of OkinawaThe Battle of Okinawa, codenamed Operation Iceberg, was fought on the Ryukyu Islands of Okinawa and was the largest amphibious assault in the Pacific War of World War II. The 82-day-long battle lasted from early April until mid-June 1945...
1945