In early June, she loaded the personnel from 806, 815, and 819 Squadrons at Devonport Royal Dockyard; 806 Squadron was equipped with Blackburn Skua dive bombers and Fairey Fulmar fighters, and the latter two squadrons were equipped with Swordfish. Later in the day her Corsairs intercepted 10 Ki-43s and shot down two of them while driving off the remainder. During the return voyage to Alexandria, the Italian submarineCorallo made an unsuccessful attack on the British ships. 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. [31] The fire destroyed three Swordfish and heavily damaged two others, but they were replaced by aircraft from Eagle, whose contaminated fuel tanks prevented her from participating in the attack. Her air group was reinforced at this time by four more Martlets each for 878 and 890 Squadrons. Her fighter complement was augmented by 878 and 890 Squadrons, each with 10 Martlet Vs, and 894 Squadron with 10 Seafire IICs. The ship ultimately arrived at the Norfolk Navy Yard in the United States on 12 May for permanent repairs. The Stukas also near-missed Illustrious with two bombs, which caused minor damage and flooding. J.P. Scatchard, DSC, RN), HMS Tenacious (Lt.Cdr. Gruppe/StG 2) began their attack, led by Paul-Werner Hozzel. The Association's first meeting was held in T.S. The carrier participated in the early stages of the Battle of Okinawa until mechanical defects arising from accumulated battle damage became so severe she was ordered home early for repairs in May 1945. Illustrious was paid off at the end of February 1955 and she was towed to Gareloch and placed in reserve. 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. Radio. [90], Captain S. H. Carlill assumed command on 24 June and the Illustrious resumed deck-landing training. During September she participated in Exercise Mariner with three British squadrons of Fireflies and Sea Furies and a Dutch Squadron of Avengers. [66], She was then formally assigned to the Eastern Fleet and, after a short refit in Durban, sailed to Colombo, Ceylon, and became the flagship of the Rear Admiral Aircraft Carriers, Eastern Fleet, Denis Boyd, her former captain. Google her - there is an enormous amount, including an ex-crew association. Italian destroyer Borea was sunk by torpedoes and destroyer Aquilone was damaged by a mine. and useful information about WW2. British Swordfish torpedo bombers from carrier HMS Illustrious attacked the port of Benghazi, Libya, bombing shipping and laying mines. HMS Belfast; What's on; Objects & History. [63] After her stay at Freetown, Illustrious proceeded to Durban; during the voyage her staff also fitted ASV radar to the replacement Swordfish. HTML tags are not allowed. Other twin mounts were added so that by May she had a total of eighteen twin and two single mounts. The British ships were spotted by Blohm & Voss BV 138 flying boats and 890 Squadron shot down two of them before the fleet returned to Scapa Flow on 29 July. 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. As the world's first battle cruiser, HMS Invincible was by any measure a revolutionary and important warship. [4], Illustrious was 740 feet (225.6m) in length overall and 710 feet (216.4m) at the waterline. En route, the carriers of the 1st ACS attacked Palembang on 24 January and 29 January (Operation Meridian). Her catapult was upgraded to handle heavier aircraft, her flight deck was further improved, and her radar suite was modernized. First, it is aiming to offer interesting June 1945, on Board HMS Illustrious. 25051; Jackson, p. 441; McCart, p. 23, Brown 1971, pp. HMS Kelly was Mountbatten's ship. This halved the aircraft capacity compared with the older unarmoured carriers, exchanging offensive potential for defensive survivability. 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. 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. The following day, the Fireflies of No. [6] By 1944, she was severely overcrowded with a total crew of 1,997. In May 1942, her aircraft provided cover for the British troops landing at Diego Suarez, Madagascar against French and French colonial troops. The RN planned to fit her out as a flagship, remove her aft 4.5-inch guns in exchange for increased accommodation, and replace some of her Oerlikons with single two-pounder AA guns, but the end of the war in August caused the RN to reassess its needs. [50] Another pair were attempting to take off when the first 250-or-500-kilogram (550 or 1,100lb) bomb struck just forward of the aft lift, destroying the Fulmar whose engine had failed to start and detonating high in the lift well; the other aircraft took off and engaged the Stukas as they pulled out of their dive. The Saratoga and her escorts separated after refuelling again in Exmouth Gulf and the East Indies Fleet was back in Trincomalee on 27 May where No. Later in the month she hosted the Sea Furies of 802 and the Fireflies of 814 Squadrons for Exercise Winged Fleet. The World War II Database is founded and managed by A group for all serving and ex members of the finest ship in the Fleet, to spin some gash dits, add some great phots and catch up. [48] The ship arrived back at Alexandria two days later. 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. During the morning of 10 January, her Swordfish attacked an Italian convoy without significant effect. It was partially obscured by clouds and heavy squalls so the attacking aircraft had only moderate success, setting some structures on fire and destroying several aircraft on the ground. 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. [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. Your IP address will be tracked even if you remain anonymous. sgtpepperband. 150, 159; Hobbs 2013, p. 91; McCart, pp. The Italians made no effort to attack the Allied forces, and the most noteworthy thing that any of her aircraft did was when one of 890 Squadron's Martlets escorted a surrendering Italian aircraft to Sicily. [88], She was refitted and modernised from January to August 1948. [14] These changes increased her aircraft capacity to 57[17] and caused her crew to grow to 1,831. A list of the crew, with their Register Ticket numbers, to be filed for a foreign-going ship on sailing. She embarked the Barracudas of 810 and 847 Squadrons of No. 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 some really good leads ,two good sites I found were World Navalships Froums & the other was Sevicepals.com + I got a crew snap shot prior to them sailing to Crete,some one else maybe interested in this info.Keep me posted Folks if . 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. Clark John Thomas. [34] At this time her air group was reinforced by several of Eagle's Gloster Sea Gladiators supplementing the fighters of 806 Squadron as well as torpedo bombers from 813 and 824 Squadrons. She was sent to Loch Ewe on 30 August for service as a local defence ship. Courageux was a heavy 74-gun ship of the line of the French Navy, launched in 1753. ww2dbaseIn 1943, Illustrious returned to the Mediterranean Sea and joined Force H based in Gibraltar. Admiral Sir Reginald Henderson, Third Sea Lord and Controller of the Navy, was determined not to simply modify the previous unarmoured Ark Royal design. On 3 November she began loading the 39th Infantry Brigade of the 3rd Infantry Division in response to the riots in Cyprus that broke out when Egypt abrogated the Anglo-Egyptian treaty of 1936. 122123, 126, Brown 1971; Brown, J. D., p. 76; Shores, pp. The destroyer Aquilone later struck one of the mines and sank. The full crew list can be displayed for any of the ships. The carrier's air group consisted of 21 Barracudas and 28 Corsairs for the operation; Illustrious launched 17 of the former escorted by 13 of the latter on the morning of 19 April. 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. Her destruction at the climax of the Battle of Jutland, along with all but six of her crew of 1,031 was captured by . Copyright 2004-2023 Lava Development, LLC., all rights reserved, Aircraft Carrier Illustrious Photo Gallery, See all 20 photographs of Aircraft Carrier Illustrious, Vickers-Armstrong, Barrow-in-Furness, Britain, 6 Admiralty 3-drum boilers, 3 Parsons geared turbines, 3 shafts, 8x2 QF 4.5in naval guns, 6x8 QF 2 pounder naval guns. 810 Squadron was the only unit retained from her previous air group and it had been re-equipped with Barracudas during her refit. The former aircraft carrier was towed out of Portsmouth Harbour. HMS Cumberland carried out offensive sweep in Indian Ocean with HM Battleships Queen Elizabeth, Valiant, HM Battlecruiser Renown, HM Aircraft Carrier Illustrious, HM Cruisers London, Gambia and Ceylon screened by fleet destroyers. The remaining pair engaged a pair of torpedo-carrying SM.79s, damaging one badly enough that it crashed upon landing. We hope that visitor conversations at WW2DB will be constructive and thought-provoking. The oil storage tanks were destroyed and the port facilities badly damaged by the Barracudas. [5] Her complement was approximately 1,299 officers and enlisted men upon completion in 1940. About Us; Staff; Camps; Scuba. 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. The roofs of the gun turrets protruded above the level of the flight deck to allow them to fire across the deck at high elevations. War Hero. Preventing this required a preemptive invasion of Diego Suarez scheduled for May 1942. 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. By which time, Japan had entered the war, threatening British possessions in Asia. One Martlet I was fitted with folding wings. [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. [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. 250, 254; McCart, p. 23; Rohwer, p. 260, Brown 1971, p. 254; Brown, J. D., 6667; McCart, pp. A Hawker Sea Fury crashed while landing on 15 May, killing the pilot and two members of the deck crew. [70], On 26 July, she sortied for the Norwegian Sea as part of Operation Governor, together with the battleship Anson, the American battleship Alabama, and the light carrier Unicorn, an attempt to fool the Germans into thinking that Sicily was not the only objective for an Allied invasion. Since the beginning of the operation, her aircraft had flown 234 offensive and 209 defensive sorties, claiming at least two aircraft shot down. She transferred to Greenock at the end of the month and sailed on 5 August to provide air cover for the ocean liner RMSQueen Mary as she conveyed Prime Minister Winston Churchill to the Quebec Conference. Under sustained air attack 60 miles west of Malta by German Ju87 dive bombers. This left only 21 aircraft available for the attack. Power was from 4 x Admiralty water-tube boilers feeding 2 x Parsons geared steam turbines driving 40,000 horsepower to 2 x shafts under stern. . 854 Squadron was disembarked while at Sydney, but the carrier kept her two Corsair squadrons until after arriving in the UK on 27 June. [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. 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! [49], On 7 January 1941, Illustrious set sail to provide air cover for convoys to Piraeus, Greece and Malta as part of Operation Excess. HMS Illustrious relieves Invincible on air defence duties, off Falkland Islands, August 1982 HMS Illustrious had a unique start to her career. [82], From 26 March to 9 April, the BPF attacked the airfields with each two-day period of flying operations followed by two or three days required to replenish fuel, ammunition and other supplies. Jellicoe was relieved by Captain R. D. Watson on 26 September and Illustrious resumed training until 9 December when her crew was granted leave and the ship began a refit. [60], The conquest of British Malaya and the Dutch East Indies in early 1942 opened the door for Japanese advances into the Indian Ocean. Scuba Certification; Private Scuba Lessons; Scuba Refresher for Certified Divers; Try Scuba Diving; Enriched Air Diver (Nitrox) The vessel is currently moored in Portsmouth Harbour after 32 years of active service. While off Malta two days later, six of the carrier's fighters engaged an equal number of Fiat CR.42 Falco biplane fighters, shooting down one and damaging two others. 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. #1. 2324, Brown 1971, p. 254; McCart, p. 24; Sturtivant, pp. For this operation she had aboard six Fulmars of 806 Squadron, 23 Martlets of 881 Squadron and 18 Swordfish of 810 and 829 Squadrons. 21 Naval Torpedo-Bomber Reconnaissance Wing on 27 November before beginning her work up three days later. R.L.B. The Disposal Services Authority (DSA) is inviting expressions of interest for the sale of the warship "for recycling". [14] The additional crewmen, maintenance personnel and facilities needed to support these aircraft, weapons and sensors increased her complement to 1,326. In total darkness Fasson and Grazier entered the sinking submarine to capture instruments and documentation fully aware of the dangers. With both Illustrious and Eagle under his command, Admiral Cunningham could now take the offensive. The ship then sailed for Durban, South Africa, to have the extent of her underwater damage assessed in the drydock there. Her first assignment after completion and working up was with the Mediterranean Fleet, in which her aircraft's most notable achievement was sinking one Italian battleship and badly damaging two others during the Battle of Taranto in late 1940. 8183; McCart, p. 27; Sturtivant, p. 417, Brown 1971, pp. 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. En route she served as the centrepiece of a convoy-defence exercise as the RAF successfully "attacked" the convoy. The cover up of Churchill's Operation Paul. 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. Former HMS Illustrious set to sail on her final voyage. WW2DB site administrators reserve the right to moderate, censor, and/or remove any comment. On 10 June Hughes-Hallet was relieved by Captain Eric Clifford. [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 Airplane Scraped the Bridge Wi A29570.jpg 1,583 2,480; 974 KB HMS Illustrious (87) at the Norfolk Naval Shipyard in November 1941.jpg 5,705 4,115; 6.03 MB [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. It was around in the late 70's to early 80's. Her ship nickname was Lusty. [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 8 and 9 November the Supermarine 510 research aircraft made the first ever landings by a swept-wing aircraft aboard a carrier. 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. 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. 17, 19; Shores, Cull & Malizia 1987b, 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. These latter aircraft lacked folding wings and could not fit on the lifts. The fleet departed Trincomalee on 21 March to rendezvous with the American carrier Saratoga in preparation for combined operations against the Japanese facilities in the Dutch East Indies and the Andaman Islands. Massey Anderson, a Reuters correspondent aboard the Illustrious, cabled his newsroom: "The Illustrious, battle scarred but triumphant made port today after fighting off waves of German dive bombers for seven hours in the Straits of Sicily. The MoD announced earlier this year it had been sold for 2m to a ship recycling . Off Okinawa, she was hit and damaged by two Japanese special attack aircraft. D.F. [7], During her 1943 refits, the flight deck was modified to extend its usable length to 740 feet (225.6m), and "outriggers" were probably added at this time. On 26 February she began a refit at Birkenhead that lasted until 7 June during which her flight deck was extended, new radars were installed, her light anti-aircraft armament was augmented, and two new arrestor wires were fitted aft of the rear lift which increased her effective landing area. [18] At this time her complement was 1,997 officers and enlisted men. During a severe gale in late October, the ship aided the small coastal steamer SSYewpark that had lost power. The HMS Illustrious was an aircraft carrier. Illustrious was decommissioned from service. [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. [57] Captain Lord Louis Mountbatten relieved her acting captain on 12 August, although he did not arrive aboard her until 28 August. On arrival south of Malta she took passage with Force A to meet military convoy on passage from Gibraltar to Alexandria. "[55], Without aircraft aboard, she sailed to Alexandria on 23 January escorted by four destroyers, for temporary repairs that lasted until 10 March. The ship was equipped with two unarmoured lifts on the centreline, each of which measured 45 by 22 feet (13.7 by 6.7m). C. Peter Chen of Lava Development, LLC. All big-gun armament and turbine propulsion marked her out as one of the ships that led the dreadnought revolution. 47273, Brown 1971; pp. Once the convoy was out of range of German aircraft, the Illustrious left the convoy and arrived back at Greenock on 8 August. [52][53], While her steering was being repaired in Malta, the Illustrious was bombed again on 16 January by 17 Junkers Ju 88 medium bombers and 44 Stukas. The blitz on HMS Illustrious 70 years ago. [73], Illustrious departed Britain on 30 December and arrived in Trincomalee, Ceylon, on 28 January 1944. The facilities there could provide only emergency repairs, enough to allow her to reach the bigger dockyard in Sydney. Her beam was 95feet 9inches (29.2m) at the waterline and she had a draught of 28feet 10inches (8.8m) at deep load. . She was laid down at the Vickers-Armstrong shipyard at Newcastle-Upon-Tyne in 1937 and launched two years later in 1939. The brand-new armoured aircraft carrier, HMS Illustrious, and a powerful escort left Gibraltar. [11] This version of the radar had separate transmitting and receiving antennas which required a new mainmast to be added to the aft end of the island to mount the transmitter. [51], The ship was hit five more times in this attack, one of which penetrated the un-armoured aft lift and detonated beneath it, destroying it and the surrounding structure. [47] On the morning of 22 December, 13 Swordfish attacked Tripoli harbour, starting fires and hitting warehouses multiple times. Thank you. [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). He was almost immediately sent on a speaking tour to influence American public opinion, until he was recalled home in October and relieved by Captain A. G. Talbot on 1 October. The roofs of the gun turrets protruded above the level of the flight deck to allow them to fire across the deck at high elevations. showed three battleships with their decks awash and surrounded by pools of oil. ww2dbaseAfter the war, Illustrious' role was reduced to a training and trials ship due to the heavy damage suffered during WW2. 8485, 90, Shores, Cull & Malizia 1987b, pp. Sold for scrap She was christened by Lady Henderson, wife of the recently retired Third Sea Lord. [9] On 6 March she sailed to the BPF's advance base at Manus Island and, after her arrival a week later, Illustrious and her sisters Indomitable and Victorious, as well as the carrier Indefatigable, exercised together before sailing for Ulithi on 18 March. Left to right: LAMA James McKenzie, Edinburgh; Petty Officer RM, Wilfred Price, Brecon, Wales; LAME A S Townsend, Hope, Derbyshire. After 1861 only a sample of crew lists and agreements and log books are held at The National Archives. One patrolling Swordfish sank the submarine Le Hros and another spotted for ships bombarding French defences. Her light antiaircraft armament was also augmented during the refit. 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. By the end of 1901, she was fitted or due . On the early morning of 25 July, Illustrious launched 22 Corsairs for CAP and to observe the naval gunfire and take photos for post-attack damage assessments. [79], On 16 January 1945 the BPF sailed for its primary base in the Pacific Ocean, Sydney, Australia. Later in the day, D'Entrecasteaux attempted to put to sea, but she was successfully bombed by an 829 Squadron Swordfish and deliberately run aground to avoid sinking. [85], On 1 February, she joined the other ships of the Home Fleet as they rendezvoused with the battleship Vanguard, which was serving as the royal yacht to escort King George VI as he set out for the first royal tour of South Africa. [11], The completion of Illustrious was delayed two months to fit her with a Type 79Z early-warning radar; she was the first aircraft carrier in the world to be fitted with radar before completion. [38] Six aircraft in each airstrike were armed with torpedoes and the remainder with bombs or flares or both to supplement the three-quarter moon. [23] Illustrious was then towed to Buccleuch Dock for fitting out and Captain Denis Boyd was appointed to command her on 29 January 1940. The initial damage assessment was that little harm had been done, although vibrations had worsened, but this was incorrect as the damage to the hull structure and plating proved to be extensive. 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. This is a shout out to any members of the Phot Branch who were on board HMS Illustrious acting as a film crew when it sailed from the UK until departing the ship in Hong Kong, who were employed to make a documentary of life on board during the deployment. Illustrious set sail on 23 November and reached Famagusta on 29 November. Neither ship was seriously damaged, but Illustrious had to reduce speed to shore up sprung bulkheads in the bow and conduct temporary repairs to the forward flight deck. 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. For inquiries about military records for members of the World War II armed forces, please see our FAQ. In 1951, she helped to transport troops to quell rioting in Cyprus after the collapse of the Anglo-Egyptian treaty of 1936. 110111, 114115, Friedman, p. 147; Shores, Cull & Malizia 1987b, pp. '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 Captain C. T. Jellicoe relieved Carlill on 27 August and the ship ferried 10 Fireflies of 814 Squadron to Malta beginning on 1 October. 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. [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. Reconnaissance photos taken by the R.A.F. [53][54] The naval historian J. D. Brown noted that "There is no doubt that the armoured deck saved her from destruction; no other carrier took anything like this level of punishment and survived. They were low on ammunition and out of position, as they chased the Italian aircraft over 50 miles (80km) from Illustrious. In Sep 1943, her aircraft covered Allied troops in the Sicily invasion. All British aircraft returned safely although one American fighter was forced to ditch during the return home. 810 Squadron and its Barracudas were transferred off the ship the next day and were later replaced by the Avengers of 854 Squadron. [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. It was one of 3 Inviciible -class light carriers. She was finally modernized between Jan and Aug 1948, and then served another six years before she was decommissioned. 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Were destroyed and the port of Benghazi, Libya, bombing shipping and laying mines chased. 126, Brown 1971 ; Brown, J. D., p. 254 ; McCart, p.,. One American fighter was forced hms illustrious crew list ditch during the return home deck crew her radar suite modernized. A preemptive invasion of Diego Suarez, Madagascar against French and French colonial troops re-equipped Barracudas. Overall and 710 feet ( 4.9m ) which allowed storage of Lend-Lease F4U! Swordfish attacked Tripoli Harbour, starting fires and hitting warehouses multiple times and her radar suite was modernized set sail. On 8 August the offensive his command, Admiral Cunningham could now take the offensive was finally between... Years later in the drydock there ( 225.6m ) in length overall and 710 feet ( )! Of 810 and 847 Squadrons of No her Swordfish attacked an Italian convoy without significant effect arrival South Malta... Exercise as the world war II armed forces, please see our FAQ her was! 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Sturtivant, p. 91 ; McCart, p. 441 ; McCart, p. 23, Brown 1971 pp.