HMS Victorious (R38)
Encyclopedia
HMS Victorious (R38) 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. Her commissioning was delayed, however, until 1941 due to the greater need for escort vessels for service in the Battle of the Atlantic
.
Her service in 1941 and 1942 included famous actions against the battleship Bismarck
, several Arctic convoys and the Pedestal convoy to Malta
. She was loaned to the United States Navy for a brief period in 1943 and served in the south west Pacific as "USS Robin". Victorious contributed to several attacks on the Tirpitz
. The elimination of the German naval threat allowed her redeployment first to the Eastern Fleet at Colombo
and then to the Pacific
for the final actions of the war against Japan.
After the war, her service was broken by periods in reserve and an extensive rebuild in the 1950s. The reduction in Britain's naval commitment in the late 1960s prompted her final withdrawal from service and she was scrapped in 1969.
for the German
battleship
Bismarck in the North Atlantic. Originally intended to be part of the escort for convoy WS-8B to the Middle East
, Victorious was hardly ready to be involved in a hunt for the Bismarck with just one-quarter of her aircraft embarked. Sailing with the battleship HMS King George V
, the battlecruiser
Repulse
, and 4 light cruiser
s - Force H from Gibraltar
- Victorious was hastily deployed to assist in the pursuit of the German ship.
On 24 May 1941, Victorious launched nine of her biplane
Fairey Swordfish
torpedo bomber
aircraft
and two Fulmar
fighters
. The Swordfish, under the command of Eugene Esmonde
who would make his name with the "Stringbag", as the Swordfish was known, flew through foul weather and attacked in the face of tremendous fire from Bismarck's anti-aircraft guns. The result was only a single, ineffectual hit to the armoured belt. No aircraft were shot down during the attack, but the Fulmars ran out of fuel on the return journey and had to ditch in the ocean; the ship's homing beacon
had failed. Victorious took no further part in the chase and sinking; aircraft from another carrier, the Ark Royal, contributed to the sinking of the Bismarck three days later. Esmonde received a DSO
for his part in the action.
The actor Kenneth More
served aboard Victorious as a junior officer. In the British film Sink the Bismarck!
(1960), More plays a fictitious Admiralty Director of Operations and is shown giving the order to detach Victorious from Convoy WS-8B which was forming in the River Clyde in order to move almost 20,000 troops to the Middle East. During the film, Victorious briefly played herself, despite the post-war modifications (the addition of a large angled deck and a Type 984 "searchlight" radar) and she was also used to depict Ark Royal sailing from Gibraltar.
located the German supply ship Gonzenheim north of the Azores
. The Gonzenheim had been intended to support the Bismarck but she subsequently scuttle
d when approached by British warships. On 5 June, she was detached to Gibraltar
, and, with HMS Ark Royal
and a naval escort, she "flew-off" Hawker Hurricane
aircraft to the besieged British Mediterranean base of Malta (Operation Tracer
). Victorious returned to the naval base at Scapa Flow
with captured crewmen from the Gonzenheim.
In late July, 1941, in the Arctic
, she escorted HMS Adventure
to Murmansk
with a load of mines and on the 31st took part in the raid on Kirkenes and Petsamo
when thirteen of her aircraft were lost.
At the end of August, Victorious covered the first of the allied convoys to Archangel
(Operation Dervish
) with a force of cruisers and destroyers and then the return passage of HMS Argus
which had delivered Hurricane fighters to Murmansk (Operation Strength). During early September, she launched more air attacks, this time against Tromsø
(twice), Vestfjord
and shipping off Bodø
. During her Vestfjord operations aircraft from Victorious sank the Norwegian Hurtigruten
coastal steamer Barøy
on 13 September.
Decrypted German Enigma
signals indicated a break-out into the Atlantic in October, 1941 by the German warships Scheer
and Tirpitz
and the Victorious was deployed with the Home Fleet for their interception. This continued until mid November (when Adolf Hitler
cancelled the operation) and included a patrol in the Denmark Strait
with battleships HMS King George V
, USS Idaho
and USS Mississippi
and cruisers USS Wichita
and Tuscaloosa
. Note that this joint anglo-American operation pre-dated the formal state of war between the United States and Germany. Victorious continued with the Home Fleet until March, 1942.
Victorious returned to the Arctic Convoys in March and April 1942 and, with powerful forces, provided cover for convoys PQ12, QP8, PQ13, QP9, PQ14 and QP10. During these operations, she also made an unsuccessful air strike on the Tirpitz, losing two aircraft. During the end of April, May and June, anglo-American forces (including USS Washington, Tuscaloosa and Wichita) covered convoys PQ16, QP12, PQ17 and QP13, after which Victorious returned to Scapa Flow.
The Arctic convoys were suspended temporarily after the horrendous losses that Convoy PQ17 suffered. Twenty-three ships out of thirty-six were sunk after the convoy had been scattered in the belief that an attack was imminent by the German warships Admiral Hipper
, Lützow
, Admiral Scheer, and Tirpitz
.
. Malta bound convoy WS21S departed from Britain on 3 August 1942 escorted by Victorious with HMS Nelson and cruisers Nigeria
, Kenya and Manchester
. Exercises (Operation Berserk) were performed with aircraft carriers HMS Indomitable
, Furious
, Eagle
and Argus to improve operational techniques.
Pedestal began on 10 August 1942 and involved a great array of ships in several coordinated groups; two battleships , four aircraft carriers, seven cruisers and thirty-two destroyers. Some of the carriers were transporting aircraft for Malta's defence and fourteen merchant ships carried supplies. On 12 August 1942 Victorious was slightly damaged by an attack from Italian bombers. The Eagle was less fortunate; torpedoed and sunk by a German U-boat
on her return journey to Gibraltar. Ultimately Pedestal was a success. Supplies, including oil, and reinforcing Spitfires
allowed Malta to hold out albeit at the cost of the loss of nine merchant ships, one aircraft carrier, two cruisers, and a destroyer.
In September, 1942, Victorious went for a refit that included the installation of an aircraft direction room. After trials, she was ready to participate in the North African landings.
which involved 196 ships of the Royal Navy
and 105 of the United States Navy
. About 107,000 Allied soldiers were landed. Ultimately successful, Operation Torch was the precursor to the later invasions of Sicily
, Italy and France. Victorious provided air cover during the landings and made air attacks at Algiers
and Fort Duree. Four of her Martlet (Wildcat)
fighters landed at Blida
airfield to accept surrender.
She left for Scapa Flow on 18 November and, while en route, Fairey Albacore
s of 817 Naval Air Squadron
depth charge
d U-517 off Cape Finisterre
. The submarine's structure was badly damaged and she was scuttled; surviving crew were rescued by HMS Opportune
.
. This left the United States Navy
with only one fleet carrier, the , operational in the Pacific.
In late December, 1942, Victorious was loaned to the US Navy after an American plea for carrier reinforcement. During this time, she was code named (not renamed) as USS Robin, for signals purposes, derived from the character "Robin Hood". After a refit in the United States
at the Norfolk Navy Yard in January 1943, Victorious passed through the Panama Canal
to operate with the United States forces in the Pacific
.
Victorious arrived at Pearl Harbor
in March 1943 and was taken in hand for conversions for the operation of USN Wildcat
and Avenger
aircraft and the addition of more close range weaponry. She was ready for service by May and sailed with USS Saratoga for the south-west Pacific. Her role with Task Group 36.3 was to support US landing operations and provide defence against attacks by Japanese warships. The two aircraft carriers had Anglo-American aircrews, with air-cover provided by Victorious and strike aircraft by Saratoga. In August, 1943, Victorious and Saratoga provided air support for Allied forces during the invasion of New Georgia
(Operation Cartwheel
). In September 1943, Victorious returned to the naval base at Scapa Flow
, arriving in mid-October.
, when new radar was fitted.
At the end of March, HMS Victorious, Anson
and Duke of York formed Force 1, covering the passage of convoy JW58. On 2 April 1944, Force 1 joined with Force 2, the aircraft carriers HMS Emperor
, Fencer
, Furious
, Pursuer
, and Searcher
and numerous cruisers and destroyers, in launching an attack (Operation Tungsten
) on the Tirpitz
in Altafjord
, Norway. This involving Barracudas
in two waves, hitting the battleship fourteen times and strafing the ship's defences. Although near-misses caused flooding and there was serious damage to the superstructure, the ship's armour was not penetrated. Nonetheless, the attack put Tirpitz out of action for some months. During the operation, Victorious became the first aircraft carrier
to use operationally the Vought Corsair
fighter. The Task Force returned to Scapa Flow
three days later.
Victorious was to participate in three further attacks, in April and May, on Tirpitz (Operations Planet, Brawn and Tiger Claw) but these were cancelled due to bad weather and anti-shipping strikes were substituted. On 30 May, an acoustic torpedo
attack by U-957 failed and Victorious made more shipping attacks off Norway (Operation Lombard).
, Ceylon (now Sri Lanka), where she arrived on the 5th July. The Eastern Fleet, after a quiet period of trade protection and relative vulnerability, was now being reinforced with ships released from the Atlantic and Mediterranean, in preparation for offensive action against the Japanese.
After a short preparatory period, Victorious took part in a sequence of air attacks against Japanese installations. The first was Operation Crimson on 25 July, a joint attack with HMS Illustrious on airfields near Sabang
, Sumatra
. In late August, she provided air cover for Eastern Fleet ships that were providing air-sea rescue facilities for US Army aircraft during air attacks on Sumatra (Operations Boomerang). On 29 August, in company with HMS Illustrious and Indomitable and escorted by HMS Howe, Victorious made air strikes on Padang
, Indaroeng and Emmahaven (Operation Banquet). After a short pause, on 18 September, Victorious and Indomitable attacked railway yards at Sigli
, Sumatra followed by photo-reconnaissance of the Nicobar Islands
(Operation Light). During Light, there was a "friendly fire
" attack on HM Submarine Spirit
, fortunately without causing any casualties.
At the end of September, Victorious had a short interval at Bombay for repairs to its steering gear; problems had arisen during Operation Light. She rejoined the Eastern Fleet on 6 October. The next operation, Millet, was her last with the Eastern Fleet. On 17 October, she launched attacks on the Nicobar Islands
and Nancowry
harbour, with HMS Indomitable, escorted by HMS Renown. Enemy air attacks destroyed four aircraft and damaged five more. During early November, Victorious returned to Bombay for more work on her steering; more problems had arisen during Millet.
(BPF) was formed at Trincomalee on November 22, 1944 from elements of the Eastern Fleet and Victorious was transferred to the new fleet. From November 1944 until January, 1945 the BPF stayed in the Indian Ocean, training and gaining experience that they would need when working with the United States Navy. Victorious, however, remained under repair at Bombay until January, 1945 and missed raids on oil refineries at Pangkalan Brandan
(Operation Robson).
In early January, 1945, she was available for Operation Lentil
, a repeat raid on the oil refineries at Pangkalan Brandan with HMS Indomitable and Implacable. Further raids on Japanese oil and port installations in Sumatra were made on 16 January. By late January, the BPF had finally quit Ceylon and was en route to its new home base at Sydney
. The voyage was interrupted for another series of raids, on 24 January, this time on Pladjoe and Manna, south west Sumatra (Operation Meridian 1
). There was little opposition from Japanese aircraft. This was followed on 29 January by unsuccessful attacks on oil installations at Soengi-Gerong (Operation Meridian 2
). This time, the Japanese attempted air attacks on the British fleet but these were beaten off. Total aircraft losses by all carriers were 16 aircraft in action and another 25 lost by ditching or on landing. Nine Fleet Air Arm
pilots captured by the Japanese were executed in April 1945.
for their forward base at Manus Island
, north of New Guinea
, and then continued, joining the 5th US Fleet at Ulithi
on March 25 as Task Force 57 (TF57), supporting the American assault on Okinawa. The task allocated to the British force was to neutralise airfields in the Sakishima Gunto. From late March until 25 May, the British aircraft carriers Victorious, Illustrious (later replaced by Formidable), Indefatigable and Indomitable formed the 1st Aircraft Carrier Squadron commanded by Philip Vian
and they were in action against airfields on the Sakishima Islands (Operations Iceberg I and Iceberg II) and Formosa
(Operation Iceberg Oolong).
The British carriers were attacked by kamikaze
suicide aircraft and Victorious was hit on 4 and 9 May and near-missed on 1 April, but her armoured flight deck resisted the worst of the impacts: she remained on station and was back in operation within hours on each occasion, despite damage to an aircraft lift and steam piping in her superstructure. Three men were killed and 19 of the ship's company were injured.
During the second half of July, Victorious aircraft took part in a series of attacks on Japanese shipping, transport and airbases on Honshu
and around the Inland Sea. In one notable attack, in July, aircraft from 849 Squadron NAS, based aboard Victorious, located the Japanese escort carrier
Kaiyo
at Beppu Bay
, Kyūshū
and attacked her, inflicting serious damage that kept her out of the remainder of the war. In the main, however, British aircraft were excluded from the actions against the major Japanese naval bases; the Americans, for political reasons, preferred to reserve these targets for themselves.
and Nagasaki
on 6 and 9 August, respectively, and Japan surrendered on 15 August. By the time of the surrender, the outcome of the war was clear and Victorious left for Manus with TF37 on 12 August and then proceeded to Sydney. This apparently premature departure was in fact a delay to a withdrawal planned for 10 August, to prepare for the anticipated invasion of Japan (Operation Olympic). The BPF commander had agreed to stay for one more day's operations, but the British arrangements could not stretch to a further delay and fuel shortages were insurmountable. In addition, the steering faults that had hampered Victorious in the Indian Ocean in late 1944 are believed to have continued.
On 31 August, Victorious ships' company took part in the Victory Parade
in Sydney.
Victorious left Australia in September 1945, arrived back in Britain on 27 October and undertook three trips to collect servicemen and war brides of British servicemen from Australia and the Far East. In the winter of 1946-47, the first deck trials with the Hawker Sea Fury
(Mark 10) took place aboard Victorious, leading to its approval for carrier operations in early 1947.
She was reduced to the reserve in October 1947 and subsequently joined the Training Squadron, Home Fleet in 1948. The ship was extensively reconstructed and modernised at Portsmouth Dockyard
between 1950 and 1957. This took over eight years because of frequent design changes to allow for new technologies. Her hull was widened, deepened, and lengthened; her machinery was replaced with Foster-Wheeler boilers; her hangar height was increased; new armament of 3 inch (76 mm) guns was installed; and an angled flight deck was added. Her radar equipment was extensively altered to include up to date equipment. While it was hoped she could operate a full airwing of 50 aircraft, the rapid increase in size of the jets coming into service limited her to more than 28 aircraft (including helicopters) being able to be operated.
After recommissioning into the Home Fleet on 14 January 1958, with work-ups and deployments in the Atlantic and Mediterranean Sea. In 1960, during the filming of Sink the Bismarck
she portrayed HMS Ark Royal
, though in her post refit configuration she nowhere near resembled the earlier carrier. Later in 1961 she would sail to join the Far East Fleet
, where she remained until early 1966 when she returned to the UK for a refit period from mid 1966 to late 1967, though she only remained in Fleet service until 1968. Victorious took part in Operation Vantage
in support of Kuwait
in 1961 and provided support in 1964 for the newly independent state of Malaysia against territorial expansion by its neighbour, Indonesia
.
In 1968, shortly before re-commissioning after a refit, there was a relatively minor fire in the Chief Petty Officer
s' mess
(resulting in one death and two hospitalisations), which was rapidly extinguished, and the ship was operating normally the next day. This coincided, however, with a reduction of the defence budget and, with the 1966 decision to phase out British fixed-wing naval aviation, it was decided, at very short notice, not to recommission Victorious. Her captain was told of this just one day before the scheduled recommissioning ceremony; the ceremony was held by the ship's crew anyway as a "wake
" for the ship. She was paid off in 1968 and subsequently placed on the Disposal List in 1969. She was sold later that year to British Shipbreakers and towed to Faslane Naval Base
on 13 July 1969, where she was broken up
.
During her service, HMS Victorious had been deployed in most parts of the world and had given outstanding service in peace and war.
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...
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. Her commissioning was delayed, however, until 1941 due to the greater need for escort vessels for service in the Battle of the Atlantic
Second Battle of the Atlantic
The Battle of the Atlantic was the longest continuous military campaign in World War II, running from 1939 to the defeat of Germany in 1945. At its core was the Allied naval blockade of Germany, announced the day after the declaration of war, and Germany's subsequent counter-blockade. It was at its...
.
Her service in 1941 and 1942 included famous actions against the battleship Bismarck
German battleship Bismarck
Bismarck was the first of two s built for the German Kriegsmarine during World War II. Named after Chancellor Otto von Bismarck, the primary force behind the German unification in 1871, the ship was laid down at the Blohm & Voss shipyard in Hamburg in July 1936 and launched nearly three years later...
, several Arctic convoys and the Pedestal convoy to Malta
Operation Pedestal
Operation Pedestal was a British operation to get desperately needed supplies to the island of Malta in August 1942, during the Second World War. Malta was the base from which surface ships, submarines and aircraft attacked Axis convoys carrying essential supplies to the Italian and German armies...
. She was loaned to the United States Navy for a brief period in 1943 and served in the south west Pacific as "USS Robin". Victorious contributed to several attacks on the Tirpitz
German battleship Tirpitz
Tirpitz was the second of two s built for the German Kriegsmarine during World War II. Named after Grand Admiral Alfred von Tirpitz, the architect of the Imperial Navy, the ship was laid down at the Kriegsmarinewerft in Wilhelmshaven in November 1936 and launched two and a half years later in April...
. The elimination of the German naval threat allowed her redeployment first to the Eastern Fleet at Colombo
Colombo
Colombo is the largest city of Sri Lanka. It is located on the west coast of the island and adjacent to Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte, the capital of Sri Lanka. Colombo is often referred to as the capital of the country, since Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte is a satellite city of Colombo...
and then to the Pacific
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...
for the final actions of the war against Japan.
After the war, her service was broken by periods in reserve and an extensive rebuild in the 1950s. The reduction in Britain's naval commitment in the late 1960s prompted her final withdrawal from service and she was scrapped in 1969.
Bismarck Episode
In 1941, just two weeks after commissioning, her first active mission began when she took part in the huntBismarck Chase
The last battle of the German battleship Bismarck took place in the Atlantic Ocean, approximately west of Brest, France, on 26–27 May 1941...
for the German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
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...
Bismarck in the North Atlantic. Originally intended to be part of the escort for convoy WS-8B to the Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
, Victorious was hardly ready to be involved in a hunt for the Bismarck with just one-quarter of her aircraft embarked. Sailing with the battleship HMS King George V
HMS King George V (41)
HMS King George V was the lead ship of the five British King George V-class battleships of the Royal Navy. Laid down in 1937 and commissioned in 1940, King George V operated during the Second World War as part of the British Home and Pacific Fleets...
, the battlecruiser
Battlecruiser
Battlecruisers were large capital ships built in the first half of the 20th century. They were developed in the first decade of the century as the successor to the armoured cruiser, but their evolution was more closely linked to that of the dreadnought battleship...
Repulse
HMS Repulse (1916)
HMS Repulse was a Renown-class battlecruiser of the Royal Navy built during the First World War. She was originally laid down as an improved version of the s. Her construction was suspended on the outbreak of war on the grounds she would not be ready in a timely manner...
, and 4 light cruiser
Light cruiser
A light cruiser is a type of small- or medium-sized warship. The term is a shortening of the phrase "light armored cruiser", describing a small ship that carried armor in the same way as an armored cruiser: a protective belt and deck...
s - Force H from Gibraltar
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....
- Victorious was hastily deployed to assist in the pursuit of the German ship.
Biplane
A biplane is a fixed-wing aircraft with two superimposed main wings. The Wright brothers' Wright Flyer used a biplane design, as did most aircraft in the early years of aviation. While a biplane wing structure has a structural advantage, it produces more drag than a similar monoplane wing...
Fairey Swordfish
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 the Second World War...
torpedo bomber
Torpedo bomber
A torpedo bomber is a bomber aircraft designed primarily to attack ships with aerial torpedoes which could also carry out conventional bombings. Torpedo bombers existed almost exclusively prior to and during World War II when they were an important element in many famous battles, notably the...
aircraft
Aircraft
An aircraft is a vehicle that is able to fly by gaining support from the air, or, in general, the atmosphere of a planet. An aircraft counters the force of gravity by using either static lift or by using the dynamic lift of an airfoil, or in a few cases the downward thrust from jet engines.Although...
and two Fulmar
Fairey Fulmar
The Fairey Fulmar was a British carrier-borne fighter aircraft that served with the Fleet Air Arm during the Second World War. A total of 600 were built by Fairey Aviation at its Stockport factory between January 1940 and December 1942...
fighters
Fighter aircraft
A fighter aircraft is a military aircraft designed primarily for air-to-air combat with other aircraft, as opposed to a bomber, which is designed primarily to attack ground targets...
. The Swordfish, under the command of Eugene Esmonde
Eugene Esmonde
Lieutenant Commander Eugene Esmonde VC DSO, F/Lt, RAF, Lt-Cdr RN was a distinguished pilot who was a posthumous recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy awarded to members of Commonwealth forces...
who would make his name with the "Stringbag", as the Swordfish was known, flew through foul weather and attacked in the face of tremendous fire from Bismarck's anti-aircraft guns. The result was only a single, ineffectual hit to the armoured belt. No aircraft were shot down during the attack, but the Fulmars ran out of fuel on the return journey and had to ditch in the ocean; the ship's homing beacon
Homing beacon
A homing beacon is a radio or acoustic device that allows the user to track a ship, aircraft, an animal, or another individual. Depending on the beacon, the range can be as short as a hundred metres, or, in science fiction, allow for tracking a ship through hyperspace....
had failed. Victorious took no further part in the chase and sinking; aircraft from another carrier, the Ark Royal, contributed to the sinking of the Bismarck three days later. Esmonde received a DSO
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
for his part in the action.
The actor Kenneth More
Kenneth More
Kenneth Gilbert More CBE was a highly successful English film actor during the post-World War II era and starred in many feature films, often in the role of an archetypal carefree and happy-go-lucky middle-class gentleman.-Early life:Kenneth More was born in Gerrards Cross, Buckinghamshire, the...
served aboard Victorious as a junior officer. In the British film Sink the Bismarck!
Sink the Bismarck!
Sink the Bismarck! is a 1960 black-and-white British war film based on the book, the "Last Nine Days of the Bismarck" by C. S. Forester. It stars Kenneth More and Dana Wynter and was directed by Lewis Gilbert. To date, it is the only movie made that deals directly with the operations, chase, and...
(1960), More plays a fictitious Admiralty Director of Operations and is shown giving the order to detach Victorious from Convoy WS-8B which was forming in the River Clyde in order to move almost 20,000 troops to the Middle East. During the film, Victorious briefly played herself, despite the post-war modifications (the addition of a large angled deck and a Type 984 "searchlight" radar) and she was also used to depict Ark Royal sailing from Gibraltar.
Convoy and other Arctic duties
In early June 1941, while part of the escort for troop convoy WS-8X, a Swordfish from Victorious 825 Naval Air Squadron825 Naval Air Squadron
825 Naval Air Squadron was a Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm carrier-based squadron formed on 8 October 1934 from the aircraft and personnel of 824 Naval Air Squadron...
located the German supply ship Gonzenheim north of the Azores
Azores
The Archipelago of the Azores is composed of nine volcanic islands situated in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean, and is located about west from Lisbon and about east from the east coast of North America. The islands, and their economic exclusion zone, form the Autonomous Region of the...
. The Gonzenheim had been intended to support the Bismarck but she subsequently scuttle
Scuttling
Scuttling is the act of deliberately sinking a ship by allowing water to flow into the hull.This can be achieved in several ways—valves or hatches can be opened to the sea, or holes may be ripped into the hull with brute force or with explosives...
d when approached by British warships. On 5 June, she was detached to Gibraltar
Gibraltar
Gibraltar is a British overseas territory located on the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula at the entrance of the Mediterranean. A peninsula with an area of , it has a northern border with Andalusia, Spain. The Rock of Gibraltar is the major landmark of the region...
, and, with HMS Ark Royal
HMS Ark Royal (91)
HMS Ark Royal was an aircraft carrier of the Royal Navy that served during the Second World War.Designed in 1934 to fit the restrictions of the Washington Naval Treaty, Ark Royal was built by Cammell Laird and Company, Ltd. at Birkenhead, England, and completed in November 1938. Her design...
and a naval escort, she "flew-off" Hawker Hurricane
Hawker Hurricane
The Hawker Hurricane is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was designed and predominantly built by Hawker Aircraft Ltd for the Royal Air Force...
aircraft to the besieged British Mediterranean base of Malta (Operation Tracer
Malta Convoys
The 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...
). Victorious returned to the naval base at Scapa Flow
Scapa Flow
right|thumb|Scapa Flow viewed from its eastern endScapa Flow is a body of water in the Orkney Islands, Scotland, United Kingdom, sheltered by the islands of Mainland, Graemsay, Burray, South Ronaldsay and Hoy. It is about...
with captured crewmen from the Gonzenheim.
In late July, 1941, in the Arctic
Arctic Ocean
The Arctic Ocean, located in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Arctic north polar region, is the smallest and shallowest of the world's five major oceanic divisions...
, she escorted HMS Adventure
HMS Adventure (M23)
HMS Adventure, pennant number M23, was a minelaying cruiser of the Royal Navy built in the 1920s that saw service during the Second World War. Her commander between 1928 and 1929 was the future First Sea Lord John H. D...
to Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk is a city and the administrative center of Murmansk Oblast, Russia. It serves as a seaport and is located in the extreme northwest part of Russia, on the Kola Bay, from the Barents Sea on the northern shore of the Kola Peninsula, not far from Russia's borders with Norway and Finland...
with a load of mines and on the 31st took part in the raid on Kirkenes and Petsamo
Raid on Kirkenes and Petsamo
The raid on Kirkenes and Petsamo took place on 30 July 1941 during the Second World War. The Royal Navy air arm launched this unsuccessful raid from the aircraft carriers and to inflict damage on merchant vessels owned by Germany and Finland and to show support for their new ally, the Soviet...
when thirteen of her aircraft were lost.
At the end of August, Victorious covered the first of the allied convoys to Archangel
Arkhangelsk
Arkhangelsk , formerly known as Archangel in English, is a city and the administrative center of Arkhangelsk Oblast, Russia. It lies on both banks of the Northern Dvina River near its exit into the White Sea in the north of European Russia. The city spreads for over along the banks of the river...
(Operation Dervish
Arctic convoys of World War II
The Arctic convoys of World War II travelled from the United Kingdom and North America to the northern ports of the Soviet Union—Arkhangelsk and Murmansk. There were 78 convoys between August 1941 and May 1945...
) with a force of cruisers and destroyers and then the return passage of HMS Argus
HMS Argus (I49)
HMS Argus was a British aircraft carrier that served in the Royal Navy from 1918–1944. She was converted from an ocean liner under construction when the First World War began, and became the world's first example of what is now the standard pattern of aircraft carrier, with a full-length flight...
which had delivered Hurricane fighters to Murmansk (Operation Strength). During early September, she launched more air attacks, this time against Tromsø
Tromsø
Tromsø is a city and municipality in Troms county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the city of Tromsø.Tromsø city is the ninth largest urban area in Norway by population, and the seventh largest city in Norway by population...
(twice), Vestfjord
Vestfjord
Vestfjord is a Norwegian fjord, which would be described as a firth or an open bight of sea between the Lofoten archipelago and mainland Norway, northwest of Bodø...
and shipping off Bodø
Bodø
is a city and a municipality in Nordland county, Norway. It is part of the Salten region.The city of Bodø was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 . Bodin was merged with Bodø on 1 January 1968. Skjerstad was merged with Bodø on 1 January 2005...
. During her Vestfjord operations aircraft from Victorious sank the Norwegian Hurtigruten
Hurtigruten
Hurtigruten or Hurtigruta is a Norwegian passenger and freight line with daily sailings along Norway's western and northern coast. Sometimes referred to in English as Norwegian Coastal Express, Hurtigruten ships sail almost the entire length of the country, completing the roundtrip journey in 11...
coastal steamer Barøy
SS Barøy (1929)
SS Barøy was a 424 ton steel-hulled steamship delivered from the Trondhjems mekaniske Værksted shipyard in Trondheim in 1929. She had been ordered by the Norwegian shipping company Ofotens Dampskibsselskab for the local route from the port city of Narvik to the smaller towns of Lødingen and Svolvær...
on 13 September.
Decrypted German Enigma
Enigma machine
An Enigma machine is any of a family of related electro-mechanical rotor cipher machines used for the encryption and decryption of secret messages. Enigma was invented by German engineer Arthur Scherbius at the end of World War I...
signals indicated a break-out into the Atlantic in October, 1941 by the German warships Scheer
German pocket battleship Admiral Scheer
Admiral Scheer was a Deutschland-class heavy cruiser which served with the Kriegsmarine of Nazi Germany during World War II. The vessel was named after Admiral Reinhard Scheer, German commander in the Battle of Jutland. She was laid down at the Reichsmarinewerft shipyard in Wilhelmshaven in June...
and Tirpitz
German battleship Tirpitz
Tirpitz was the second of two s built for the German Kriegsmarine during World War II. Named after Grand Admiral Alfred von Tirpitz, the architect of the Imperial Navy, the ship was laid down at the Kriegsmarinewerft in Wilhelmshaven in November 1936 and launched two and a half years later in April...
and the Victorious was deployed with the Home Fleet for their interception. This continued until mid November (when Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
cancelled the operation) and included a patrol in the Denmark Strait
Denmark Strait
The Denmark Strait or Greenland Strait |Sound]]) is an oceanic strait between Greenland and Iceland...
with battleships HMS King George V
HMS King George V (41)
HMS King George V was the lead ship of the five British King George V-class battleships of the Royal Navy. Laid down in 1937 and commissioned in 1940, King George V operated during the Second World War as part of the British Home and Pacific Fleets...
, USS Idaho
USS Idaho (BB-42)
USS Idaho , a , was the fourth ship of the United States Navy to be named for the 43rd state. Her keel was laid down by the New York Shipbuilding Corporation of Camden, New Jersey...
and USS Mississippi
USS Mississippi (BB-41)
USS Mississippi , a , was the third ship of the United States Navy named in honor of the 20th state, and the second battleship to carry the name. Commissioned in 1917, too late to serve in World War I, she served extensively in the Pacific in World War II, for which she earned eight battle stars...
and cruisers USS Wichita
USS Wichita (CA-45)
USS Wichita was a heavy cruiser of the United States Navy. The lead ship and only member of her class, she was the first ship named after the city of Wichita, Kansas...
and Tuscaloosa
USS Tuscaloosa (CA-37)
USS Tuscaloosa was a United States Navy New Orleans-class heavy cruiser.She was laid down on 3 September 1931 at Camden, New Jersey, by the New York Shipbuilding Co., launched on 15 November 1933, sponsored by Mrs. Thomas Lee McCann, the wife of Lieutenant Thomas L...
. Note that this joint anglo-American operation pre-dated the formal state of war between the United States and Germany. Victorious continued with the Home Fleet until March, 1942.
Victorious returned to the Arctic Convoys in March and April 1942 and, with powerful forces, provided cover for convoys PQ12, QP8, PQ13, QP9, PQ14 and QP10. During these operations, she also made an unsuccessful air strike on the Tirpitz, losing two aircraft. During the end of April, May and June, anglo-American forces (including USS Washington, Tuscaloosa and Wichita) covered convoys PQ16, QP12, PQ17 and QP13, after which Victorious returned to Scapa Flow.
The Arctic convoys were suspended temporarily after the horrendous losses that Convoy PQ17 suffered. Twenty-three ships out of thirty-six were sunk after the convoy had been scattered in the belief that an attack was imminent by the German warships Admiral Hipper
German cruiser Admiral Hipper
Admiral Hipper, the first of five ships of her class, was the lead ship of the Admiral Hipper–class of heavy cruisers which served with the German Kriegsmarine during World War II. The ship was laid down at the Blohm & Voss shipyard in Hamburg in July 1935 and launched February 1937; Admiral Hipper...
, Lützow
German pocket battleship Deutschland
Deutschland was the lead ship of her class of heavy cruisers which served with the Kriegsmarine of Nazi Germany during World War II. Ordered by the Weimar government for the Reichsmarine, she was laid down at the Deutsche Werke shipyard in Kiel in February 1929 and completed by April 1933...
, Admiral Scheer, and Tirpitz
German battleship Tirpitz
Tirpitz was the second of two s built for the German Kriegsmarine during World War II. Named after Grand Admiral Alfred von Tirpitz, the architect of the Imperial Navy, the ship was laid down at the Kriegsmarinewerft in Wilhelmshaven in November 1936 and launched two and a half years later in April...
.
Pedestal
The suspension of the Arctic convoys released Victorious to take part in a "last chance" attempt to resupply Malta - Operation PedestalOperation Pedestal
Operation Pedestal was a British operation to get desperately needed supplies to the island of Malta in August 1942, during the Second World War. Malta was the base from which surface ships, submarines and aircraft attacked Axis convoys carrying essential supplies to the Italian and German armies...
. Malta bound convoy WS21S departed from Britain on 3 August 1942 escorted by Victorious with HMS Nelson and cruisers Nigeria
HMS Nigeria (60)
HMS Nigeria was a Crown Colony-class light cruiser of the British Royal Navy completed early in World War II and served throughout that conflict. She was named for the British territory of Nigeria.-Home waters:...
, Kenya and Manchester
HMS Manchester (C15)
The second HMS Manchester was a Town-class light cruiser of the Royal Navy, belonging to the Gloucester subclass. She was laid down by Hawthorn Leslie at Hebburn in March 1936, launched in April the following year and commissioned in August 1938...
. Exercises (Operation Berserk) were performed with aircraft carriers HMS 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...
, Furious
HMS Furious (47)
HMS Furious was a modified cruiser built for the Royal Navy during the First World War. Designed to support the Baltic Project championed by the First Sea Lord of the Admiralty, Lord John Fisher, they were very lightly armoured and armed with only a few heavy guns. Furious was modified while...
, Eagle
HMS Eagle (1918)
HMS Eagle was an early aircraft carrier of the Royal Navy. Ordered by Chile as the Almirante Cochrane, she was laid down before World War I. In early 1918 she was purchased by Britain for conversion to an aircraft carrier; this work was finished in 1924...
and Argus to improve operational techniques.
Pedestal began on 10 August 1942 and involved a great array of ships in several coordinated groups; two battleships , four aircraft carriers, seven cruisers and thirty-two destroyers. Some of the carriers were transporting aircraft for Malta's defence and fourteen merchant ships carried supplies. On 12 August 1942 Victorious was slightly damaged by an attack from Italian bombers. The Eagle was less fortunate; torpedoed and sunk by a German U-boat
U-boat
U-boat is the anglicized version of the German word U-Boot , itself an abbreviation of Unterseeboot , and refers to military submarines operated by Germany, particularly in World War I and World War II...
on her return journey to Gibraltar. Ultimately Pedestal was a success. Supplies, including oil, and reinforcing Spitfires
Supermarine Spitfire
The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was used by the Royal Air Force and many other Allied countries throughout the Second World War. The Spitfire continued to be used as a front line fighter and in secondary roles into the 1950s...
allowed Malta to hold out albeit at the cost of the loss of nine merchant ships, one aircraft carrier, two cruisers, and a destroyer.
In September, 1942, Victorious went for a refit that included the installation of an aircraft direction room. After trials, she was ready to participate in the North African landings.
Operation Torch
In November 1942, Victorious took part in the North African landings. Operation TorchOperation Torch
Operation Torch was the British-American invasion of French North Africa in World War II during the North African Campaign, started on 8 November 1942....
which involved 196 ships of the 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...
and 105 of the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
. About 107,000 Allied soldiers were landed. Ultimately successful, Operation Torch was the precursor to the later invasions 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,...
, Italy and France. Victorious provided air cover during the landings and made air attacks at Algiers
Algiers
' is the capital and largest city of Algeria. According to the 1998 census, the population of the city proper was 1,519,570 and that of the urban agglomeration was 2,135,630. In 2009, the population was about 3,500,000...
and Fort Duree. Four of her Martlet (Wildcat)
F4F Wildcat
The Grumman F4F Wildcat was an American carrier-based fighter aircraft that began service with both the United States Navy and the British Royal Navy in 1940...
fighters landed at Blida
Blida
Blida is a city in Algeria. It is the capital of Blida Province, and it is located about 45 km south-west of Algiers, the national capital. The name Blida, i.e...
airfield to accept surrender.
She left for Scapa Flow on 18 November and, while en route, Fairey Albacore
Fairey Albacore
The Fairey Albacore was a British single-engine carrier-borne biplane torpedo bomber built by Fairey Aviation between 1939 and 1943 for the Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm and used during the Second World War. It had a three-man crew and was designed for spotting and reconnaissance as well as delivering...
s of 817 Naval Air Squadron
817 Naval Air Squadron
817 Naval Air Squadron was a unit of the Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm during the Second World War.In 1941, the squadron operated Fairey Albacore aircraft in the Anti-Submarine Warfare role in Icelandic and Mediterranean waters...
depth charge
Depth charge
A depth charge is an anti-submarine warfare weapon intended to destroy or cripple a target submarine by the shock of exploding near it. Most use explosives and a fuze set to go off at a preselected depth in the ocean. Depth charges can be dropped by either surface ships, patrol aircraft, or from...
d U-517 off Cape Finisterre
Cape Finisterre
right|thumb|300px|Position of Cape Finisterre on the [[Iberian Peninsula]]Cape Finisterre is a rock-bound peninsula on the west coast of Galicia, Spain....
. The submarine's structure was badly damaged and she was scuttled; surviving crew were rescued by HMS Opportune
HMS Opportune (G80)
HMS Opportune was an O-class destroyer of the Royal Navy. She was ordered from John I. Thornycroft & Company, Woolston on 3 September 1939 for the 1st Emergency Flotilla. She was commissioned on 14 August 1942...
.
USS Robin
When the was sunk and the was badly damaged at the Battle of the Santa Cruz IslandsBattle of the Santa Cruz Islands
The Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands, 26 October 1942, sometimes referred to as the Battle of Santa Cruz or in Japanese sources as the , was the fourth carrier battle of the Pacific campaign of World War II and the fourth major naval engagement fought between the United States Navy and the Imperial...
. This left the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
with only one fleet carrier, the , operational in the Pacific.
In late December, 1942, Victorious was loaned to the US Navy after an American plea for carrier reinforcement. During this time, she was code named (not renamed) as USS Robin, for signals purposes, derived from the character "Robin Hood". After a refit in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
at the Norfolk Navy Yard in January 1943, Victorious passed through the Panama Canal
Panama Canal
The Panama Canal is a ship canal in Panama that joins the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean and is a key conduit for international maritime trade. Built from 1904 to 1914, the canal has seen annual traffic rise from about 1,000 ships early on to 14,702 vessels measuring a total of 309.6...
to operate with the United States forces in the Pacific
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
.
Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor, known to Hawaiians as Puuloa, is a lagoon harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. Much of the harbor and surrounding lands is a United States Navy deep-water naval base. It is also the headquarters of the U.S. Pacific Fleet...
in March 1943 and was taken in hand for conversions for the operation of USN Wildcat
F4F Wildcat
The Grumman F4F Wildcat was an American carrier-based fighter aircraft that began service with both the United States Navy and the British Royal Navy in 1940...
and Avenger
TBF Avenger
The Grumman TBF Avenger was a torpedo bomber developed initially for the United States Navy and Marine Corps, and eventually used by several air or naval arms around the world....
aircraft and the addition of more close range weaponry. She was ready for service by May and sailed with USS Saratoga for the south-west Pacific. Her role with Task Group 36.3 was to support US landing operations and provide defence against attacks by Japanese warships. The two aircraft carriers had Anglo-American aircrews, with air-cover provided by Victorious and strike aircraft by Saratoga. In August, 1943, Victorious and Saratoga provided air support for Allied forces during the invasion of New Georgia
New Georgia
New Georgia is the largest island of the Western Province of the Solomon Islands.-Geography:This island is located in the New Georgia Group, an archipelago including most of the other larger islands in the province...
(Operation Cartwheel
Operation Cartwheel
Operation Cartwheel was a major military strategy for the Allies in the Pacific theater of World War II. Cartwheel was a twin-axis of advance operation, aimed at militarily neutralizing the major Japanese base at Rabaul...
). In September 1943, Victorious returned to the naval base at Scapa Flow
Scapa Flow
right|thumb|Scapa Flow viewed from its eastern endScapa Flow is a body of water in the Orkney Islands, Scotland, United Kingdom, sheltered by the islands of Mainland, Graemsay, Burray, South Ronaldsay and Hoy. It is about...
, arriving in mid-October.
Attack on Tirpitz
From December 1943 until March 1944, Victorious was under refit at LiverpoolLiverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
, when new radar was fitted.
At the end of March, HMS Victorious, Anson
HMS Anson (1940)
HMS Anson was a King George V-class battleship of the Royal Navy, named after Admiral George Anson. She was built by Swan Hunter and Wigham Richardson Shipyard and launched on 24 February 1940, being completed on 22 June 1942. Her completion was delayed because of the inclusion of fire-control...
and Duke of York formed Force 1, covering the passage of convoy JW58. On 2 April 1944, Force 1 joined with Force 2, the aircraft carriers HMS Emperor
HMS Emperor (D98)
The USS Pybus was laid down 23 June 1942 as MC Hull No. 245 by Seattle-Tacoma Shipbuilding, Washington; originally classified AVG-34, she was reclassified as ACV-34 on 20 August 1942; launched 7 October 1942; commissioned 31 May 1943 at the Puget Sound Navy Yard, Wash.; reclassified as CVE-34 15...
, Fencer
HMS Fencer (D64)
USS Croatan was transferred to the United Kingdom on 27 February 1943 under lend-lease where she served as HMS Fencer ...
, Furious
HMS Furious (47)
HMS Furious was a modified cruiser built for the Royal Navy during the First World War. Designed to support the Baltic Project championed by the First Sea Lord of the Admiralty, Lord John Fisher, they were very lightly armoured and armed with only a few heavy guns. Furious was modified while...
, Pursuer
HMS Pursuer (D73)
The USS St. George was laid down on 31 July 1941 as a C3-S-A2 by Ingalls Shipbuilding, Hull 296 of Pascagoula, Mississippi, under Maritime Commission contract as the SS Mormacland for Moore-McCormack Lines, Inc. . She was renamed St...
, and Searcher
HMS Searcher (D40)
HMS Searcher was an Ruler-class escort carrier escort carrier of the Royal Navy. Built in Seattle in the United States she was transferred to the United Kingdom under Lend-Lease. Launched in 1942 she served until 29 November 1945. She was sold into merchant service and renamed Captain Theo...
and numerous cruisers and destroyers, in launching an attack (Operation Tungsten
Operation Tungsten
Operation Tungsten was a British naval operation during World War II. it was one of a number of aerial attacks on the German battleship Tirpitz while she was in Norwegian waters...
) on the Tirpitz
German battleship Tirpitz
Tirpitz was the second of two s built for the German Kriegsmarine during World War II. Named after Grand Admiral Alfred von Tirpitz, the architect of the Imperial Navy, the ship was laid down at the Kriegsmarinewerft in Wilhelmshaven in November 1936 and launched two and a half years later in April...
in Altafjord
Altafjord
Altafjord is a fjord in the municipality Alta in Finnmark county, Norway, and is about 38 kilometres long. In the inner southern part of the fjord, near the town of Alta, is the outlet of the 200 kilometre long river Altaelva...
, Norway. This involving 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...
in two waves, hitting the battleship fourteen times and strafing the ship's defences. Although near-misses caused flooding and there was serious damage to the superstructure, the ship's armour was not penetrated. Nonetheless, the attack put Tirpitz out of action for some months. During the operation, Victorious became the first 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...
to use operationally the Vought Corsair
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...
fighter. The Task Force returned to Scapa Flow
Scapa Flow
right|thumb|Scapa Flow viewed from its eastern endScapa Flow is a body of water in the Orkney Islands, Scotland, United Kingdom, sheltered by the islands of Mainland, Graemsay, Burray, South Ronaldsay and Hoy. It is about...
three days later.
Victorious was to participate in three further attacks, in April and May, on Tirpitz (Operations Planet, Brawn and Tiger Claw) but these were cancelled due to bad weather and anti-shipping strikes were substituted. On 30 May, an acoustic torpedo
Acoustic torpedo
An acoustic torpedo is a torpedo that aims itself by listening for characteristic sounds of its target or by searching for it using sonar. Acoustic torpedoes are usually designed for medium-range use, and often fired from a submarine....
attack by U-957 failed and Victorious made more shipping attacks off Norway (Operation Lombard).
Eastern Fleet
In June 1944, Victorious, with HMS Indomitable, left British waters to join the Eastern Fleet at ColomboColombo
Colombo is the largest city of Sri Lanka. It is located on the west coast of the island and adjacent to Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte, the capital of Sri Lanka. Colombo is often referred to as the capital of the country, since Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte is a satellite city of Colombo...
, Ceylon (now Sri Lanka), where she arrived on the 5th July. The Eastern Fleet, after a quiet period of trade protection and relative vulnerability, was now being reinforced with ships released from the Atlantic and Mediterranean, in preparation for offensive action against the Japanese.
After a short preparatory period, Victorious took part in a sequence of air attacks against Japanese installations. The first was Operation Crimson on 25 July, a joint attack with HMS Illustrious on airfields near Sabang
Sabang
Sabang 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...
, Sumatra
Sumatra
Sumatra is an island in western Indonesia, westernmost of the Sunda Islands. It is the largest island entirely in Indonesia , and the sixth largest island in the world at 473,481 km2 with a population of 50,365,538...
. In late August, she provided air cover for Eastern Fleet ships that were providing air-sea rescue facilities for US Army aircraft during air attacks on Sumatra (Operations Boomerang). On 29 August, in company with HMS Illustrious and Indomitable and escorted by HMS Howe, Victorious made air strikes on Padang
Padang, Indonesia
Padang is the capital and largest city of West Sumatra, Indonesia. It is located on the western coast of Sumatra at . It has an area of and a population of over 833,000 people at the 2010 Census.-History:...
, Indaroeng and Emmahaven (Operation Banquet). After a short pause, on 18 September, Victorious and Indomitable attacked railway yards at Sigli
Sigli
Sigli is a town in Aceh province of Indonesia and it is the seat of Pidie Regency.Sigli is locate 112 kilometers from Banda Aceh.SportPersatuan Sepakbola Aceh Pidie is the football club from Sigli....
, Sumatra followed by photo-reconnaissance of the Nicobar Islands
Nicobar Islands
The Nicobar Islands are an archipelagic island chain in the eastern Indian Ocean...
(Operation Light). During Light, there was a "friendly fire
Friendly fire
Friendly fire is inadvertent firing towards one's own or otherwise friendly forces while attempting to engage enemy forces, particularly where this results in injury or death. A death resulting from a negligent discharge is not considered friendly fire...
" attack on HM Submarine Spirit
HMS Spirit (P245)
HMS Spirit was an S class submarine of the Royal Navy, and part of the Third Group built of that class. She was built by Cammell Laird and launched on July 20, 1943...
, fortunately without causing any casualties.
At the end of September, Victorious had a short interval at Bombay for repairs to its steering gear; problems had arisen during Operation Light. She rejoined the Eastern Fleet on 6 October. The next operation, Millet, was her last with the Eastern Fleet. On 17 October, she launched attacks on the Nicobar Islands
Nicobar Islands
The Nicobar Islands are an archipelagic island chain in the eastern Indian Ocean...
and Nancowry
Nancowry
Nancowry refers both to a single island and to the group of adjoining islands that make up the central part of the Nicobar Islands chain, located in the northeast Indian Ocean between the Bay of Bengal and the Andaman Sea....
harbour, with HMS Indomitable, escorted by HMS Renown. Enemy air attacks destroyed four aircraft and damaged five more. During early November, Victorious returned to Bombay for more work on her steering; more problems had arisen during Millet.
Sumatra
The British Pacific FleetBritish 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...
(BPF) was formed at Trincomalee on November 22, 1944 from elements of the Eastern Fleet and Victorious was transferred to the new fleet. From November 1944 until January, 1945 the BPF stayed in the Indian Ocean, training and gaining experience that they would need when working with the United States Navy. Victorious, however, remained under repair at Bombay until January, 1945 and missed raids on oil refineries at Pangkalan Brandan
Pangkalan Brandan
Pangkalan Brandan is a port town in North Sumatra province, Indonesia, forty miles north west of Medan, close to the boundary with Aceh. The area's population is estimated at around 21,000....
(Operation Robson).
In early January, 1945, she was available for Operation Lentil
Operation Lentil (Sumatra)
Operation Lentil was an air raid by British carrier based aircraft on oil installations at Pangkalan Brandan on Sumatra on January 4 1945. Two aircraft carriers, HMS Indomitable and Indefatigable were escorted by four cruisers Operation Lentil was an air raid by British carrier based aircraft on...
, a repeat raid on the oil refineries at Pangkalan Brandan with HMS Indomitable and Implacable. Further raids on Japanese oil and port installations in Sumatra were made on 16 January. By late January, the BPF had finally quit Ceylon and was en route to its new home base at 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...
. The voyage was interrupted for another series of raids, on 24 January, this time on Pladjoe and Manna, south west Sumatra (Operation Meridian 1
Operation Meridian
During World War II, Operation Meridian was a series of British air attacks conducted on 24 January and 29 January 1945 on Japanese-held oil refineries at Palembang, on Sumatra...
). There was little opposition from Japanese aircraft. This was followed on 29 January by unsuccessful attacks on oil installations at Soengi-Gerong (Operation Meridian 2
Operation Meridian
During World War II, Operation Meridian was a series of British air attacks conducted on 24 January and 29 January 1945 on Japanese-held oil refineries at Palembang, on Sumatra...
). This time, the Japanese attempted air attacks on the British fleet but these were beaten off. Total aircraft losses by all carriers were 16 aircraft in action and another 25 lost by ditching or on landing. Nine Fleet Air Arm
Fleet Air Arm
The Fleet Air Arm is the branch of the British Royal Navy responsible for the operation of naval aircraft. The Fleet Air Arm currently operates the AgustaWestland Merlin, Westland Sea King and Westland Lynx helicopters...
pilots captured by the Japanese were executed in April 1945.
Okinawa
In early February, Victorious joined Task Force 113 (TF113) at Sydney to prepare for service with the US 5th Fleet. At the end of the month, TF113 left SydneySydney
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...
for their forward base at 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...
, north of New Guinea
New Guinea
New Guinea is the world's second largest island, after Greenland, covering a land area of 786,000 km2. Located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, it lies geographically to the east of the Malay Archipelago, with which it is sometimes included as part of a greater Indo-Australian Archipelago...
, and then continued, joining the 5th US Fleet at 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...
on March 25 as Task Force 57 (TF57), supporting the American assault on Okinawa. The task allocated to the British force was to neutralise airfields in the Sakishima Gunto. From late March until 25 May, the British aircraft carriers Victorious, Illustrious (later replaced by Formidable), Indefatigable and Indomitable formed the 1st Aircraft Carrier Squadron commanded by Philip Vian
Philip Vian
Admiral of the Fleet Sir Philip Louis Vian, GCB, KBE, DSO & Two Bars was a British naval officer who served in both World Wars....
and they were in action against airfields on the Sakishima Islands (Operations Iceberg I and Iceberg II) and 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...
(Operation Iceberg Oolong).
The British carriers were attacked by 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....
suicide aircraft and Victorious was hit on 4 and 9 May and near-missed on 1 April, but her armoured flight deck resisted the worst of the impacts: she remained on station and was back in operation within hours on each occasion, despite damage to an aircraft lift and steam piping in her superstructure. Three men were killed and 19 of the ship's company were injured.
Japan
After May, 1945 the British Pacific Fleet withdrew to Sydney and Manus for refits and, in the cases of Victorious, Formidable and Indefatigable, for repairs to battle damage. The British fleet rendezvoused with the US 3rd Fleet on 16 July and became effectively absorbed into the American structure as a part of TF38 for the "softening up" of Japanese resistance within their home islands.During the second half of July, Victorious aircraft took part in a series of attacks on Japanese shipping, transport and airbases on Honshu
Honshu
is the largest island of Japan. The nation's main island, it is south of Hokkaido across the Tsugaru Strait, north of Shikoku across the Inland Sea, and northeast of Kyushu across the Kanmon Strait...
and around the Inland Sea. In one notable attack, in July, aircraft from 849 Squadron NAS, based aboard Victorious, located the Japanese escort carrier
Escort aircraft carrier
The escort aircraft carrier or escort carrier, also called a "jeep carrier" or "baby flattop" in the USN or "Woolworth Carrier" by the Royal Navy, was a small and slow type of aircraft carrier used by the British Royal Navy , the Imperial Japanese Navy and Imperial Japanese Army Air Force, and the...
Kaiyo
Japanese aircraft carrier Kaiyo
was a escort carrier operated by the Imperial Japanese Navy in World War II. The ship was originally built as the ocean liner Argentina Maru. She was purchased by the IJN on 9 December 1942, converted into an escort carrier, and renamed Kaiyo. The ship was primarily used as an aircraft transport,...
at Beppu Bay
Beppu Bay
Beppu Bay is an arm of the western end of the Seto Inland Sea of Japan.Beppu Bay is located on the northeast coast of Kyushu in Ōita Prefecture. The city of Ōita lies on its southern coast and the city of Beppu at its western end....
, Kyūshū
Kyushu
is the third largest island of Japan and most southwesterly of its four main islands. Its alternate ancient names include , , and . The historical regional name is referred to Kyushu and its surrounding islands....
and attacked her, inflicting serious damage that kept her out of the remainder of the war. In the main, however, British aircraft were excluded from the actions against the major Japanese naval bases; the Americans, for political reasons, preferred to reserve these targets for themselves.
War's end
The two atomic bombs were dropped on HiroshimaHiroshima
is the capital of Hiroshima Prefecture, and the largest city in the Chūgoku region of western Honshu, the largest island of Japan. It became best known as the first city in history to be destroyed by a nuclear weapon when the United States Army Air Forces dropped an atomic bomb on it at 8:15 A.M...
and Nagasaki
Nagasaki
is the capital and the largest city of Nagasaki Prefecture on the island of Kyushu in Japan. Nagasaki was founded by the Portuguese in the second half of the 16th century on the site of a small fishing village, formerly part of Nishisonogi District...
on 6 and 9 August, respectively, and Japan surrendered on 15 August. By the time of the surrender, the outcome of the war was clear and Victorious left for Manus with TF37 on 12 August and then proceeded to Sydney. This apparently premature departure was in fact a delay to a withdrawal planned for 10 August, to prepare for the anticipated invasion of Japan (Operation Olympic). The BPF commander had agreed to stay for one more day's operations, but the British arrangements could not stretch to a further delay and fuel shortages were insurmountable. In addition, the steering faults that had hampered Victorious in the Indian Ocean in late 1944 are believed to have continued.
On 31 August, Victorious ships' company took part in the Victory Parade
Victory parade
A victory parade is a type of parade held in order to celebrate a victory. Because of that, victory parades can be divided into military victory parades and more frequent sport victory parades....
in Sydney.
Postwar
Hawker Sea Fury
The Hawker Sea Fury was a British fighter aircraft developed for the Royal Navy by Hawker during the Second World War. The last propeller-driven fighter to serve with the Royal Navy, it was also one of the fastest production single piston-engined aircraft ever built.-Origins:The Hawker Fury was an...
(Mark 10) took place aboard Victorious, leading to its approval for carrier operations in early 1947.
She was reduced to the reserve in October 1947 and subsequently joined the Training Squadron, Home Fleet in 1948. The ship was extensively reconstructed and modernised at Portsmouth Dockyard
HMNB Portsmouth
Her Majesty's Naval Base Portsmouth is one of three operating bases in the United Kingdom for the British Royal Navy...
between 1950 and 1957. This took over eight years because of frequent design changes to allow for new technologies. Her hull was widened, deepened, and lengthened; her machinery was replaced with Foster-Wheeler boilers; her hangar height was increased; new armament of 3 inch (76 mm) guns was installed; and an angled flight deck was added. Her radar equipment was extensively altered to include up to date equipment. While it was hoped she could operate a full airwing of 50 aircraft, the rapid increase in size of the jets coming into service limited her to more than 28 aircraft (including helicopters) being able to be operated.
After recommissioning into the Home Fleet on 14 January 1958, with work-ups and deployments in the Atlantic and Mediterranean Sea. In 1960, during the filming of Sink the Bismarck
Sink the Bismarck
"Sink the Bismark" is a song, written by country music singer Johnny Horton and Tillman Franks, based on the pursuit and eventual sinking of the German battleship Bismarck in May 1941, during World War II. Horton released this song in 1960, where it reached #3 on the charts...
she portrayed HMS Ark Royal
HMS Ark Royal
Five ships of the Royal Navy have borne the name HMS Ark Royal:*Ark Royal , the flagship of the English fleet during the Spanish Armada campaign of 1588., merchant ship, converted to an aircraft carrier during World War I, British aircraft carrier launched in 1937 that participated in World War II...
, though in her post refit configuration she nowhere near resembled the earlier carrier. Later in 1961 she would sail to join the Far East Fleet
British Eastern Fleet
The British Eastern Fleet was a fleet of the Royal Navy which existed from 1941 to 1971...
, where she remained until early 1966 when she returned to the UK for a refit period from mid 1966 to late 1967, though she only remained in Fleet service until 1968. Victorious took part in Operation Vantage
Operation Vantage
Operation Vantage was a British military operation in 1961 to support the newly independent state of Kuwait against territorial claims by its neighbour, Iraq. Britain reacted to a call for protection from the Amir of Kuwait and air, sea and land forces were in place within days. Iraq did not attack...
in support of Kuwait
Kuwait
The State of Kuwait is a sovereign Arab state situated in the north-east of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the south at Khafji, and Iraq to the north at Basra. It lies on the north-western shore of the Persian Gulf. The name Kuwait is derived from the...
in 1961 and provided support in 1964 for the newly independent state of Malaysia against territorial expansion by its neighbour, Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
.
General characteristics after reconstruction
General characteristics of Victorious after reconstruction.| Displacement | 30,530 tons standard, 35,500 tons full load |
| Length | 781 ft (238 m) |
| Beam | 103 ft 6 inch (31.5m) water line, 157 ft (47.8m) flight deck |
| Draught | 31 ft (9.5m) |
| Machinery | 3 shaft Parsons geared turbines, 6 Foster Wheeler Boilers |
| Armour | * Belt 4 inch
|
| Armament | 12 3 inch/50 guns (6x2)
|
| Aircraft | 36 |
| Radar | Type 984, Type 974, Type 293Q |
| Crew | 2400 |
The end
Chief Petty Officer
A chief petty officer is a senior non-commissioned officer in many navies and coast guards.-Canada:"Chief Petty Officer" refers to two ranks in the Canadian Navy...
s' mess
Mess
A mess is the place where military personnel socialise, eat, and live. In some societies this military usage has extended to other disciplined services eateries such as civilian fire fighting and police forces. The root of mess is the Old French mes, "portion of food" A mess (also called a...
(resulting in one death and two hospitalisations), which was rapidly extinguished, and the ship was operating normally the next day. This coincided, however, with a reduction of the defence budget and, with the 1966 decision to phase out British fixed-wing naval aviation, it was decided, at very short notice, not to recommission Victorious. Her captain was told of this just one day before the scheduled recommissioning ceremony; the ceremony was held by the ship's crew anyway as a "wake
Wake (ceremony)
A wake is a ceremony associated with death. Traditionally, a wake takes place in the house of the deceased, with the body present; however, modern wakes are often performed at a funeral home. In the United States and Canada it is synonymous with a viewing...
" for the ship. She was paid off in 1968 and subsequently placed on the Disposal List in 1969. She was sold later that year to British Shipbreakers and towed to Faslane Naval Base
HMNB Clyde
Her Majesty's Naval Base Clyde is one of three operating bases in the United Kingdom for the Royal Navy...
on 13 July 1969, where she was broken up
Ship breaking
Ship breaking or ship demolition is a type of ship disposal involving the breaking up of ships for scrap recycling. Most ships have a lifespan of a few decades before there is so much wear that refitting and repair becomes uneconomical. Ship breaking allows materials from the ship, especially...
.
During her service, HMS Victorious had been deployed in most parts of the world and had given outstanding service in peace and war.
Squadrons and aircraft
| Dates | Naval Air Squadron | Aircraft |
| Jan 1941-Nov 1942 | 809 809 Naval Air Squadron -WWII:Formed in January 1941 at St Merryn with 12 Fairey Fulmars, the squadron embarked in HMS Victorious in July 1941. At first involved in operations against Petsamo and Bodø, and then the convoys to North Russia, Victorious and her air group fought in the Mediterranean from July 1942, including... |
Fulmar II Fairey Fulmar The Fairey Fulmar was a British carrier-borne fighter aircraft that served with the Fleet Air Arm during the Second World War. A total of 600 were built by Fairey Aviation at its Stockport factory between January 1940 and December 1942... |
| May–June 1941 | 825 825 Naval Air Squadron 825 Naval Air Squadron was a Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm carrier-based squadron formed on 8 October 1934 from the aircraft and personnel of 824 Naval Air Squadron... |
Swordfish I 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 the Second World War... |
| May–June 1941 | 800Z | Fulmar I Fairey Fulmar The Fairey Fulmar was a British carrier-borne fighter aircraft that served with the Fleet Air Arm during the Second World War. A total of 600 were built by Fairey Aviation at its Stockport factory between January 1940 and December 1942... |
| June 1941 | 820 820 Naval Air Squadron 820 Naval Air Squadron is a Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm carrier based squadron formed in April 1933 with the transferral of the Fairey III aircraft from 405 Flight Royal Air Force to the Fleet Air Arm... |
Swordfish I 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 the Second World War... |
| July-Aug 1941 | 828 828 Naval Air Squadron 828 Naval Air Squadron was a Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm carrier based squadron formed in September 1940 as a torpedo spotter reconnaissance squadron... |
Albacore I Fairey Albacore The Fairey Albacore was a British single-engine carrier-borne biplane torpedo bomber built by Fairey Aviation between 1939 and 1943 for the Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm and used during the Second World War. It had a three-man crew and was designed for spotting and reconnaissance as well as delivering... |
| July-Aug 1941 | 827 827 Naval Air Squadron 827 Naval Air Squadron was an aircraft squadron of the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm during World War II. It operated Fairey Barracudas starting in May 1943, becoming the first squadron to receive Barracudas in any substantial number.... |
Albacore I Fairey Albacore The Fairey Albacore was a British single-engine carrier-borne biplane torpedo bomber built by Fairey Aviation between 1939 and 1943 for the Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm and used during the Second World War. It had a three-man crew and was designed for spotting and reconnaissance as well as delivering... |
| July 1941-Jan 1942 | 820 820 Naval Air Squadron 820 Naval Air Squadron is a Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm carrier based squadron formed in April 1933 with the transferral of the Fairey III aircraft from 405 Flight Royal Air Force to the Fleet Air Arm... |
Albacore I Fairey Albacore The Fairey Albacore was a British single-engine carrier-borne biplane torpedo bomber built by Fairey Aviation between 1939 and 1943 for the Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm and used during the Second World War. It had a three-man crew and was designed for spotting and reconnaissance as well as delivering... |
| Aug 1941-Nov 1942 | 817 817 Naval Air Squadron 817 Naval Air Squadron was a unit of the Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm during the Second World War.In 1941, the squadron operated Fairey Albacore aircraft in the Anti-Submarine Warfare role in Icelandic and Mediterranean waters... |
Albacore I Fairey Albacore The Fairey Albacore was a British single-engine carrier-borne biplane torpedo bomber built by Fairey Aviation between 1939 and 1943 for the Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm and used during the Second World War. It had a three-man crew and was designed for spotting and reconnaissance as well as delivering... |
| Aug 1941-Dec 1942 | 832 | Albacore I Fairey Albacore The Fairey Albacore was a British single-engine carrier-borne biplane torpedo bomber built by Fairey Aviation between 1939 and 1943 for the Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm and used during the Second World War. It had a three-man crew and was designed for spotting and reconnaissance as well as delivering... |
| Sept 1941 | 802 dt 802 Naval Air Squadron -Early history:802 Squadron was formed on 3 April 1933 aboard by the merger of two independent RAF naval units, 408 Flight and 409 Flight... |
Martlet I F4F Wildcat The Grumman F4F Wildcat was an American carrier-based fighter aircraft that began service with both the United States Navy and the British Royal Navy in 1940... |
| June-Aug 1942 | 885 | Sea Hurricane Ib |
| July-Nov 1942 | 884 | Spitfire V Supermarine Spitfire The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was used by the Royal Air Force and many other Allied countries throughout the Second World War. The Spitfire continued to be used as a front line fighter and in secondary roles into the 1950s... |
| Aug 1942 | 801 dt 801 Naval Air Squadron 801 Naval Air Squadron was a Fleet Air Arm squadron of the Royal Navy formed in 1933 which fought in World War II, the Korean War and the Falklands War.- Fleet Air Arm of the Royal Air Force:... |
Sea Hurricane Ib |
| Sept 1942-Sept 1943 | 896 | Martlet IV F4F Wildcat The Grumman F4F Wildcat was an American carrier-based fighter aircraft that began service with both the United States Navy and the British Royal Navy in 1940... |
| Oct 1942-Oct 1943 | 898 | Martlet IV F4F Wildcat The Grumman F4F Wildcat was an American carrier-based fighter aircraft that began service with both the United States Navy and the British Royal Navy in 1940... |
| Oct 1942-Sept 1943 | 882 | Martlet IV F4F Wildcat The Grumman F4F Wildcat was an American carrier-based fighter aircraft that began service with both the United States Navy and the British Royal Navy in 1940... |
| Jan-Sept 1943 | 832 | Avenger 1 TBF Avenger The Grumman TBF Avenger was a torpedo bomber developed initially for the United States Navy and Marine Corps, and eventually used by several air or naval arms around the world.... |
| Feb 1944-Oct 1945 | 1834 | Corsair II/IV 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... |
| March–April 1944 | 827 827 Naval Air Squadron 827 Naval Air Squadron was an aircraft squadron of the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm during World War II. It operated Fairey Barracudas starting in May 1943, becoming the first squadron to receive Barracudas in any substantial number.... |
Barracuda II 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... |
| March–July 1944 | 829 829 Naval Air Squadron 829 Naval Air Squadron is a squadron of the Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm. It operates the AgustaWestland EH101 Merlin HM1 helicopter.-1940–1942:829 Naval Air Squadron first formed on 15 June 1940 as a torpedo and reconnaissance squadron at Royal Naval Air Station Ford, Sussex and equipped with nine... |
Barracuda II 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... |
| March-Aug 1944 | 831 | Barracuda II 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... |
| March 1944-Oct 1945 | 1836 | Corsair II/IV 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... |
| July-Sept 1944 | 1837 | Corsair II 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... |
| July 1944 | 1838 | Corsair II 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... |
| Sept 1944 | 822 dt | Barracuda II 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... |
| Dec 1944-Oct 1945 | 849 | Avenger II TBF Avenger The Grumman TBF Avenger was a torpedo bomber developed initially for the United States Navy and Marine Corps, and eventually used by several air or naval arms around the world.... |
| Feb 1958 | 701 701 Naval Air Squadron 701 Naval Air Squadron was a Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm squadron that saw service during the Second World War.The 700 numbers were appended to training and ancillary squadrons of the Fleet Air Arm. The grouping 700 to 749 had originally included catapult flights. These later became catapult... |
Westland Whirlwind |
| Aug 1958-Jan 1959 | 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.... |
Westland Whirlwind |
| Sep 1958-Feb 1960 | 803 803 Naval Air Squadron 803 Naval Air Squadron was a Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm squadron.-Interwar:803 NAS was formed on 3 April 1933 by promoting No 409 Flight to the status of a squadron, with nine Ospreys... |
Supermarine Scimitar Supermarine Scimitar -References:NotesBibliography* Andrews, C.F. and E.B. Morgan. Supermarine Aircraft since 1914. London: Putnam, 1987. ISBN 0-85177-800-3.* Birtles, Philip. Supermarine Attacker, Swift and Scimitar . London: Ian Allan, 1992. ISBN 0-7110-2034-5.* Buttler, Tony. "Database: Supermarine Scimitar".... |
| Feb 1959 | 894 | de Havilland Sea Venom |
| Jun-Aug 1959 | 894 | de Havilland Sea Venom |
| Oct 1959 | 892 892 Naval Air Squadron 892 Naval Air Squadron was a carrier-based fighter squadron of the British Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm. It was formed in 1943, flying Grumman Martlets, and was the only operational Fleet Air Arm squadron to fly the McDonnell Phantom FG.1.-History:... |
De Havilland Sea Vixen De Havilland Sea Vixen The de Havilland DH.110 Sea Vixen was a twin boom 1950s–1960s British two-seat jet fighter of the Fleet Air Arm designed by de Havilland. Developed from an earlier first generation jet fighter, the Sea Vixen was a capable carrier-based fleet defence fighter that served into the 1970s... |
| Jan 1960 | 807 807 Naval Air Squadron 807 Naval Air Squadron was a Naval Air Squadron of the Royal Navy.-Second World War:807 Squadron was formed at Worthy Down in September 1940, equipped with Fairey Fulmar Is. Three were embarked on HMS Pegasus, where they remained until February 1941, when the entire squadron embarked on for... |
Supermarine Scimitar Supermarine Scimitar -References:NotesBibliography* Andrews, C.F. and E.B. Morgan. Supermarine Aircraft since 1914. London: Putnam, 1987. ISBN 0-85177-800-3.* Birtles, Philip. Supermarine Attacker, Swift and Scimitar . London: Ian Allan, 1992. ISBN 0-7110-2034-5.* Buttler, Tony. "Database: Supermarine Scimitar".... |
| Oct 1960-Nov 1961 | 825 825 Naval Air Squadron 825 Naval Air Squadron was a Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm carrier-based squadron formed on 8 October 1934 from the aircraft and personnel of 824 Naval Air Squadron... |
Westland Whirlwind |
| Oct 1960-Feb 1962 | 892 892 Naval Air Squadron 892 Naval Air Squadron was a carrier-based fighter squadron of the British Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm. It was formed in 1943, flying Grumman Martlets, and was the only operational Fleet Air Arm squadron to fly the McDonnell Phantom FG.1.-History:... |
De Havilland Sea Vixen De Havilland Sea Vixen The de Havilland DH.110 Sea Vixen was a twin boom 1950s–1960s British two-seat jet fighter of the Fleet Air Arm designed by de Havilland. Developed from an earlier first generation jet fighter, the Sea Vixen was a capable carrier-based fleet defence fighter that served into the 1970s... |
| Oct 1960-Feb 1962 | 849B | Fairey Gannet Fairey Gannet The Fairey Gannet was a British carrier-borne anti-submarine warfare and airborne early warning aircraft of the post-Second World War era developed for the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm by the Fairey Aviation Company... |
| Apr-May 1961 | 805 | de Havilland Sea Venom |
| Dec 1961 | 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... |
Westland Wessex Westland Wessex The Westland Wessex is a British turbine-powered version of the Sikorsky S-58 "Choctaw", developed under license by Westland Aircraft , initially for the Royal Navy, and later for the Royal Air Force... |
| Jul-Aug 1963 | 809 809 Naval Air Squadron -WWII:Formed in January 1941 at St Merryn with 12 Fairey Fulmars, the squadron embarked in HMS Victorious in July 1941. At first involved in operations against Petsamo and Bodø, and then the convoys to North Russia, Victorious and her air group fought in the Mediterranean from July 1942, including... |
Blackburn Buccaneer Blackburn Buccaneer The Blackburn Buccaneer was a British low-level subsonic strike aircraft with nuclear weapon delivery capability serving with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force between 1962 and 1994, including service in the 1991 Gulf War... |
| Aug 1963-Jun 1967 | 893 | De Havilland Sea Vixen De Havilland Sea Vixen The de Havilland DH.110 Sea Vixen was a twin boom 1950s–1960s British two-seat jet fighter of the Fleet Air Arm designed by de Havilland. Developed from an earlier first generation jet fighter, the Sea Vixen was a capable carrier-based fleet defence fighter that served into the 1970s... |
| Aug 1963-Jun 1967 | 801 801 Naval Air Squadron 801 Naval Air Squadron was a Fleet Air Arm squadron of the Royal Navy formed in 1933 which fought in World War II, the Korean War and the Falklands War.- Fleet Air Arm of the Royal Air Force:... |
Blackburn Buccaneer Blackburn Buccaneer The Blackburn Buccaneer was a British low-level subsonic strike aircraft with nuclear weapon delivery capability serving with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force between 1962 and 1994, including service in the 1991 Gulf War... |
| Aug 1963-Jun 1967 | 849A | Fairey Gannet Fairey Gannet The Fairey Gannet was a British carrier-borne anti-submarine warfare and airborne early warning aircraft of the post-Second World War era developed for the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm by the Fairey Aviation Company... |
| May-Jun 1966 | 809 809 Naval Air Squadron -WWII:Formed in January 1941 at St Merryn with 12 Fairey Fulmars, the squadron embarked in HMS Victorious in July 1941. At first involved in operations against Petsamo and Bodø, and then the convoys to North Russia, Victorious and her air group fought in the Mediterranean from July 1942, including... |
Blackburn Buccaneer Blackburn Buccaneer The Blackburn Buccaneer was a British low-level subsonic strike aircraft with nuclear weapon delivery capability serving with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force between 1962 and 1994, including service in the 1991 Gulf War... |
| Aug 1963-Jul 1965, Apr-Sep 1966, Jan-Mar 1967 | 814 814 Naval Air Squadron 814 Naval Air Squadron is a squadron of the Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm. It was formed in December 1938 and has been disbanded and reformed several times. Its nickname is "the Flying Tigers", not to be confused with the American Volunteer squadron of WWII.... |
Westland Wessex Westland Wessex The Westland Wessex is a British turbine-powered version of the Sikorsky S-58 "Choctaw", developed under license by Westland Aircraft , initially for the Royal Navy, and later for the Royal Air Force... |