Illustrious class aircraft carrier
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The Illustrious-class aircraft carriers were some of the most important ships to the United Kingdom in World War II. They were laid down in the late 1930s as part of the rearmament of the Royal Navy in response to the threats of Hitler, Mussolini and militarist Japan. Each played a prominent part in the battles of WWII, with Victorious taking part in the chase of the Bismarck, Illustrious and Formidable playing prominent parts in the battles in the Mediterranean during 1940 and 1941 and all three taking part in the large actions of the British Pacific Fleet in 1945.
HMS_Illustrious_(Illustrious_class_carrier).jpg
They were fundamentally different in conception to what perhaps may be described as their nearest American contemporaries, the Essex-class aircraft carrier. Where the Essex-class ships emphasised large airgroups as their primary means of the defence, the Illustrious-class ships carried smaller numbers of aircraft and relied much more on their anti-aircraft armaments and deck armour for survival.
Some people now believe this conception to be less than optimal, since US Essex-class ships survived horrendous damage in the Pacific war, especially USS Franklin and USS Bunker Hill. Their larger airgroups proved to be better at defending the ships because they were able to intercept threats further out, before the carrier itself could be in range of the enemy. However, it should not be forgotten that British carriers were designed primarily for the European theatre, where they often would operate within reach of land-based aircraft, and even local air superiority could not always be assumed. Furthermore, it should be noted that even though no US full sized aircraft carriers were sunk by kamikaze attacks, many had their flight decks damaged beyond immediate repair, necessitating that the ships be pulled out of action. On that note, some believe that the British idea may have had its defensive characteristics justified.
Features of the conception of the Illustrious-class were incorporated into postwar American aircraft carrier designs. The Forrestals did have an armoured deck, but they retained the large airwing size of the Essexes. This was achieved by increasing the size of the American ships to dimensions simply undreamt of during WWII.
Illustrious and Formidable did not long survive WWII. They were broken up for scrap in the 1950s. However, Victorious had a long postwar career, undergoing a very expensive reconstruction to enable it to operate jet aircraft properly. Victorious, the last of the class, was finally retired in 1968 after a fire.
| Illustrious-class aircraft carrier |
| Illustrious | Formidable | Victorious |
| List of aircraft carriers of the Royal Navy |