HMS Formidable – First Tour of Duty (1940–1942)

​

Commissioning and Early Deployment

• HMS Formidable was commissioned in November 1940.

• She joined the Mediterranean Fleet in early 1941, based out of Alexandria under Admiral Cunningham.

• As an Illustrious-class carrier, she featured an armoured flight deck and hangar, designed to withstand bomb hits better than US or Japanese counterparts. This gave her unique survivability in Mediterranean conditions, where Axis airpower was strong.​

 

​​Key Operations

​

1. Escort of Malta Convoys (Spring 1941)

• Malta was vital to Allied operations in the Mediterranean, and convoys were under constant threat from Luftwaffe and Regia Aeronautica attacks.

• Formidable provided air cover with Fulmar fighters and Swordfish torpedo bombers, fending off enemy bombers and protecting supply lines.

​

2. Battle of Cape Matapan (March 1941)

• During this decisive fleet action, FAA Swordfish and Albacores from Formidable crippled the Italian battleship Vittorio Veneto with a torpedo hit.

• Later strikes damaged the heavy cruiser Pola, contributing directly to Cunningham’s surface forces annihilating three Italian heavy cruisers at night.

• Formidable’s aircraft thus tipped the balance at Matapan, reducing the Italian Navy’s ability to challenge British dominance.

​

3. Crete and Eastern Mediterranean (May 1941)

• Provided air support during the Battle of Crete, where Allied evacuation and supply missions were under massive air attack.

• Despite the loss of Crete to German airborne forces, Formidable’s aircraft harassed enemy shipping and attempted to shield Royal Navy units from relentless dive-bombing.

​

4. Severe Damage (May 1941)

• On 26 May 1941, Formidable was heavily attacked by Junkers Ju 87 Stuka dive-bombers.

• She was struck by two 1,000 kg bombs:

  • One penetrated her armoured flight deck, causing extensive hangar damage.

  • The other disabled machinery spaces, reducing her speed.

• Despite this, Formidable survived thanks to her armoured deck and effective damage control and engineering response.

She withdrew to the US for major repairs, demonstrating both the resilience of her design and the importance of her engineering crew.

​

Special Effects of HMS Formidable in the War

​

1. Armoured Flight Deck Concept Proved

   • Formidable’s ability to take heavy bomb hits and remain afloat validated the British decision to build carriers with armoured decks.

   • This was a crucial lesson later applied in both British and American carrier designs.

2. Air Power at Matapan

   • Her aircraft delivered the crippling blow to Vittorio Veneto and Pola, demonstrating the strategic value of naval air strikes in deciding fleet battles.

3. Survivability and Morale

   • Surviving heavy damage from Axis dive-bombers underlined to both sides that Royal Navy carriers were very hard to sink. This was vital for sustaining operations in the contested Mediterranean.

​

Importance of Marine Engineers and Stokers

​

The engine room crews (engineers, stokers, artificers) were critical to Formidable’s effectiveness:

• Power and Endurance

  • Her steam turbines and boilers required constant management by stokers and engineers, often under tropical heat and battle conditions.

  • Without reliable propulsion, she could not launch or recover aircraft effectively.

• Damage Control

  • After the May 1941 bomb hits, engineering crews fought fires, shored up ruptured bulkheads, and kept turbines running at reduced power.

  • Their work prevented flooding and enabled her to limp away from danger.

• Morale and Efficiency

  • The stokers’ “invisible” contribution ensured the ship had the speed to manoeuvre during battle and the steam to power catapults, lifts, and other critical systems.

  • In effect, they were the “heartbeat” of the carrier — without them, flight operations would have collapsed.

  • ​

Summary

HMS Formidable’s first wartime tour showcased the Fleet Air Arm’s striking power and the value of armoured carriers. At Cape Matapan, her Swordfish helped secure a decisive naval victory. Her endurance under air attack highlighted both her innovative design and the crucial role of engineers and stokers, whose unseen labour in the engine rooms kept her alive and fighting.

⚓ In short: her first tour proved that aircraft carriers were now the decisive weapon at sea, and that British naval engineering — above and below decks — could withstand the fiercest blows the Axis could deliver​

​

HMS Formidable’s second major wartime service (1942–45) took her from the Mediterranean landings all the way to the Pacific theatre as part of the British Pacific Fleet. This phase cemented her reputation as one of the hardest-fighting British carriers of WW2.

​

HMS Formidable – Second Tour (1942–1945)

​

1. Repairs and Return to Service (1941–42)

• After her heavy damage in May 1941 (Crete campaign), Formidable sailed to Norfolk, Virginia for major repairs.

• She rejoined the Royal Navy in late 1942, just in time to support operations in North Africa.

2. Operation Torch (November 1942) – North Africa

• Participated in the Allied landings in North Africa.

• Provided fighter cover and strike support against Vichy French forces.

• Her FAA squadrons (Martlets/Wildcats, Albacores, and later Barracudas) flew from her deck to protect invasion convoys and support troops ashore.

3. Salerno Landings (September 1943) – Italy

• Took part in Operation Avalanche (Salerno landings).

• Provided air cover for invasion convoys against the Luftwaffe.

• On 9 September 1943, she survived multiple heavy German air attacks.

• A near-miss bomb caused shock damage and casualties but did not put her out of action — again demonstrating the resilience of her armoured flight deck and the importance of rapid engineering response.

4. Eastern Fleet Service (1944) – Indian Ocean

• After Mediterranean operations, Formidable was assigned to the Eastern Fleet in the Indian Ocean.

• Supported operations against Japanese positions in Sumatra.

• Began transition into the global war against Japan as Britain concentrated more resources eastwards.

5. British Pacific Fleet (1944–45)

By 1944, Formidable joined the newly created British Pacific Fleet (BPF), which operated alongside the US Navy against Japan.

Strikes on Japanese Positions

• Took part in air raids on oil refineries in Sumatra (Operation Meridian, early 1945) to cripple Japan’s fuel supplies.

• Her Corsair and Barracuda squadrons carried out attacks on Japanese shipping and airfields.

Okinawa Campaign (April–May 1945)

• Supported the US Navy during the massive Okinawa invasion.

• Kamikaze Attacks:

  • On 4 May 1945, Formidable was hit by a kamikaze.

  • The bomb blast buckled 50 feet of her flight deck and started intense fires.

  • Despite this, her armoured deck absorbed the impact, damage was quickly contained, and she resumed flight operations within hours.

  • This resilience astonished US observers, as US Essex-class carriers with wooden decks usually required weeks of repair after similar hits.

• Hit again on 9 May 1945, but once more survived with limited loss of efficiency.

Operations Against Japan (Summer 1945)

• Continued strikes on Japanese home islands in July–August 1945.

• Her aircraft conducted bombing and strafing missions against airfields, shipping, and industrial targets.

Special Contributions in Later Service

1. Proved the Value of Armoured Carriers

   • In the Pacific, kamikaze strikes highlighted the advantage of British armoured decks — Formidable could take hits, repair, and keep flying.

2. Global Reach of the Royal Navy

   • Her service demonstrated Britain’s ability to project carrier air power alongside the USN across multiple theatres.

3. Air Power Evolution

   • By this stage, she operated modern aircraft like Corsairs, Hellcats, and Avengers, making her air groups comparable to USN carrier strength.

4. Engineering Triumphs

   • Damage control and rapid repairs by engineers and stokers were decisive in keeping her operational after kamikaze hits.

   • Her engineering crew’s ability to maintain propulsion and deck operations under fire made her one of the most durable carriers of the war.

Summary

HMS Formidable’s second wartime tour saw her:

• Supporting the North African and Italian landings,

• Striking in the Indian Ocean,

• And finally serving as a front-line carrier in the Pacific.

She distinguished herself by absorbing kamikaze hits yet continuing operations, proving the resilience of British carrier design and the skill of her engineering crews.

​

⚓ By 1945, HMS Formidable stood as a symbol of the Royal Navy’s adaptation: from the Mediterranean to the Pacific, she showed that British carriers could stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the USN in the largest naval air campaign of the war.

 

From "Entering various harbours" to sailing all the seven seas, HMS Formidable cut a beautiful silhouette in various landscapes worldwide. The WW2 Aircraft Carrier carried Britain's flag to many a far flubg shore and to this day, stories are told of when HMS Formidable sailed into harbour.