In 1941, HMS Victorious, an imposing, Illustrious-class aircraft carrier, joined the
hunt for the notorious German battleship Bismarck. Stretching 766 feet and displacing 23,000 tons,
Victorious was a powerhouse of the British fleet, armed with an air wing of Fairey Swordfish and F4F
Wildcats. Her mission was critical: to track and engage one of Germany's greatest naval threats
and its escort, the cruiser Prinz Eugen. Upon encountering the Bismarck, Victorious
swiftly launched an offensive. Her Swordfish bombers, braving a storm of anti-aircraft
fire from the Bismarck, managed a daring strike. Against all odds, they scored a hit.
However, the confrontation was fleeting, and while her prey escaped, Victorious's
role in this battle brought Bismarck one step closer to her eventual downfall.
As the tide of war shifted, so did her destiny, steering her towards an unexpected future under
a new ensign and hosting a different breed of aircraft to face an entirely new enemy…
With political tensions rising in Europe during the mid-1930s, following the rearmament
of Germany and the increased aggression of Benito Mussolini’s Italy, the British Royal
Navy sought to modernize its naval assets to preserve its dominion over the seven seas.
In 1936, as the Spanish Civil War broke out, the Royal Navy enacted a new Naval
Program to develop a new breed of aircraft carriers for a new decade of maritime combat.
These were the Illustrious-class aircraft carriers, which emerged as a response to
lessons learned from earlier conflicts and faced new threats from the German, Japanese,
and Italian navies. This class, comprising the ships HMS Illustrious, Formidable, Victorious,
and Indomitable, epitomized Britain's commitment to protect its colonial territories worldwide.
With their robust and efficient design, the Illustrious-class carriers embodied the best
of British naval engineering. Sporting a displacement of around 23,000 tons under
the Second London Naval Treaty of the postwar, these carriers were fearsome
platforms, emphasizing passive defense over aggressive stances with increased armor.
The concept behind the Illustrious-class carriers was versatility. These floating
fortresses were designed to launch aerial offensives and withstand the relentless
counterattacks that characterized naval warfare. As such, they were armed with eight twin QF
4.5-inch dual-purpose guns and six octuple QF 2-pdr anti-aircraft guns. British prewar
doctrine stated the vessel’s firepower was to be the main asset for protection instead of
its aircraft complement. The carriers featured a blend of armor, armament,
and aircraft-handling capability, making them a linchpin in projecting power across the seas.
The flight deck accommodated a diverse array of warplanes, from nimble fighters to the mighty
bombers of the British Air Service. While the enhanced armor of the armored flight
deck resulted in a reduction in aircraft capacity, the Illustrious carriers could still accommodate
between 35 to 55 warplanes of different sizes. The ship’s armor scheme was designed to withstand
the direct impact of 500-pound bombs or heavier ordnance dropped from an angle.
The flight deck had an armored three-inch thick deck covered by 4.5-inch bulkheads and sides.
The waterline belt, hangar, and magazines were also protected by over 4.5 inches of thick armor.
HMS Victorious was the third of the Illustrious-class aircraft carriers. She
was ordered in 1937 and launched in September 1939, mere weeks after Germany invaded Poland.
Still, she was not commissioned until May 1941 due to Britain’s more urgent need for
escort vessels instead of carriers to protect convoys during the Battle of the Atlantic.
Victorious cut through the ocean waves with a formidable presence,
displacing 28,000 tons when fully loaded. Stretching an imposing 743 feet long,
with a beam of 95 feet and a draught of 28 feet, she was a floating fortress.
Her heart was fueled by six Admiralty 3-drum turbines, a powerhouse generating over 111,000
horsepower. This colossal energy propelled the carrier to speeds surpassing 30.5 knots,
granting her the agility to patrol and strike over an operational range of 11,000 miles.
Aboard, 817 sailors and 394 air group personnel formed her vigilant crew. The ship's firepower
came from 16 QF 4.5-inch guns, 21 Bofors L60 autocannons, 45 Oerlikon 20-millimeter cannons,
and 48 pom-poms or 2-pounders. When the carrier was commissioned,
she was dispatched to Malta to ferry Hawker Hurricane fighters in May 1941. Soon after,
the vessel was ordered to join the hunt for Europe’s largest battleship, the pride of
the Kriegsmarine: the imposing Bismarck. Despite lacking the necessary aircraft
for maritime operations, the carrier joined the hunting task force to pursue the German commerce
raider and her escort, cruiser Prinz Eugen. After making contact with Bismarck on May 24,
1941, Victorious launched nine Fairey Swordfish torpedo bombers and two Fulmar fighters to sink
the German battleship, who, in turn, roared with all her anti-aircraft arsenal to neutralize the
numerous British aircraft launched to destroy her. Despite Bismarck’s aggressive firepower,
none of Victorious’s aircraft were damaged, and one of the Swordfish bombers managed to score a
hit on the battleship’s armored belt. Upon their return to Victorious,
two Fulmars ditched after they failed to find the carrier in the middle of a rain storm.
Following the successful attack, Victorius left the hunt, bound for another mission.
Three days later, the legendary Bismarck was sunk by aircraft from HMS Ark Royal.
The greatest threat to British naval superiority had been destroyed with Victorious's support.
In June 1941, during an escort mission, a Swordfish from Victorious spotted the
German supply ship Gonzenheim north of the Azores archipelago. They later returned to
Scapa Flow with over 60 German prisoners after a swift interception of the enemy supply vessel.
One month later, Victorious took aboard a squadron of Fairey Albacore torpedo bombers to attack the
German-occupied ports of Kirkenes and Petsamo, north of Norway and Finland, to support the Soviet
Union after being invaded by the Third Reich. Victorious departed from Seyðisfjörður, Iceland,
with the company of HMS Furious and minelayer Adventure, bound for the objective zone. On
July 31, the task force launched the attack with more than 20 Albacores and 12 Fulmars.
The British aviators did not fare well during the operation despite their tenacity. The ports
were heavily defended by German anti-aircraft batteries and support aircraft, inflicting
severe losses on the Britons. Over 16 aircraft were lost as a result of the ill-fated raid.
Throughout the following months, Victorious aircraft conducted more bombing missions
against merchant ships near the waters of Norway and Sweden. In October 1941, Victorious was
dispatched to the Atlantic alongside other ships to strike down German Admiral Scheer and Tirpitz.
With support from the US Navy, the enemy ships were located using the description of the Enigma
Code, and the British prepared the operation. Ultimately, the German vessels canceled the
foray, but US-British cooperation increased from this point forward.
The British aircraft carrier continued operations with the Home Fleet. It even
went to the Arctic as a convoy escort to protect merchant ships delivering Allied supplies to the
Soviet Union during the early months of 1942. Victorious’ seasoned crew then took to the
Mediterranean to assist in Operation Torch, the Allied North African landings of November
1942. A month later, Victorious and her crew were loaned to the US Navy to help American
operations in the Pacific. It was the beginning of the aircraft carrier that did not exist.
The year 1942 was the beginning of American retaliation against the Imperial Japanese
forces. Although triumphant after the encounters at Midway, Coral, and Santa Cruz, the US Navy was
stretched too thin in the Pacific Theater against a seasoned foe who had conquered most of Asia.
By September 1942, the Navy had lost four aircraft carriers and required help while the Essex class
carriers were under development at American shipyards. As a result, the US asked Britain for
help to continue the attack against the Japanese. After long conversations between President
Roosevelt and Churchill, the Admiralty finally agreed to lease HMS Victorious to America while
the US Navy received its new aircraft carriers. Victorious and her entire crew then journeyed
across the Atlantic for an extensive modification program at the Norfolk
Naval Shipyard in January 1943. From there on, she was given the codename USS Robin,
but the crew was allowed to fly the British Jack. Resting in a dry dock, this metamorphosis saw the
installation of cutting-edge communications systems, air radars, and an aircraft homing
system, amplifying her interoperability with the American fleet. An extension of
her stern by 10 feet introduced a gallery sporting twenty 20-millimeter anti-aircraft
guns to neutralize Japanese aerial threats. The Fleet Air Arm's Albacore Torpedo-Bombers were
replaced with more powerful American TBM Avengers. Although these aircraft bore US Navy markings,
their crews were British. Training became a cross-Atlantic affair as American aviators
imparted their expertise in procedures and tactics. Uniforms shifted to American attire,
yet the iconic Royal Navy tropical shorts persisted in crew ensembles.
USS Robin then transitioned to the Panama Canal on February 14 and anchored at Pearl Harbor in March
1943. Shakedown trials uncovered limitations in her arrestor wires, which were swiftly rectified
with upgrades to accommodate the weighty Avengers. As the ship set sail for the South Pacific on May
8, a cloak of US Navy blue-grey paint concealed her British lineage, unveiling a new chapter in
her saga of transatlantic collaboration with USS Saratoga in Carrier Division 1.
While organizing air operations over the Coral Sea to support the New Georgia campaign, USS
Robin showcased skilled handling of her fighter wings but grappled with the weightier Avengers.
At the helm of the carrier division, Rear Admiral DeWitt Ramsey orchestrated a strategic swap:
transferring the Avengers of 832 Squadron to the Saratoga and leaving Robin with
the F4F Wildcats of US Carrier Air Group 3. This realignment unfolded against the backdrop
of the Japanese threat, yet neither carrier found itself entangled in direct engagements.
As the division retraced its course to Nouméa on July 25, the maritime arena echoed with
the arrival of the newest Essex-class carriers, USS Essex and USS Lexington,
in Pearl Harbor. The calculated Japanese carrier reticence led to Robin reverting
to British control and an eventual recall home. Leaving her Avengers behind as replacements for
the Saratoga, Robin set sail for Pearl Harbor on July 31,
accompanied by the battleship USS Indiana. Arriving at Norfolk on September 1,
Robin underwent a meticulous process of stripping away her specialized US
equipment. The carrier then transitioned to Greenock, Scotland, where, on September 26,
she began a comprehensive refit in preparation for her triumphant return to Royal Navy service.
In April 1944, Victorious eager crew joined the hunt for the formidable German battleship Tirpitz,
the sibling of the long-gone Bismarck. The combined British effort launched Operation
Tungsten, leading to extensive hull damage that left Tirpitz out
of service after more than fourteen direct hits. In June 1944, Victorious joined the Eastern Fleet,
unleashing devastating airstrikes upon Japanese installations in the strategic region of Sumatra.
Victorious sustained air operations until February 1945, before the impending invasion of Okinawa.
The carrier then joined forces with the US 5th Fleet at Ulithi in the Caroline
Islands on March 25, spearheading airstrikes against Japanese airfields in the Sakishima
Islands and Formosa, providing crucial air support for the imminent invasion.
During operations, Victorious faced the dire impact of two kamikaze planes. Yet,
thanks to her robust design, the armored flight deck stood firm against the onslaught,
differing from the vulnerability of her wooden-decked American counterparts.
Unyielding, Victorious persevered to assail Japanese shipping and inflict substantial
damage upon the Japanese escort carrier Kaiyo, leaving the ship out of commission.
As the war in the Pacific ended, Victorious prepared for the Pacific’s most violent
campaign yet: Operation Olympic, the invasion of mainland Japan. August drew
close as every day passed, and the Allied forces, in cooperation with the Soviets,
prepared for the war’s last confrontation. Fortunately for the crew, the invasion never came
to be as President Truman gave the green light to launch the two atomic bombs that led to the
surrender of Japan, putting an end to World War 2. Once the global conflict ended, Victorious
continued serving with the Royal Navy as the Cold War arose between the West and
the East. The legendary aircraft carrier was modernized with an angled deck and
operated until she suffered a fire in 1967. Despite the carrier's minimal damage, the Defense
Ministry decided not to recommission the ship due to budget constraints. As a result, the unique,
illustrious carrier was scrapped in 1969. Although the ship did not see any worthy action
during her service under the US Navy, Victorious became crucial to bolster American naval firepower
in the Pacific during the critical years of the conflict against the Japanese. As such,
USS Robin has been an integral part of American military history during World War 2.