HMS Formidable (67)

HMS Formidable (67) was a Royal Navy aircraft carrier of the , commissioned during the Second World War. Known as "The Ship That Launched Herself" due to her accidental early launching at Harland and Wolff, she played a crucial role in major naval theatres including the Mediterranean and the Pacific. Her service included significant actions at the Battle of Cape Matapan, the Battle of Crete, and operations supporting the Allied invasion of Sicily before her loss in 1944.

Design and description

HMS Formidable was the second of the four *Illustrious*-class armoured fleet carriers, designed under the restrictions of the 1930s Second London Naval Treaty. Her most defining feature was an armoured flight deck, a 3-inch thick steel box designed to withstand bomb hits from contemporary aircraft like the Junkers Ju 87. This protection came at the cost of a smaller air group, housed in a single, integral hangar, compared to foreign contemporaries like the United States Navy's . Her main armament consisted of sixteen 4.5-inch dual-purpose guns in twin turrets and a powerful battery of quadruple "pom-pom" anti-aircraft mounts. Propulsion was provided by three Parsons turbines, giving her a top speed of over 30 knots.

Construction and career

The ship's keel was laid down at the Harland and Wolff shipyard in Belfast on 17 June 1937. In a notable incident on 17 August 1939, she slid prematurely into the water during launching preparations, earning her nickname. She was formally commissioned into the Royal Navy on 24 November 1940, under the command of Captain Arthur Boyd. After initial working-up exercises with the Home Fleet at Scapa Flow, she was swiftly deployed to reinforce the beleaguered Mediterranean Fleet in early 1941, joining forces under Admiral Andrew Cunningham.

Operational history

Formidable’s operational debut was decisive at the Battle of Cape Matapan in March 1941, where her Fairey Albacore torpedo bombers helped cripple the Italian heavy cruiser and were instrumental in the subsequent destruction of the and . During the Battle of Crete and the subsequent Malta Convoys, she provided vital air cover and strike capability, sustaining significant damage from Luftwaffe bombs in May 1941 which required lengthy repairs in the United States. Upon returning to service, she supported Operation Pedestal in 1942 and provided cover for the Allied invasion of Sicily in 1943. In 1944, she was transferred to the British Eastern Fleet, operating against Japanese targets in the Dutch East Indies.

Loss

On 26 August 1944, while operating with the Eastern Fleet off Ramree Island, Formidable was struck by two Kamikaze aircraft from the Imperial Japanese Army Air Service during a series of air strikes on Sabang. Although the armoured flight deck contained the explosions, severe fires erupted in the hangar from fueled and armed aircraft. Despite heroic damage control efforts, the fires led to catastrophic internal explosions. The ship was abandoned and later sank with the loss of 33 officers and men. Her sinking was part of the intense aerial battles surrounding Operation Crimson.

Legacy

HMS Formidable exemplified the durability of the British armoured carrier design, surviving severe damage on multiple occasions. Her service bridged critical naval campaigns from the Mediterranean to the Pacific, influencing subsequent carrier designs like the . She is remembered alongside her sisters, HMS *Illustrious* and HMS *Victorious*, for their pivotal role in maintaining Allied naval aviation supremacy. A bell from Formidable is preserved at the Fleet Air Arm Museum in Yeovilton.

Category:Illustrious-class aircraft carriers Category:Ships sunk by kamikaze attack Category:World War II aircraft carriers of the United Kingdom Category:Maritime incidents in August 1944