Formidable tried to suppress Axis airfields while covering the fleet near Crete. The bombing of Coventry had disrupted the spare parts needed to keep her Fulmars flying, while the Albacore attacks inflicted little damage on the airfields. The carrier then took two 1,000-kilogram bomb hits. Jamie reports that she resumed combat air patrols within about fifteen minutes as she returned home. With only one usable deck and no reserve carrier, surviving the hits could not replace depleted aircraft or missing spares.
Notable Point · 1:19:19-1:20:54
Formidable at Crete: resilient ship, exhausted air group
Formidable's Crete operation pairs a depleted air group and unsuccessful strike with rapid recovery after two heavy bomb hits.