Illustrious is the carrier most worth saving for Britain because no British carrier survives as a museum ship. Her operations connect the Fleet Air Arm's attack at Taranto with the struggle to sustain Malta and service in the Indian Ocean and British Pacific Fleet. Taranto also gave British naval aviation a highly visible success after the politically fraught action at Mers-el-Kebir had failed to win the service comparable public credit. The ship offers more than one battle narrative: she provides a route into the Royal Navy's changing use and reputation of carrier air power across several theatres.
Notable Point · 59:00-1:01:22
HMS Illustrious from Taranto to the British Pacific Fleet
HMS Illustrious would represent the Royal Navy's armoured carriers and a Second World War career spanning Taranto, Malta, the Indian Ocean, and the Pacific.