Illustrious joined Operation Outflank with 36 Corsairs and 21 Avengers, then carried 32 Corsairs and 21 Avengers during the Operation Meridian raids on Sumatran oil installations. Her aircraft helped destroy storage tanks and reduce refinery output while the British Pacific Fleet moved toward Sydney. Across the two Meridian attacks, she lost five Corsairs to enemy fighters or flak, another to a mechanical problem on take-off, and three Avengers to enemy action. The raids also exposed weaknesses in fleet air defence when friendly shells struck Illustrious, killing twelve and wounding twenty-one. She subsequently needed repairs in Sydney.
Chapter · 1:32:48-1:37:20
Striking Sumatran oil infrastructure
Corsairs and Avengers struck Sumatran oil installations, with nine aircraft lost across the two Meridian attacks.