Illustrious follows a staged route from bomb damage to recovery

Six Italian bombs badly damaged Illustrious, including her aft lift and anti-aircraft defenses. Alexandria performed only temporary repairs because the crowded base lay within range of enemy bombers and could not safely hold a crippled carrier for prolonged work. Durban made her fit for the Atlantic crossing before Norfolk undertook the major repair. Norfolk replaced the lift and modified the catapults for American-built aircraft, combining major repair with adaptation for a different aircraft supply.