Illustrious operated off Okinawa despite machinery damage that dated back to the fighting around Malta. Her centerline engine never fully recovered, yet two remaining engines could still drive the ship at roughly 25 knots. That speed was enough to launch aircraft under most conditions and let her intercept kamikaze attacks near the fleet. Her performance shifts attention from flight-deck armour alone to the resilience of the whole ship. British carrier design sought enough redundancy and structural endurance to keep a damaged vessel useful in later operations.
Notable Point · 1:19:05-1:20:20
Operational resilience from Malta to Okinawa
Illustrious could still launch aircraft off Okinawa on two engines because British carrier resilience extended beyond the flight-deck armour.