Ark Royal entered service with Blackburn Skuas in 800 Squadron and Fairey Swordfish in 810 and 820 Squadrons, with a third Swordfish squadron also aboard, and later added more Skuas and Blackburn Rocs. This air group made her an offensively oriented carrier and continued work begun with Courageous and Glorious. The aim was to concentrate aircraft for a heavy fleet or harbour strike rather than use the carrier only for routine patrols. North Atlantic conditions made the Royal Navy wary of deck-edge lifts and routine deck parking because waves could wash aircraft overboard. That institutional memory survived in the many tie-down points fitted to modern British carriers.
Notable Point · 23:05-26:33
A strike air group shaped by rough-water experience
Ark Royal's early Skua and Swordfish squadrons show her offensive purpose, while Royal Navy experience made deck parking and aircraft security a serious concern.