A third Swordfish had been lost the previous day, further reducing the aircraft available for the planned waves. Investigation traced the failure to sand and mould in fuel taken aboard from a poorly maintained tanker. Illustrious could isolate the contaminated storage tank, but doing so did not restore the missing aircraft to an already limited air group. Fuel contamination had reduced combat power before the launch.
Notable Point · 13:07-14:16
Contaminated aviation fuel costs another Swordfish
Sand and mould in aviation fuel supplied to Illustrious caused another aircraft loss and reduced a strike already short of its intended strength.