HMS Illustrious was the lead ship of her class of aircraft carrier constructed for the British Royal Navy just before the outbreak of World War II. It was ordered on April 13, 1937, constructed by Vickers-Armstrong, laid down on April 27, 1937, launched on April 5, 1939, and commissioned on May 25, 1940, just before the outbreak of the war.

The US Office of Naval Intelligence Recognition of the Illustrious-class aircraft-carrier. Photo: Wikipedia.com

HMS Illustrious at sea. Photo: Wikipedia.com

HMS Illustrious was 225.5 metres in length overall and 216.4 metres at the waterline. Her beam was 29.2 metres at the waterline, a draught of 8.8 metres at deep load, displaced 23,000 long tons, could carry a maximum of 36 aircraft and had a maximum speed of 30 knots (equivalent to 56kph or 35mph). In 1940, she carried a complement of approximately 1,300 officers and men. Before becoming a legend in Malta’s history in 1941, her most notable achievement had been inflicting extensive damage on and disabling three Italian capital ships – the Littorio, Conte di Cavour and Duilio – at the Battle of Taranto during the night attack of November 11-12, 1940.

Admiral Andrew Browne Cunningham (known as ABC) photographed in 1947. Photo: Wikipedia.com

In spite of some dissenting views, the Commander-in-Chief Mediterranean Admiral Andrew B Cunningham (known as ABC) included HMS Illustrious within what was known as ‘Operation Excess’, which consisted of convoys MC4, MW5 and ME6. MC4 comprising of four freighters carrying material directed to Piraeus in Greece. However, the Essex, a freighter of 13,500 gross tons, was Malta-bound and carried 3,000 long tons of seed potatoes, 4,000 long tons of ammunition and 12 crated Hawker Hurricane fighters.

Its escort, known as Force A, comprised the battleships HMS Warspite and Valiant, the frigate HMS Nubian, the destroyers HMS Mohawk, Dainty, Gallant, Greyhound, Griffin and Jervis, together with the aircraft carrier HMS Illustrious from Alexandria to cover the convoy east of the Skerski Banks. Predictably, the Axis discovered the convoy and launched their attacks.

A Hawker Hurricane fighter.

On January 10, HMS Gallant struck a naval mine and was towed to Malta by HMS Mohawk. Fulmar and Swordfish aircraft from HMS Illustrious were launched as the attack developed and centred mainly upon the aircraft carrier, which was hit by five bombs and a near miss that disabled her rudder mechanism.

There was extensive hangar damage, 14 aircraft were destroyed and there were many casualties. At 3.30pm, the ‘wounded’ aircraft carrier departed for Malta with 126 dead and 91 wounded on board. Meanwhile, HMS Gallant was beached at Malta’s Grand Harbour and never repaired. HMS Illustrious limped into Malta and berthed at Parlatorio Wharf where emergency repair work started immediately.

HMS Gallant with her bows blown off. Photo: Wikipedia.com

Providentially, for some reason or other, the Axis did not press on with their attacks, the lull lasting till January 16. After that, all hell broke loose, but the respite had allowed the dockyard workers and the ship’s crew to press on with repairs. It has been suggested that weather conditions contributed to the welcome lull in the attacks.

Junkers JU 87Bs in flight, photographed in 1941. Photo: Wikipedia.com

Intense aerial attacks were to be expected, and so the local authorities prepared their defence plan which, put very simply, was what was known as a ‘box barrage’ above the damaged aircraft carrier. This was worked out by experienced artillery officers basing their knowledge on experience gained from previous attacks by Italian-manned dive-bombing Stukas.

In spite of the incessant dive-bombing, HMS Illustrious only sustained superficial damage from the single hit sustained

The first attack was carried out in the afternoon of January 16 by 17 Ju 88s escorted by 20 Me 110s, 44 Ju 87s escorted by 20 Mc 200s, and 10 CR 42s. HMS Illustrious was the target in this first blitz carried out over Malta.

The defence plan for the aircraft carrier worked and, in spite of the incessant dive-bombing, HMS Illustrious only sustained superficial damage from the single hit sustained. But the same cannot be said for the cities around Grand Harbour: Senglea, Vittoriosa, Cospicua and, to a lesser extent, Valletta.

When the war hit Malta in June 1940, many people from the Cottonera area were evacuated to inland towns and villages but, after the initial shock and the decrease in air raids after July 1940, an appreciable number of evacuees returned to their homes. The result of the January attacks was that a great number of people not only lost their homes and belongings but hundreds were killed or trapped under the rubble of their houses.

In Vittoriosa, the parish church of St Lawrence received a direct hit, resulting in the death of no less than 35 people who were killed when sheltering in the church crypt. This raid heralded the beginning of a long, harrowing experience that was to envelop the Maltese islands for the next two years.

Senglea’s main street devastated after the Illustrious blitz. Photo: Timesofmalta.com

A view of part of Senglea after the attacks on HMS Illustrious. Photo: Malta War Diary – Wordpress.com

Meanwhile, the merchantman Essex had entered Grand Harbour on January 11 and its unloading proceeded in a satisfactory manner until the Illustrious blitz started. The Essex was also bombed and it was hit with a heavy-calibre device, causing extensive damage, although, luckily, the fire it started did not reach the hold where 4,000 tons of ammunition was stored. However, it took a heavy toll in human lives – 15 members of the crew and seven Maltese stevedores, apart from a great number of wounded personnel.

On January 18, the German Luftwaffe reappeared: 51 Ju 87s escorted by 17 Me 110s and nine Mc 200s attacked Luqa and Ħal Far airfields, which were defended by barrage fire and locally-based aircraft. The next day saw the arrival of 48 JU 87s escorted by five Me 110s, 10 CR 42s and eight Mc 200s. The target was the Illustrious, but no direct hits were recorded, though some damage below the waterline delayed her eventual departure.

But the localities bordering the dockyard received a real hammer blow. The basilica parish church of Our Lady of Victories at Senglea was first hit on January 16 but was completely destroyed on January 19. At Vittoriosa, the church of The Annunciation was severely damaged. The pattern of attacks and destruction went on unabated, though repair work on the aircraft carrier was carried on throughout the raids and the ensuing inclement weather.

Senglea’s parish church of Our Lady of the Victories destroyed. Photo: Malta War Diary –Wordpress.com

However, it was clear that HMS Illustrious’s departure at the first opportunity was imperative. At dusk on January 23, the aircraft carrier exited Grand Harbour bound for Alexandria, thence for major repairs to be carried out in the US. HMS Illustrious continued in service throughout the war and was eventually decommissioned 10 years after the cessation of hostilities, in February 1955.

The damaged bell of HMS Illustrious. Photo: Wikipedia.com

The ‘Illustrious Blitz’ has been described as an exercise in courage by all the personnel involved, irrespective of their nationality: Axis and British airmen; the Maltese, British and naval gunners; the dockyard workers; and last but not least, the civilians.

One last point to be made regarding the bombs that literally rained down: together with the conventional bombs, the Germans possibly also released some radio-controlled armour-piercing bombs. One was recovered: it had stub wings with a tail permitting it to glide to some degree and could be guided by remote control by the aircraft dropping it. It was meant for use against capital ships.

Joseph F. Grima is a retired casual history lecturer and assistant director of Education