Chapter 2 - The Great Carrier War

(Part 2)

The Early Mediterranean Campaigns

Italy joined the War on the side of Germany in June 1940, thus threatening British interests in the Mediterranean, especially the important sources of Arabian oil. The island of Malta, strategically located near the middle of the Mediterranean, was a key factor in British control of the area. Therefore, carriers saw heavy action throughout the War defending Malta, ferrying aircraft to the British forces stationed there, and escorting supply convoys to the island.

On July 9, 1940, the HMS Eagle launched Swordfish bombers against an Italian force in mid-Mediterranean. Although an Italian destroyer and a tanker were sunk, the strikes were relatively ineffective. Italian high-level bombers harassed the HMS Eagle by scoring numerous near misses. Over the next few months, the carriers HMS Eagle, HMS Ark Royal, and HMS Illustrious continued to defend convoys headed to Malta from the Italian fleet. These defensive actions turned offensive in November 1940.

The HMS Eagle

On November 11, 1940, more than a year before the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, the HMS Illustrious achieve a spectacularly successful air attack against a naval fleet comprising battleships, the traditional symbol of sea power. At 9:00 p.m., the HMS Illustrious launched 12 Swordfish torpedo bombers on a surprise attack on Italian ships at anchor in the harbor of Taranto. Although the planes met heavy flak, they sank the battleship Conte di Cavour and damaged the Littorio and the Andrea Doria. A second wave of eight Swordfish again hit the Littorio and also the Caio Durilio. Only two British aircraft were lost in the attack. The success of airpower over a major fleet at anchor was a lesson well-learned by an interested party on the other side of the world, Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto of the Imperial Japanese Navy.

The Formidable-class carrier HMS Illustrious scored a major blow against the Italian Navy at Taranto

After this major setback for the Italians, Germany sent 300 planes to land bases near the central Mediterranean. This unit, called Fliegerkorps X, had been especially trained to attack shipping with its Junkers Ju-87 and Ju-88 bombers. They attacked the HMS Illustrious on January 10, 1941, causing such extensive damage to the carrier, that she had to be withdrawn to the United States for repairs.

The next major confrontation between British and Italian forces occurred on March 28, 1941 near Cape Matapan. An Italian task force left its base to attack a British convoy enroute to Malta. The HMS Formidable, which had joined the British fleet only days earlier, launched six Albacore bombers to attack the Italians. The British planes blew a large hole in the stern of the Italian battleship Vittorio Veneto. At dusk, the British task force caught the retreating Italians and destroyed three cruisers and two destroyers. Although aircraft did not sink any of the Italian ships, the air attacks had slowed the Italian task force sufficiently for the British ships to overtake them and inflict heavy damage.

Two months later, the HMS Formidable was attacked by 12 German dive bombers while she was returning from raids on Crete. The carrier was badly damaged and had to join the HMS Illustrious in the United States for repairs. This left the brunt of Mediterranean action to the HMS Ark Royal. Although she was reported sunk several times, HMS Ark Royal completed many successful missions in the Mediterranean, including ferrying two squadrons of Spitfires to Malta on May 19, 1941. Three days later, she was in the Atlantic, assisting in the search for the mighty German battleship Bismarck.

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Last Updated: January 1, 2003