Editing HMS Implacable (R86) (section)

==Construction and service==
[[File:The Royal Navy during the Second World War A24108.jpg|thumb|left|''Implacable'' being towed down the Clyde, 1944]]
''Implacable'' was [[Keel laying|laid down]] by [[Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering Company|Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering Co.]] at their shipyard in [[Clydeside]] on 21 February 1939, as Yard Number 672.<ref name=h9/> Her construction was temporarily suspended in 1940–41, in favour of higher-priority ships needed to fight in the Battle of the Atlantic, before she was [[Ship naming and launching|launched]] on 10 December 1942 by [[Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother|Queen Elizabeth]]. [[Captain (Royal Navy)|Captain]] [[Lachlan Mackintosh]] was appointed to command the ship in November 1943.<ref>McCart, p. 170</ref> She was [[Ship commissioning|commissioned]] on 22 May 1944, and began sea trials which revealed a significant number of problems that required rectification, so the ship was not formally completed until 28 August.<ref name=h9/> ''Implacable'' was assigned to the Home Fleet and was [[Glossary of nautical terms (M-Z)#working up|working up]] over the next several months while the [[Fairey Firefly|Fairey Fireflies]] of [[1771 Naval Air Squadron|1771 Squadron]] flew aboard on 10 September.<ref name=m1>McCart, p. 171</ref> The squadron was followed by the [[Fairey Barracuda]] torpedo bombers of [[828 Naval Air Squadron|828]] and [[841 Naval Air Squadron|841 Squadrons]] that made up [[2nd Naval TBR Wing]] later that month.<ref>Sturtivant, pp. 284, 309, 471</ref>

Her first mission was to locate the {{ship|German battleship|Tirpitz}} which had left its anchorage in [[Kåfjorden (Alta)|Kaafjord]] in early October. ''Implacable'' departed [[Scapa Flow]] on 16 October, and a section of her Fireflies spotted the battleship off [[Håkøya]] Island near [[Tromsø]] two days later. No attack was mounted because the carrier lacked any single-seat fighters aboard to escort the strike aircraft, although they did damage a cargo ship before returning home.<ref name=m1/> On 16 October, the [[Supermarine Seafire]]s of [[887 Naval Air Squadron|887]] and [[894 Naval Air Squadron|894 Squadrons]] of [[24th Naval Fighter Wing]] landed aboard.<ref name=s0>Sturtivant, pp. 370, 386</ref> In late October she participated in [[Operation Athletic]] off the Norwegian coast, where her aircraft sank six ships and damaged a German submarine<ref>Rohwer, pp. 368–369</ref> for the loss of one Barracuda,<ref name=h0>Hobbs 2013, p. 110</ref> while conducting the Royal Navy's last wartime [[torpedo]] attack.<ref name=h0/> On 1 November Captain [[Charles Hughes-Hallett]] relieved Mackintosh and assumed command of the ship.<ref name=m1/>[[File:Fleet Air Arm aboard HMS Implacable.jpg|thumb|Fireflies on 26 November 1944, warming up for an attack on Norwegian targets]] The Barracudas were replaced by the Seafires of [[30th Naval Fighter Wing]], which consisted of [[801 Naval Air Squadron|801]] and [[880 Naval Air Squadron|880 Squadrons]], on 8 November<ref>Sturtivant, pp. 165, 359, 473</ref> and the Seafires provided air cover for minelaying operations by escort carriers from 11 to 21 November. The next day, [[Admiral]] Sir [[Henry Ruthven Moore]], Commander-in-Chief of the Home Fleet, hoisted his flag in ''Implacable'' and the ship set sail to hunt for a convoy that had been reported near [[Alsten]] Island ([[Operation Provident]])<ref name="m1" /> with the Seafires and Fireflies of 801, 880, and 1771 Squadrons aboard. Bad weather prevented aircraft from being launched until 27 November, but they located the convoy and sank two merchantmen, including {{MS|Rigel}}, and damaged six others. MS Rigel was used as a German prisoner of war (POW) transport and the sinking resulted in more than 2,500 dead, mostly POWs. Upon her return to Scapa on 29 November, Moore lowered his flag, but [[Vice Admiral]] Sir [[Frederick Dalrymple-Hamilton]], second in command of Home Fleet, hoisted his flag on 6 December for Operation Urbane, another minelaying operation during which her Fireflies helped to sink a German [[minesweeper]]. Dalrymple-Hamilton transferred his flag off ''Implacable'' when she returned to Scapa on 9 December. On 15 December she began a refit at [[Rosyth]] preparatory to her transfer to the British Pacific Fleet, which included augmenting her light AA armament.<ref>Brown 2009, p. 31; Hobbs 2013, p. 110; McCart, pp. 171–172</ref>

[[File:HMS Implacable AWM 019037.jpg|thumb|left|[[Fleet Air Arm]] [[Grumman TBF Avenger|Avengers]], [[Supermarine Seafire|Seafires]] and [[Fairey Firefly|Fireflies]] on board ''Implacable'' warm up their engines before taking off, 1945]]
Upon its completion on 10 March 1945, 801, 828, 880, and 1771 Squadrons reembarked with a total strength of 48 Seafires, 21 [[Grumman TBF Avenger]] torpedo bombers and a dozen Fireflies, the largest air group aboard a British carrier thus far. ''Implacable'' departed six days later to join the BPF and arrived at [[Port Said]], Egypt, on 25 March. While passing through the [[Suez Canal]], a strong gust of wind forced her [[run aground|ashore]] and it took her escorting [[tugboat]]s five hours to pull her off. Undamaged, she proceeded on her voyage and reached [[Sydney]] on 8 May 1945 ([[V-E Day]]).<ref name="m3">McCart, p. 173</ref>

''Implacable'' arrived at the BPF's main operating base at [[Manus Island]], in the [[Admiralty Islands]], on 29 May. A week later Rear Admiral Sir [[Patrick Brind]] hoisted his flag in preparation for [[Operation Inmate]], an attack on the Japanese naval base at Truk in the [[Caroline Islands]] that began on 14 June. Having flown 113 offensive [[sortie]]s over the two days of the attack, with only one loss of a Seafire to enemy action, the carrier and her escorts returned to Manus Island on 17 June.<ref>Hobbs 2011, p. 211; McCart, pp. 173–174</ref> On 30 June [[8th Carrier Air Group]] was formed, absorbing No. 24 Naval Fighter Wing, to control all of the air units aboard ''Implacable''.<ref>Sturtivant, p. 474</ref>

After working up, she sailed to join the main body of the BPF off the Japanese coast on 6 July, and rendezvoused with them ten days later. ''Implacable'' flew off eight Fireflies and a dozen Seafires against targets north of Tokyo on 17 July, but only the Fireflies were able to locate their targets because of bad weather. Eight Fireflies and twenty Seafires attacked targets near Tokyo the next day, before more bad weather halted flying operations until 24–25 July, when the BPF's aircraft attacked targets near [[Osaka]] and the [[Seto Inland Sea|Inland Sea]], crippling the [[escort carrier]] {{ship|Japanese aircraft carrier|Kaiyo||2}}.<ref>Hobbs 2011, pp. 261, 263, 266–267</ref> After replenishing, airstrikes resumed on 28 and 30 July, the British sinking the escort {{ship|Japanese escort ship|Okinawa||2}} near [[Maizuru]]. A combination of bad weather, refuelling requirements and the [[Atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki|atomic bombing of Hiroshima]] delayed the resumption of air operations until 9 August. During the day, ''Implacable''{{'}}s Seafires flew 94 sorties and her Fireflies flew 14 against targets in northern [[Honshu]] and southern [[Hokkaido]] for the loss of two Seafires. The attacks were repeated the next day, sinking two warships, numerous small merchantmen and destroying numerous railroad locomotives and parked aircraft.<ref>Hobbs, pp. 273–81, 286–287, 410</ref> The BPF had been scheduled to withdraw after 10 August to prepare for [[Operation Olympic]], the invasion of [[Kyushu]] scheduled for November, and the bulk of the force, including ''Implacable'', departed for Manus on 12 August.<ref>Hobbs 2011, pp. 287–288</ref> Her aircraft flew over 1,000 sorties since her arrival the previous month.<ref name="h0" />

===Post-war===
[[File:The Royal Navy during the Second World War A30361.jpg|thumb|left|Aerial view of ''Implacable'' as she arrived at Sydney after the end of the war]]
She arrived at Sydney on 24 August, and had her hangars refitted to accommodate Allied PoWs and soldiers for repatriation. Having left her air group behind to maximize the numbers of passengers she could carry, the ship arrived at [[Manila]] on 25 September, where she loaded over 2,000 British, American and Canadian PoWs. She dropped off the Americans at [[Pearl Harbor]] on 5 October and continued on to deliver British and Canadian passengers at Vancouver six days later. Opened for public tours, ''Implacable'' remained for a week before sailing to [[Hong Kong]] to pick up several hundred PoWs and continued onwards to Manila to load 2,114 more passengers. She delivered them to [[Balikpapan]], [[Borneo]], for transhipment to Britain. In their place the carrier embarked 2,126 men of the [[7th Australian Division]], and their equipment, to return to Australia. She arrived at Sydney on 17 November and sailed on 8 December to load more returning troops from Papua New Guinea. Arriving back at Sydney before Christmas, the ship had her additional bunks, etc., removed to return her to operational status.<ref>Hobbs 2011, pp. 331–336</ref>

[[File:HMS Implacable (R-86).jpg|thumb|''Implacable'' at sea in 1946]]
In January 1946 her air group flew aboard, minus the disbanded 880 Squadron, and with [[1790 Naval Air Squadron|1790 Squadron]] replacing 1771 Squadron. After several days of flying exercises, ''Implacable'' made a port visit to [[Melbourne]] together with her sister ''Indefatigable'' and several other ships. She became the flagship of Vice Admiral Sir [[Philip Vian]], the newly appointed second in command of the BPF on 31 January. She continued a relaxed schedule of training and port visits until she began a refit on 15 March in Sydney, that lasted until 29 April, when she put to sea to fly on her aircraft and to dump overboard the 16 Lend-Lease Avengers belonging to 828 Squadron (Britain had to either pay for them or dispose of them with the end of the war, and lacked the means to do the former). She sailed for home on 5 May and reached [[HMNB Devonport|Devonport]] on 3 June, where Vian struck his flag.<ref>McCart, pp. 177–178</ref>

''Implacable'' became the deck-landing training carrier for the Home Fleet when she next put to sea in August. On 25 September Captain [[Aubrey Mansergh]] assumed command of the ship. Two months later she participated in an exercise with the Home Fleet and was lightly damaged when she collided with the [[light carrier]] {{HMS|Vengeance|R71|2}} while docking in Devonport on 7 November. On 1 February 1947, she joined the other ships of the Home Fleet as they rendezvoused with the battleship {{HMS|Vanguard|23|2}}, which was serving as the [[royal yacht]] to escort [[George VI|King George VI]] as he set out for the first royal tour of South Africa. ''Implacable'' hosted the king and his family on 7 February, staging a small air show for them after which the queen addressed the crew. After leaving the royals, she made port visits at [[Freetown]], [[Sierra Leone]], and [[Dakar]], [[Senegal]] before arriving in the Western Mediterranean for more training. Arriving home on 7 March, she began a lengthy refit at Rosyth on 17 April.<ref>McCart, pp. 179–180, 182</ref>

[[File:HMS Implacable 1947 deck.jpg|left|thumb|''Implacable'' in 1947]]
Upon its completion in October 1947 she embarked [[813 Naval Air Squadron|813 Squadron]], flying [[Blackburn Firebrand]] TF.5s, and resumed training. Captain [[John Stevens (Royal Navy officer)|John Stevens]] relieved Mansergh on 9 February 1948, as the latter had been promoted. In June and July, the ship participated in a series of demonstrations for students in the Royal Navy's [[staff college]]. Among these was the first carrier landing by a [[Gloster Meteor]] jet-powered fighter, flown by [[Lieutenant-Commander]] [[Eric Brown (pilot)|Eric Brown]], landings by prototypes of the [[Westland Wyvern]] and [[Short Sturgeon]], rocket firing by Fireflies and an "attack" on ''Implacable'' by [[motor torpedo boat]]s. She completed a 10-week refit on 10 November and resumed deck-landing practices. She sailed for Gibraltar on 27 February 1949 and 801 Squadron flew aboard on 5 March with its [[de Havilland Hornet|de Havilland Sea Hornet]]s, the day after she arrived there. Admiral Sir [[Rhoderick McGrigor]], commander-in-chief of Home Fleet, hoisted his flag aboard the carrier on 6 March before beginning a short exercise with some of the other ships of Home Fleet. She made port visits in Oslo and Bergen, Norway, in June, hosting King [[Haakon VII of Norway|Haakon VII]]. While berthed at [[HMNB Portsmouth|Portsmouth]], King [[Abdullah I of Jordan]] visited on 19 August and the [[Prime Minister of the United Kingdom|Prime Minister]], [[Clement Attlee]] visited 10 days later. [[702 Naval Air Squadron|702 Squadron]] flew aboard with seven [[de Havilland Sea Vampire]]s in September to conduct carrier evaluations with the new fighter jets that lasted until 11 November. McGrigor was relieved by Admiral Vian ten days later.<ref>McCart, pp. 182–185</ref>

''Implacable'' spent February and March 1950 training in the Western Mediterranean and Captain H. W. Briggs assumed command on 1 April. She resumed flight training in the Irish Sea and off the western coast of Scotland until she made a port visit to [[Copenhagen]] in mid-July. King [[Frederik IX of Denmark]] inspected the ship on 18 July and Admiral Vian transferred his flag to ''Vanguard'' on 11 September.<ref>McCart, p. 185</ref> Two days later she was placed in reserve and slowly converted into a training ship by the addition of extra accommodation and classrooms.<ref name="h0" /> During this time she was considered for a major reconstruction that would combine her two hangars into a single hangar with a height of {{convert|17|ft|6|in}} and allow her to operate {{convert|30000|lb|kg|adj=on}} aircraft. In addition her armament would be modernised and the fuel supply for her aircraft would be more than doubled. A similar reconstruction was then in progress for ''Victorious'', but it proved to be much more expensive than planned and also took more time than had been estimated. Short of both time and money for the project, the Admiralty cancelled the modernisation in June 1952.<ref>Friedman, pp. 305–311</ref>

''Implacable'' was recommissioned on 16 January 1952 as the flagship of the Home Fleet Training Squadron.<ref name="h1" /> On 13 February she arrived at [[Dover]] to serve as the port's [[guard ship]] before and after the state funeral of King George VI, to salute royalty and heads of state arriving by sea. After its conclusion, the ship sailed for the western Mediterranean to rendezvous with her sister for exercises. In June the two sisters represented a fast troop convoy being attacked by aircraft during an air defence exercise. They visited Copenhagen in the next month before returning home. ''Implacable'' sailed for Gibraltar on 25 September and made a port visit to [[Lisbon]], [[Portugal]], before returning to Devonport for a refit. On 16 November she had an oil fire in her [[galley (kitchen)|galley]] that damaged her electrical wiring badly enough to require extending her refit to 20 January 1953. She spent most of February and March in the western Mediterranean together with her sister, participating in exercises before sailing to [[Southampton]] for a brief refit.<ref>McCart, pp. 185–187</ref>

For the [[Fleet review (Commonwealth realms)#Elizabeth II|Coronation Fleet Review]] of [[Elizabeth II|Queen Elizabeth II]] on 15 June, she flew the flag of Vice Admiral John Stevens, her former commanding officer, now Flag Officer, Home Fleet Training Squadron. On 5 September Rear Admiral H. L. F. Adams relieved Stevens and the ship joined ''Indefatigable'' for fleet exercises off the [[Scilly Isles]] and in the [[Bristol Channel]] the following month. She ferried the 1st [[Battalion]], [[Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders]] from Devonport to [[Trinidad]] in response to a crisis in [[British Guiana]], and transported a battalion of the [[Royal Welch Fusiliers]] from Trinidad to [[Jamaica]] in October, returning home on 11 November. On 19 August 1954, she was relieved as flagship by the light carrier {{HMS|Theseus|R64|2}}.<ref>McCart, p. 189</ref>

===Decommissioning and disposal===
''Implacable'' was decommissioned on 1 September 1954 and sold to [[Thos. W. Ward]] for breaking up on 27 October 1955 after being towed to [[Gareloch]]. ''Implacable'' was scrapped at [[Inverkeithing]] beginning the following month.<ref name="h1">Hobbs 2013, p. 111</ref>