Editing HMS Formidable (67)

{{short description|1940 Illustrious-class aircraft carrier of the Royal Navy}}
{{Other ships|HMS Formidable}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2018}}
{{Use British English|date=January 2018}}
{{featured article}}
{|{{Infobox ship begin
}}
{{Infobox ship image
| Ship image = HMS Formidable underway in 1942.jpg
| Ship caption = ''Formidable'' underway, 3 August 1942
}}
{{Infobox ship career
| Hide header =
| Ship country = United Kingdom
| Ship flag = {{shipboxflag|United Kingdom|naval}}
| Ship name =''Formidable''
| Ship operator = [[Royal Navy]]
| Ship ordered =
| Ship awarded =
| Ship builder = [[Harland and Wolff|Harland & Wolff]], [[Belfast]], [[Northern Ireland]]
| Ship original cost =
| Ship yard number = 1007
| Ship identification = [[Pennant number]]: 67<ref>Lenton, p. 713</ref>
| Ship laid down = 17 June 1937
| Ship launched = 17 August 1939
| Ship sponsor = Lady [[Kingsley Wood]]
| Ship christened =
| Ship completed =
| Ship commissioned = 24 November 1940
| Ship decommissioned = 12 August 1947
| Ship motto =
| Ship nickname = ''The Ship That Launched Herself''
| Ship honours = 
* Matapan 1941
* Crete 1941
* North Africa 1942–43
* Sicily 1943
* Salerno 1943
* Okinawa 1945
* Japan 1945<ref>McCart, p. 68</ref>
| Ship fate = Sold for [[ship breaking|scrap]], January 1953
| Ship notes =
| Ship badge =
}}
{{Infobox ship characteristics
| Hide header =
| Header caption = (as built)
| Ship class = {{sclass|Illustrious|aircraft carrier}}
| Ship displacement = {{convert|23000|LT|t|lk=on|0}} ([[Displacement (ship)#Standard displacement|standard]])
| Ship length = *{{convert|740|ft|m|1|abbr=on}} ([[Length overall|o/a]])
* {{convert|710|ft|m|1|abbr=on}} ([[waterline]])
| Ship beam = {{convert|95|ft|9|in|m|abbr=on|1}}
| Ship draught = {{convert|28|ft|10|in|m|1|abbr=on}} ([[deep load]])
| Ship propulsion = 3 shafts; 3 geared [[steam turbine]]s
| Ship speed = {{convert|30.5|kn|lk=in}}
| Ship power = *{{convert|111000|shp|kW|abbr=on|lk=on}}
* 6 [[Admiralty 3-drum boiler]]s
| Ship range = {{convert|10700|nmi|lk=in|abbr=on}} at {{convert|10|kn}}
| Ship complement = 1,299
| Ship sensors = 1 × [[Type 79 radar|Type 79]] [[early-warning radar]]
| Ship armament = *8 × twin [[QF 4.5 inch naval gun|{{cvt|4.5|in}}]] [[DP gun]]s
* 6 × octuple [[QF 2-pounder naval gun|2 pdr ({{cvt|40|mm}})]] [[AA gun]]s
| Ship armour = *[[Belt armor|Waterline belt]]: {{convert|4.5|in|mm|0|abbr=on}}
* [[Flight deck]]: {{convert|3|in|mm|0|abbr=on}}
* [[Hangar]] sides and ends: {{convert|4.5|in|mm|0|abbr=on}}
* [[Bulkhead (partition)|Bulkhead]]s: {{convert|2.5|in|mm|0|abbr=on}}
| Ship aircraft = 36–54
| Ship aircraft facilities = 1 [[aircraft catapult|catapult]]
}}
|}
'''HMS ''Formidable''''' was an {{sclass|Illustrious|aircraft carrier}} ordered for the [[Royal Navy]] before the Second World War. After being completed in late 1940, she was briefly assigned to the [[Home Fleet]] before being transferred to the [[Mediterranean Fleet]] as a replacement for her crippled [[sister ship]] {{HMS|Illustrious|87|2}}. ''Formidable''{{'}}s aircraft played a key role in the [[Battle of Cape Matapan]] in early 1941, and they subsequently provided cover for Allied ships and attacked [[Axis powers|Axis forces]] until their carrier was badly damaged by German [[dive bomber]]s in May.

Assigned to the [[Eastern Fleet]] in the Indian Ocean in early 1942, ''Formidable'' covered [[Operation Ironclad|the invasion of Diego Suarez]] in [[Vichy France|Vichy]] [[Madagascar]] in mid-1942 against the possibility of a [[sortie]] by the Japanese into the Indian Ocean. ''Formidable'' returned home for a brief refit before participating in [[Operation Torch]], the invasion of [[French North Africa]] in November. She remained in the Mediterranean and covered the [[Battle of Sicily|invasions of Sicily]] and [[Operation Avalanche|mainland Italy]] in 1943 before beginning a lengthy refit.

''Formidable'' made several attacks on the {{ship|German battleship|Tirpitz}} in Norway in mid-1944 as part of the Home Fleet. She was subsequently assigned to the [[British Pacific Fleet]] (BPF) in 1945 where she played a supporting role during the [[Battle of Okinawa]] and later attacked targets in the [[Japanese Home Islands]]. The ship was used to repatriate liberated Allied [[prisoners of war]] and soldiers after the [[Japanese surrender]] and then ferried British personnel across the globe through 1946. She was placed in [[Reserve fleet|reserve]] the following year and sold for [[ship breaking|scrap]] in 1953.

==Background and description==
[[File:IllustriousRecognitionDrawing.jpg|thumb|left|US [[Office of Naval Intelligence]] recognition drawing of the ''Illustrious''-class carriers]]
The Royal Navy's [[British 1936 Naval Programme|1936 Naval Programme]] authorised the construction of two aircraft carriers. [[Admiral (United Kingdom)|Admiral]] Sir [[Reginald Henderson]], [[Third Sea Lord|Third Sea Lord and Controller of the Navy]], was determined not to simply modify the previous unarmoured {{HMS|Ark Royal|91|2}} design. He believed that carriers could not be successfully defended by their own aircraft without some form of early-warning system. Lacking that, there was nothing to prevent land-based aircraft from attacking them, especially in confined waters like the [[North Sea|North]] and [[Mediterranean Sea]]s. This meant that the ship had to be capable of remaining in action after sustaining damage, and that her fragile aircraft had to be protected entirely from damage. The only way to do this was to completely armour the [[hangar]] in which the aircraft would shelter, but putting that much weight so high in the ship allowed only a single-storey hangar due to stability concerns. This halved the aircraft capacity of the ''Illustrious'' class compared with the older unarmoured carriers, trading offensive potential for defensive survivability.<ref>Hobbs 2013, p. 83</ref>

''Formidable'' had a length of {{convert|740|ft|m|1}} [[length overall|overall]] and {{convert|710|ft|m|1}} at the [[waterline]]. Her [[beam (nautical)|beam]] was {{convert|95|ft|9|in|m|1}} at the waterline and she had a [[draught (ship)|draught]] of {{convert|28|ft|10|in|m|1}} at [[deep load]]. She displaced {{convert|23000|LT|t|0|lk=on}} at [[Displacement (ship)#Standard displacement|standard load]] as completed.<ref name=f6>Friedman, p. 366</ref> Her complement was approximately 1,299 men upon completion in 1940.<ref name=h9>Hobbs 2013, p. 89</ref> The ship had three [[Parsons Marine Steam Turbine Company|Parsons]] geared [[steam turbine]]s, each driving one shaft using steam supplied by six [[Admiralty 3-drum boiler]]s. The turbines were designed to produce a total of {{cvt|111000|shp|kW|lk=on}}, enough to give a maximum speed of {{convert|30.5|kn|lk=in}}.<ref name=c0>Campbell, N. J. M., p. 19</ref> On [[sea trial]]s, ''Formidable'' reached {{convert|30.6|kn}} with {{convert|112018|shp|abbr=on}}.<ref name=b4>Brown, David, p. 367</ref> She carried a maximum of {{convert|4850|LT|t}} of [[fuel oil]], which gave her a range of {{convert|10700|nmi|lk=in}} at {{convert|10|kn}}.<ref name=f6/>

The {{convert|753|ft|m|1|adj=on}} armoured [[flight deck]] had a usable length of {{convert|670|ft|m|1}}, due to prominent "round-downs"{{refn|"Round-downs" were places at the ends of the flight deck that were [[wikt:fair|faired]] into the hull; they were generally not usable by aircraft or equipment because they were not level.|group=Note}} at bow and stern to reduce air turbulence, and a maximum width of {{convert|95|ft|m}}. A single hydraulic [[aircraft catapult]] was fitted on the forward part of the flight deck. The ship was equipped with two unarmoured [[Elevator#Aircraft elevators|lifts]] on the centreline, each of which measured {{convert|45|by|22|ft|m|1}}. The hangar was {{convert|456|ft|m}} long and had a maximum width of {{convert|62|ft|m|1}}. It had a height of {{convert|16|ft|1}}, which allowed storage of [[Lend-Lease]] [[Vought F4U Corsair]] fighters once their wingtips were clipped. The ship could accommodate up to 54 aircraft rather than the intended 36 after the adoption of "outriggers" on the flight deck during the war and the flattening of the "round-downs" that increased the usable length of the flight deck to {{convert|740|ft|m|1}} to facilitate the use of a permanent deck park.{{refn|The precise dates for these changes are not known, but most probably occurred during her 1943–1944 refit, based on the changes made to her sister {{HMS|Illustrious|87|2}}.<ref>Friedman, p. 147</ref>|group=Note}} The additional crewmen, maintenance personnel and facilities needed to support the extra aircraft severely crowded the ship. She was provided with {{convert|50650|impgal|l usgal}} of petrol.<ref>Brown, David, p. 44; Campbell, N. J. M., p. 19; Friedman, p. 134; Hobbs 2013, pp. 84–85, 90</ref>

===Armament, electronics and protection===
The ship's main armament consisted of sixteen [[quick-firing gun|quick-firing (QF)]] [[QF 4.5-inch Mk I – V naval gun|{{convert|4.5|in|mm|adj=on|0}}]] [[dual-purpose gun]]s in eight twin-[[gun turret]]s that were mounted in [[sponson]]s on the side of the hull. The roofs of the gun turrets protruded above the level of the flight deck to allow them to fire across the deck at high elevations.<ref name=h5>Hobbs 2013, p. 85</ref> The gun had a maximum range of {{convert|20760|yd|m}}.<ref>Campbell, John, pp. 52, 55</ref> Her light anti-aircraft defences consisted of six octuple mounts for [[QF 2-pounder naval gun|QF two-pounder 2 pdr ({{cvt|40|mm}}) ("pom-pom")]] [[anti-aircraft gun|anti-aircraft (AA) guns]], two each fore and aft of the [[Glossary of nautical terms (A-L)#island|island]] and two in sponsons on the port side of the hull.<ref name=h5/> The two-pounder gun had a maximum range of {{convert|6800|yd|m}}.<ref>Campbell, John, p. 71</ref>

While under repair in late 1941, ''Formidable''{{'}}s light AA armament was augmented by the addition of 10 [[Oerlikon 20 mm cannon|Oerlikon {{convert|20|mm|adj=on|1}}]] [[autocannon]] in single mounts<ref name=f8>Friedman, p. 148</ref> with a maximum range of {{convert|4800|yd}}.<ref>Campbell, John, p. 75</ref> By the time of her last recorded refit in March 1944, she had exchanged one octuple "pom-pom" mount for a quadruple mount and had a total of 20 twin and 14 single 20 mm mounts.<ref name=f8/> Before seeing combat against the Japanese, some were replaced by [[Bofors 40 mm Automatic Gun L/60|{{convert|40|mm|adj=on}} Bofors]] AA guns as the 20&nbsp;mm shell was unlikely to destroy a [[kamikaze]] before it hit the ship. The Bofors gun had a maximum range of {{convert|10750|yd|m}}.<ref>Campbell, John, p. 67</ref> By the war's end the ship had all six of her original octuple "pom-pom" mounts, five single 40 mm power-operated mounts, seven single 40&nbsp;mm "Boffin" mounts and 11 twin and 12 single 20&nbsp;mm mounts.<ref name=f8/>

''Formidable'' was completed with a [[Type 79 radar|Type 79]] [[early-warning radar]]. The specifics of the additional radars fitted during the war are not readily available, but she probably had, by the end of the war, a [[Type 277 radar|Type 277]] surface-search/[[Height finder|height-finding radar]] on top of the [[bridge (nautical)|bridge]] and a [[Type 293 radar|Type 293]] target-indicator radar on the [[foremast]]. She also probably mounted [[Type 279 radar|Type 279]] and [[Type 281 radar|Type 281]]B early-warning radars, based on those fitted aboard her [[sister ship]] {{HMS|Victorious|R38|2}}. In addition, [[List of World War II British naval radar#Type 282|Type 282]] and [[Type 285 radar|Type 285]] gunnery radars were mounted on the [[Ship gun fire-control system|fire-control directors]].<ref>Brown, David, p. 43; Campbell, John, pp. 15–16, 18–19; Friedman, pp. 145, 148</ref>

The ''Illustrious''-class ships had a flight deck protected by {{convert|3|in|0}} of armour, and the internal sides and ends of the hangars were 4.5 inches thick. The hangar deck itself was {{convert|2.5|in|0}} thick and extended the full width of the ship to meet the top of the 4.5-inch waterline [[Belt armor|armour belt]]. The belt was closed by 2.5-inch transverse [[Bulkhead (partition)|bulkhead]]s fore and aft. The [[torpedo belt|underwater defence system]] was a layered system of liquid- and air-filled compartments backed by a {{convert|1.5|in|adj=on}} splinter bulkhead.<ref>Friedman, p. 137; Hobbs 2013, p. 83</ref>

==Construction and service==
[[File:The Royal Navy during the Second World War A11639.jpg|thumb|An Albacore taxiing forward and another about to land]]
''Formidable'' was ordered as part of the 1937 Naval Programme from [[Harland and Wolff|Harland & Wolff]].<ref>Friedman, p. 140</ref> She was [[Keel laying|laid down]] at their [[Belfast]] shipyard on 17 June 1937 as [[yard number]] 1007 and [[Ship naming and launching|launched]] on 17 August 1939.<ref name=h7>Hobbs 2013, p. 97</ref> Just before the launch ceremony was to begin, the wooden cradle supporting the ship collapsed, and the ship slid down the [[slipway]] while workmen were still underneath and around the ship. One spectator was killed by flying debris and at least 20 others were injured; ''Formidable'', however, was not damaged. Because of the incident, the carrier was referred to as "The Ship That Launched Herself".<ref>[http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/court_and_social/article6787885.ece "''Formidable – The Ship That Launched Herself''"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110629133418/http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/court_and_social/article6787885.ece |date=29 June 2011 }}, "The Times of London", 8 August 2009, accessed 6 March 2011.</ref><ref>[https://www.britishpathe.com/video/hms-formidable-launches-herself/ "''HMS Formidable Launches Herself''"] "British Pathe", 17 August 1939, accessed 20 April 2019.</ref> She was commissioned on 24 November 1940.<ref name=h7/>

After a very brief [[Glossary of nautical terms (M-Z)#working up|work up]], the [[Fairey Albacore]] [[torpedo bomber]]s of [[826 Naval Air Squadron]] and [[829 Naval Air Squadron|829 Squadron]] and the [[Fairey Fulmar]] fighters of [[803 Naval Air Squadron|803 Squadron]] flew aboard and she joined the Home Fleet at Scapa Flow on 12 December. Her stay there was brief as she, escorted by the [[heavy cruiser]]s {{HMS|Dorsetshire|40|2}} and {{HMS|Norfolk|78|2}}, sailed on 18 December to protect convoys and search for the {{ship|German cruiser|Admiral Scheer}}, which had recently attacked [[Convoy HX 84]] in the North Atlantic. They failed to find the [[commerce raider]] and escorted a convoy to [[Cape Town]], South Africa, arriving on 22 January 1941. Four days later the ship was ordered north to replace her sister ''Illustrious'' with the Mediterranean Fleet after she had been badly damaged by German [[dive bomber]]s. En route, she took the opportunity to attack Italian forces in [[Italian Somaliland]] and [[Eritrea]].<ref>McCart, p. 50</ref> They sank the {{GRT|5,723|disp=adj}} steamer {{SS|Moncalieri||2}} on 12 February for the loss of two Albacores.<ref>Shores, p. 112</ref>

===Battle of Cape Matapan===
{{main|Battle of Cape Matapan}}
Several weeks later, she made a cautious transit of the recently [[naval mine|mined]] [[Suez Canal]] and reached [[Alexandria]] on 10 March.<ref>McCart, p. 51</ref> 829  Squadron was issued [[Fairey Swordfish]] torpedo bombers to replace its losses.<ref name=s84>Sturtivant, p. 284</ref> On 20 March ''Formidable'' escorted a convoy to [[Malta]] and flew off five aircraft for [[Crete]] while returning to Alexandria. On the morning of 27 March, major elements of the Italian Fleet were spotted en route to the sea lanes between Egypt and Greece and the carrier sailed later that afternoon with a force of three battleships, cruisers and destroyers under the command of Admiral [[Andrew Cunningham, 1st Viscount Cunningham of Hyndhope|Sir Andrew Cunningham]]. Reinforced by three Fulmars from [[806 Naval Air Squadron|806 Squadron]], her air group numbered 13 Fulmars, 10 Albacores and 4 Swordfish. An Albacore spotted the leading Italian ships the next morning and six Albacores with torpedoes attacked {{ship|Italian battleship|Vittorio Veneto}}. Two German [[Junkers Ju 88]] bombers intervened, but they were driven off by the escorting pair of Fulmars. The attack failed and another strike force of three Albacores and two Swordfish was prepared. Shortly after launching them at 12:22, ''Formidable'' was attacked by a pair of torpedo-carrying [[Savoia-Marchetti SM.79]] bombers to no effect. Around 14:50, one Albacore torpedoed the Italian battleship, although the other aircraft missed. The hit briefly knocked out her engines and caused heavy flooding. Another air strike of six Albacores and two Swordfish was launched at 17:30 to finish off the battleship, but they mistook the {{ship|Italian cruiser|Pola}} for it in the fading light.<ref name=shores150 >Shores, Cull & Malizia, pp. 150–151, 153–162</ref> 

The cruiser was struck by a torpedo from one of the aircraft, possibly from one of two Swordfish from [[815 Naval Air Squadron|815 Squadron]] from [[Maleme]], Crete, that joined ''Formidable''{{'}}s aircraft before the attack. The mistake allowed the battleship to reach port. One Albacore was shot down by ''Vittorio Veneto'' and two others were forced to [[Water landing|ditch]] after running out of fuel.<ref name=shores150 /> Cunningham continued the pursuit of the Italian ships into the night. Unaware of the British pursuit, a squadron of cruisers and destroyers was ordered to return and help ''Pola''. This squadron included ''Pola''{{'}}s [[sister ship]]s, ''Zara'' and ''Fiume'' while ''Vittorio Veneto'' and the other ships continued to Taranto.<ref>Greene & Massignani, pp. 152–156</ref> In the darkness and without radar the Italian cruisers were surprised and the three battleships plus ''Formidable'' were able to close to {{cvt|3800|yd}} and open fire. After three minutes, ''Fiume'' and ''Zara'' had been destroyed. ''Formidable'' which was third in line behind {{HMS|Warspite|03|2}} and {{HMS|Valiant|1914|2}} and ahead of {{HMS|Barham|04|2}} received the order to open fire with her 4.5-inch guns although the order was almost immediately countermanded and she was ordered out of line to starboard as soon as it was realised such a valuable ship was so close to the Italian ships. Some of ''Formidable''{{'}}s 4.5-inch guns fired a salvo in what was one of the few occasions in the Second World War in which an aircraft carrier fired her main armament at enemy warships.<ref>Ballantyne, pp. 123–125</ref>

On 18 April the Mediterranean Fleet sortied to bombard the primary Axis supply port of [[Tripoli, Libya|Tripoli]] and was attacked by a pair of SM.79 torpedo bombers from [[Rhodes]]. The torpedo-bombers were intercepted by a pair of Fulmars that damaged one bomber badly enough that it [[Emergency landing|crash-landed]] back at its base, although one Fulmar was also forced to crash-land aboard ''Formidable''. The next day Fulmars from 806 Squadron shot down one [[CANT Z.1007]] bomber flying from [[Cyrenica]] to [[Sicily]] and a pair of [[Junkers Ju 52]] transports flying fuel to North Africa. On the morning of 21 April, the carrier's aircraft dropped flares to illuminate the port so it could be shelled by three [[battleship]]s and a [[light cruiser]]. On the way home, a pair of Fulmars shot down a [[Dornier Do 24]] [[flying boat]].<ref>Shores, Cull & Malizia, pp. 165–167</ref>

[[File:The Royal Navy during the Second World War A10657.jpg|thumb|An Albacore just having taken off with two more ranged on deck, 1942]]
During the [[Battle of Greece#Evacuation of Empire forces|Evacuation of Greece]], ''Formidable'' provided air cover for Convoy GA 15 on 29 April. A Fulmar from 803 Squadron was forced to ditch on 2 May before the carrier returned to Alexandria the next day. She put to sea on 6 May to provide air cover for the convoys involved in [[Operation Tiger (1941)|Operation Tiger]]. On the morning of 8 May, a pair of Fulmars claimed to have shot down a pair of Z.1007s searching for the fleet; one Fulmar failed to return. Later that afternoon, the fighters shot down four German [[Heinkel He 111]] bombers at the cost of one Fulmar forced to crash-land. Two Albacores and a Fulmar crashed due to non-combat causes during the day. The next day a pair of Fulmars from 806 Squadron badly damaged a Ju 88 reconnaissance bomber that crash-landed at its base in Sicily. As the fleet and the Tiger convoy approached Alexandria on 11 May, a pair of Fulmars attacked a formation of Ju 88s, damaging one bomber; one Fulmar and another Ju 88 were seen falling together towards the sea. Many of the Fulmars had been rendered unserviceable during the operation and ''Formidable'' was unable to provide air cover until they were repaired.<ref>Shores, Cull & Malizia, pp. 307, 314, 316–317, 319</ref>

On 26 May the fleet sortied for a dawn raid on the base at [[Scarpanto]] the next day; the carrier mustered 12 Fulmars and 15 Albacores and Swordfish. Six Albacores and four Fulmars attacked the airbase, destroying one Ju 88 and damaging two others. Also damaged were an Italian [[Savoia-Marchetti SM.81]] transport and six [[Fiat CR.42 Falco]] fighters. Later that morning, as the fleet was returning to Egypt, the Fulmars shot down a He 111 and two Ju 88s for the loss of one Fulmar forced to land aboard the carrier and another forced to ditch. At 13:10 a formation of [[Junkers Ju 87 Stuka]] dive bombers was spotted from II./[[Sturzkampfgeschwader 2|StG 2]]; based in Cyrenaica; they were searching for supply ships bound for [[Tobruk]] and not involved in the [[Battle of Crete]]. They hit ''Formidable'' with two {{cvt|1000|kg|adj=on}} bombs and blew the bow off her escorting [[destroyer]] {{HMS|Nubian|F36|2}}. The bombs killed 12 men and wounded 10; one bomb passed completely through the outer part of the starboard forward flight deck and detonated before it hit the water, riddling the side of the hull with holes. A near miss also blew a large hole in the ship's starboard side underwater. The pair of Fulmars on [[Combat Air Patrol]] (CAP) shot down one of the Stukas after it had dropped its bomb and were able to land aboard shortly afterwards but take-offs could not be made until 18:00.<ref>Shores, Cull & Malizia, pp. 377–379</ref>

''Formidable'' arrived at Alexandria the following day and disembarked her air group. She received emergency repairs before departing on 24 July for permanent repairs at [[Norfolk Navy Yard]] in the [[United States]], 829 Squadron flying aboard with its Albacores to provide anti-submarine patrols during the voyage. She arrived on 25 August, and the repairs were completed in early December. After several days of sea trials, she sailed for Britain in company with ''Illustrious'' on 12 December. During the night of 15/16 December, ''Illustrious'' collided with ''Formidable''{{'}}s stern, but neither ship was seriously damaged. She was repaired at Belfast from 21 December 1941 to 3 February 1942<ref name=m54>McCart, p. 54</ref> and embarked the Albacores of [[818 Naval Air Squadron|818 Squadron]] and [[820 Naval Air Squadron|820 Squadron]] and the [[Grumman F4F Wildcat#Royal Navy|Grumman Martlet]] fighters of [[888 Naval Air Squadron|888 Squadron]].<ref>Sturtivant, pp. 238, 244, 371</ref>

===Indian Ocean Raid===
{{main|Indian Ocean raid}}
''Formidable'' sailed on 17 February to join the Eastern Fleet in the Indian Ocean, escorting a convoy to [[Freetown]], [[Sierra Leone]], en route. One of her passengers on the voyage was [[Admiral]] Sir [[James Somerville]], about to take up his appointment as [[Commander-in-Chief]] of the Eastern Fleet. The ship arrived at [[Colombo]], [[Ceylon]], on 24 March and Somerville hoisted his flag aboard the battleship {{HMS|Warspite|03|2}} that same day. Two days after ''Formidable''{{'}}s arrival, the Japanese First Air Fleet departed from Celebes ([[Sulawesi]]) in the [[Dutch East Indies]] to attack British forces in the Indian Ocean. Somerville was notified that the Japanese were planning to attack Ceylon on 28 March and ordered his fleet to assemble southeast of the island on 30 March to intercept them. Force A, consisting of ''Formidable'', her sister {{HMS|Indomitable|92|2}} and ''Warspite'', was ordered to [[Addu Atoll]] to refuel on 3 April after the Japanese failed to attack as the British expected. A [[Royal Air Force]] [[Consolidated Catalina]] flying boat spotted them within range of Ceylon just three and a half hours after Force A arrived at the atoll on 4 April. Too far away to intercept them before they could attack Ceylon, Force A departed about eleven hours after arrival on a course that Somerville thought would allow him to attack by night while avoiding detection during the day.<ref>McCart, pp. 54–55</ref> One of ''Indomitable''{{'}}s Albacores spotted some of the Japanese carriers just before nightfall on 5 April, after the Japanese [[Easter Sunday Raid|attacked Colombo]], but further searches failed to locate them<ref>Brown, J. D., p. 74</ref> until 8 April when the Japanese were one day away from their intended target, [[Trincomalee]], and still too far away to intercept. Force A refuelled at Addu Atoll on 9 April and was then ordered to [[Bombay]] to calm fears of a Japanese attack on India's west coast.<ref>McCart, p. 55</ref>

Somerville was still uneasy about the possibility of another attack on Ceylon and ordered Force A to [[Kilindini Harbour]], [[Mombasa]], [[Kenya]], on 24 April. En route (5–7 May), Force A helped protect the invasion of Vichy [[Diego-Suarez|Diego Suarez]], Madagascar, against a Japanese attack. ''Formidable'' arrived at Kilindini on 10 May and remained there until she departed on 29 May bound for Colombo. The ship alternated between Colombo and Kilindini for the rest of her time with the Eastern Fleet. During this time she took part in [[Operation Stab]], a decoy invasion of the [[Andaman Islands]], with ''Illustrious''. [[Rear-Admiral]] [[Denis Boyd]] hoisted his flag over the ship on 24 August and she departed six days later to return home for a refit. She arrived at Rosyth on 21 September and her refit lasted until 18 October. She sailed that day for Scapa Flow<ref>McCart, pp. 55–56</ref> where she embarked 24 Martlets of 888 and [[893 Naval Air Squadron|893 Squadrons]], 12 Albacores of 820 Squadron and 6 [[Supermarine Seafire]] fighters of [[885 Naval Air Squadron|885 Squadron]] in preparation for the invasion of [[French North Africa]].<ref>Brown, J. D., p. 62</ref>

===Operation Torch===
{{main|Operation Torch}}
[[File:Grumman Martlet on HMS Formidable (67) 1942.jpg|thumb|A Martlet on the flight deck, November 1942]]
Assigned to Force H for Operation Torch, ''Formidable'' sailed on 30 October and provided cover in the Western Mediterranean against any attempt to interfere with the landings by Axis forces in Italy or France. Her Martlets shot down a pair of Ju 88s on 6 November<ref name=m56>McCart, p. 56</ref> and her Albacores laid a [[smoke screen]] in support of the landings at Algiers on 8 November.<ref>Hobbs 2013, p. 98</ref> Two of her Albacores torpedoed and sank the {{GS|U-331}} on 17 November, after it had surrendered to a [[Supermarine Walrus]] [[amphibious aircraft|amphibian]] which then departed the scene. She remained off the Algerian coast providing air support for Allied forces for the rest of the month, and one of her Seafires shot down a Ju 88 on 28 November.<ref name=m56/>

''Formidable'' was the only carrier in the Mediterranean after Torch until she was joined by ''Indomitable'' in mid-June 1943 as part of the buildup for the [[Allied invasion of Sicily]] (Operation Husky). The two carriers were east of the island in a position to intercept any attempt by the Italian fleet to attack the landings. After Sicily was secured, ''Formidable'' became the first carrier to enter [[Grand Harbour]], Malta, since ''Illustrious'' in January 1941. The latter ship joined ''Formidable'' as a replacement for the torpedoed ''Indomitable'' in Force H for the landings at [[Salerno]] (Operation Avalanche) on 9 September. As in Husky, their role was to protect the invasion fleet from interference by the Italian Navy.{{refn|The Italians surrendered as the Allies landed and their fleet was interned at Malta.<ref>Rohwer, p. 271</ref>|group=Note}}  The fighters aboard the smaller carriers protecting the forces ashore suffered heavy attrition during the early days of the operation and ''Formidable'' transferred 2 Seafires and 15 Martlets to {{HMS|Unicorn|I72|2}} as replacements for their losses.<ref>Brown, J. D., pp. 65–67</ref>

===Norwegian operations===
[[File:Corsair fighters and Fairey Barracuda torpedo bombers ranged on the flight deck of HMS FORMIDABLE off Norway in July 1944.jpg|thumb|left|[[Vought F4U Corsair|Corsairs]] and [[Fairey Barracuda]]s on deck, July 1944]]
In October, the carrier was transferred to the Home Fleet and departed Gibraltar for [[Greenock]] on 13 October together with the battleship {{HMS|King George V|41|2}}. Six days later she was in Scapa Flow to begin patrols to Iceland in company with the battleships {{HMS|Howe|32|2}} and {{HMS|Anson|79|2}} and the American carrier {{USS|Ranger|CV-4|2}} that lasted for the next three weeks. On 13 November she flew off her air group and sailed for Belfast to begin a lengthy refit, arriving on 19 November. The refit was completed in early June and the ship spent the rest of the month working up. The 18 Corsairs of [[1841 Naval Air Squadron|1841 Squadron]] and the 24 [[Fairey Barracuda]] torpedo bombers of [[827 Naval Air Squadron|827 Squadron]] and [[830 Naval Air Squadron|830 Squadrons]] flew aboard on 29 June and ''Formidable'' sailed for Scapa Flow to train with the carriers {{HMS|Furious|47|2}} and {{HMS|Indefatigable|R10|2}} before launching an attack on the ''Tirpitz'' in [[Kåfjorden (Alta)|Kaafjord]] on 17 July ([[Operation Mascot]]). Her Corsairs escorted the strike aircraft from the other carriers to the target; one was shot down by German [[flak]]. A smoke screen prevented most of the Barracudas from seeing their target and they failed to hit the ''Tirpitz''.<ref>Brown, J. D., pp. 24, 28; McCart, pp. 57–58</ref> Upon the ship's return to Scapa Flow, 827 and 830 Squadrons were replaced by 826 and 828 Squadrons, also flying Barracudas.<ref>Sturtivant, pp. 275–276, 281, 284, 287, 290</ref>

''Formidable''{{'}}s air group was reinforced by a dozen Corsairs of [[1842 Naval Air Squadron|1842 Squadron]] on 7 August<ref name=s23>Sturtivant, p. 423</ref> in preparation for further attacks on ''Tirpitz'' ([[Operation Goodwood (naval)|Operation Goodwood]]).<ref name=m58>McCart, p. 58</ref> The two Corsair squadrons were assigned to [[No. 6 Naval Fighter Wing]] aboard the carrier on 14 August.<ref>Sturtivant, p. 472</ref> The first attack was on the morning of 22 August when ''Formidable'' launched 24 Corsairs and 12 Barracudas against the German battleship and nearby targets, all of which returned. A smoke screen again protected the ''Tirpitz'' and no damage was inflicted. Another attack scheduled for the afternoon had to be cancelled because of low clouds. A further attack could not be mounted until 24 August because of bad weather. The carrier contributed 23 Corsairs and 16 Barracudas, and 3 of the fighters were shot down over the target.<ref>Brown, J. D., p. 28; McCart, p. 58</ref> The ''Tirpitz'' was lightly damaged by two bomb hits during this attack. A final attack was made five days later, again without effect.<ref>Garzke & Dulin, pp. 267–268</ref>

The carrier arrived at Scapa Flow on 2 September<ref name=m58/> where both Barracuda squadrons disembarked.<ref>Sturtivant, pp. 275–276, 284</ref> She later sailed to Gibraltar, arriving on 21 September to begin a refit that, among other things, augmented her anti-aircraft outfit in preparation for operations in the Pacific. The Corsairs of No. 6 Naval Fighter Wing flew aboard on 1 January 1945, as did 18 [[Grumman TBF Avenger]]s of [[848 Naval Air Squadron|848 Squadron]].<ref>Sturtivant, pp. 331, 422–423</ref> After several weeks of working up, ''Formidable'' departed Gibraltar on 14 January to join the [[British Pacific Fleet]] (BPF). She arrived in [[Sydney]], the BPF's main base, on 10 March after several stops en route to refuel and embark stores and ammunition. On 20 March, Admiral Sir [[Bruce Fraser, 1st Baron Fraser of North Cape|Bruce Fraser]], commander of the BPF, inspected the ship and her crew.<ref name=m58/>

===Pacific operations===
{{main|Battle of Okinawa}}
[[File:The remains of a Japanese Kamikaze aircraft that crashed on board HMS FORMIDABLEoff the Sakishima Islands, May 1945. ABS227.jpg|thumb|Aircraft wreckage after the kamikaze hit off [[Okinawa Island|Okinawa]] on 4 May 1945]]
By this time ''Formidable''{{'}}s air group had a strength of 36 Corsairs and 18 Avengers.<ref>Brown, J. D., p. 99</ref> She arrived in [[San Pedro Bay (Philippines)|San Pedro Bay]] in the Philippines on 4 April to await the return of the BPF from their efforts to neutralise airfields on the [[Sakishima Islands]], between Okinawa and [[Formosa]], as part of the preparations for the landings on Okinawa. ''Formidable'' was called forward six days later to join the [[1st Aircraft Carrier Squadron (Royal Navy)|1st Aircraft Carrier Squadron]] (1st ACS) of the BPF on operations<ref name=m60>McCart, p. 60</ref> as a replacement for ''Illustrious'', which was in poor mechanical shape. She arrived on 14 April and contributed aircraft when the attacks recommenced two days later. The commander of 1842 Squadron was killed on the first day of operations while [[strafing]] buildings at Nobara airfield. After refuelling and two more days' attacks, the BPF sailed on 20 April for San Pedro Bay to replenish its ships for further operations.<ref>Hobbs 2011, pp. 145, 148, 150</ref>

The fleet returned to waters off Okinawa on 4 May and renewed its attacks on the airfields on the Sakishima Islands. [[Vice-Admiral]] [[Bernard Rawlings (Royal Navy officer)|Bernard Rawlings]], second in command of the BPF, and his staff had determined that bombardment of Japanese gun positions by the heavy guns of battleships and cruisers might be a more effective method of destroying them than aerial attack. They detached ''King George V'' and ''Howe'', as well as five cruisers, that morning to bombard Nobara and Hirara airfields of [[Miyako-jima|Miyako Island]] while fighters flew a protective CAP over them and spotted the fall of their shells. The loss of the most effective anti-aircraft ships was more important than anticipated and the Japanese were able to take advantage of the opportunity. The carrier had just launched two Corsairs for bombardment-spotting duties and the deck park of eleven Avengers was being moved forward to allow aircraft to land when an undetected [[Mitsubishi A6M Zero]] fighter attacked at 11:31. The Zero first strafed the flight deck before any of ''Formidable''{{'}}s guns could open fire and then turned sharply to dive into the forward flight deck despite the ship's hard turn to starboard. The fighter released a bomb shortly before it would have impacted the deck and was destroyed by the bomb's blast, although the remnants of the Zero struck ''Formidable''.<ref>Hobbs 2011, pp. 175–176</ref>

[[File:HMS Formidable (67) dented flight deck 1945.jpg|thumb|right|Dent in the flight deck of ''Formidable'']] The detonation of the bomb put a large dent in the flight deck, around {{convert|24|ft|m}} by {{convert|20|ft|m}} and {{convert|2|ft|m}} deep, with a {{convert|2|sqft|adj=on}} hole in the center and much spalling from the underside.<ref>''H.M. Ships Damaged or Sunk by Enemy Action'' 1952, p. 54.</ref><ref>Hobbs 2017, p. 176, 178</ref> It killed 2 officers and 6 ratings, wounding 55 other crewmen.<ref name=m60/> A fragment from the flight-deck armour penetrated the hangar-deck armour and passed through the centre-boiler uptakes, the centre-[[boiler room (ship)|boiler room]] itself, and an oil tank before it came to rest in the [[double bottom|inner bottom]]. The fragment severed the steam pipes in the centre-boiler room and forced its evacuation, cutting the ship's speed to {{convert|14|kn}}. The blast on the flight deck blew the Avenger closest to it over the side and set another one on fire. Shrapnel from the blast peppered the island, causing the bulk of the casualties, and severed many electrical cables, including those for most of the ship's radars.<ref>Hobbs 2011, pp. 176, 178</ref> The fires on the flight deck and in the hangar were extinguished by 11:55, and seven Avengers and a Corsair which were damaged beyond repair were dumped over the side.<ref name=m60/> The bomb struck at the intersection of three armour plates and dented the plates over an area {{convert|20|by|24|ft|m|1}}. The dent was filled by wood and concrete and covered by thin steel plates tack-[[Welding|welded]] to the deck so that she was able to operate aircraft by 17:00 and steam at a speed of {{convert|24|kn}}. Thirteen of her Corsairs had been airborne at the time of the attack and they operated from the other carriers for a time. The damage to the boiler room and its steam pipes was repaired so that the centre boilers could be reconnected to the engines at 02:00 the next day.<ref>Hobbs 2011, pp. 178, 180</ref>

[[File:HMS Formidable (67) on fire 1945.jpg|thumb|right|''Formidable'' on fire after the [[kamikaze]] hit on 4 May]]
The bombardment significantly reduced Japanese aerial activity on 5 May, although several of ''Formidable''{{'}}s Corsairs, temporarily operating from her sister ''Victorious'', shot down a Japanese reconnaissance aircraft at an altitude of {{convert|30000|ft|m}}. That evening the fleet withdrew to refuel and was back on station on 8 May although heavy rains forced the cancellation of the planned air strikes. On 9 May, another kamikaze pilot, Yoshinari Kurose, penetrated the CAP at low altitude and crashed his plane into ''Formidable''{{'}}s flight deck and deck park at 17:05. The impact did little damage to the ship, but caused an explosion and large fire that destroyed 18 of her aircraft. One crewman, Petty Officer George Hinkins, was killed and four were wounded.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/emotional-video-shows-moment-british-6436066|title=British man meets brother of kamikaze pilot who killed his father in World War 2|first=Alexandra|last=Rucki|date=13 September 2015|website=mirror.co.uk|access-date=24 April 2018|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161009221821/http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/emotional-video-shows-moment-british-6436066|archive-date=9 October 2016|df=dmy-all}}</ref><ref>Hobbs 2011, pp. 181, 187</ref><ref name=m62>McCart, p. 62</ref> The carrier was able to resume operations fifty minutes later, but with only four Avengers and eleven Corsairs still serviceable. Rawlings decided to immediately withdraw to give ''Victorious'' and ''Formidable'' more time to make repairs and to replenish their depleted air groups. He also revised the deployment of the BPF to counter the new low-level tactics of the Japanese by stationing the battleships and cruisers closer to the carriers, keeping the carriers closer together, and positioning [[radar picket|radar-picket]] cruisers in the most likely directions of attack.<ref>Hobbs 2011, pp. 187–188</ref>

The BPF returned to action on 12 May and no Japanese aircraft were seen or detected that day or the next. One of ''Formidable''{{'}}s Avengers made a successful landing aboard ''Indomitable'' with only one landing gear leg extended and no [[flap (aircraft)|flap]]s on 13 May. The BPF continued its routine of two days of operations alternating with one or two days to replenish its ships for the next several days with minimal interference by the Japanese. On the morning of 18 May, armourers were loading ammunition into aircraft when a Corsair's guns were accidentally fired into an Avenger, which caught fire.<ref name=m62/> The overhead [[fire sprinkler]]s were immediately turned on, but the fire could not be extinguished for nearly an hour, not least because the electric motors driving the steel-fire curtains had been damaged in the first kamikaze attack and could only be repaired by a dockyard. Twenty-one Corsairs and seven Avengers were either damaged or destroyed in the incident. Rawlings decided to detach ''Formidable'' early to give her extra time for repairs in Sydney and she was ordered to depart on 22 May.<ref>Hobbs 2011, pp. 190–191, 194; McCart, p. 62</ref>

====Operations off the Japanese coast====
The ship arrived on 31 May and was taken into the Captain Cook Dock at the [[Garden Island Dockyard]] for repairs, with the dock's labour force being augmented with workers from the [[Cockatoo Island Dockyard]]. Two of the three armour plates damaged on 4 May were repaired, but the third had to be replaced by two 1.5-inch high-quality steel plates as there were not any armour plates of the required thickness available in Australia. Repairs were also made to the ship's machinery, boilers and electrical systems. The island was enlarged with an admiral's staff cabin and a radar workshop. Rear-Admiral Sir [[Philip Vian]], commander of the 1st ACS, transferred his flag to ''Formidable'' when her repairs were complete.<ref>Hobbs 2011, pp. 214–215</ref>

Together with ''Victorious'' and ''King George V'', ''Formidable'' departed Sydney on 28 June, bound for the BPF's advance base at [[Manus Island]], in the [[Admiralty Islands]]. Her air group now consisted of 36 Corsairs, 12 Avengers and 6 Grumman F6F Hellcats of [[1844 Naval Air Squadron|1844 Squadron]]. Two of the latter aircraft were [[photoreconnaissance]] versions.<ref>Hobbs 2011, pp. 252–253</ref> No. 6 Naval Fighter Wing was absorbed into the [[2nd Carrier Air Group]] that controlled all of the aircraft on the carrier.<ref>Sturtivant, pp. 472, 474</ref> The ships arrived on 4 July, refuelled, and departed two days later to join the American [[United States Third Fleet|Third Fleet]], already operating off the Japanese Home Islands. The BPF rendezvoused with the Americans on 16 July and commenced operations the next morning. ''Formidable'' flew off 28 Corsairs bound north of Tokyo on 17 July, but some of them were unable to locate their targets because of bad weather. Twenty-four Corsairs 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, 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.<ref>Hobbs 2011, pp. 273–280</ref>

During the morning, ''Formidable'' flew off a [[Offensive counter air|fighter sweep]] of a dozen Corsairs followed an hour later by Avengers that attacked [[Matsushima Air Field]]. A second fighter sweep, led by Lieutenant [[Robert Hampton Gray]], [[RCNVR]], senior pilot of 1841 Squadron, was diverted to attack Japanese warships located in [[Onagawa, Miyagi|Onagawa Wan]], [[Miyagi Prefecture]], with his eight Corsairs. Gray spotted two [[escort ship]]s and led his aircraft into the attack. Intense flak set his engine on fire, but Gray continued his attack, [[skip bombing]] a {{convert|500|lb|adj=on}} bomb into the [[Etorofu class escort ship|''Etorofu''-class]] escort [[Japanese escort ship Amakusa|''Amakusa'']]. The ship sank within five minutes with the loss of 157 lives. Gray's aircraft rolled inverted shortly after releasing the bomb and crashed into the sea; he did not survive. Gray was later posthumously awarded the [[Victoria Cross]] (VC).<ref>Hobbs 2011, pp. 280–285</ref>

The attacks were repeated the next day, sinking two warships and numerous small merchantmen and destroying numerous railway locomotives and parked aircraft. 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 ''Formidable'', departed for Manus on 12 August. The [[Japanese surrender]] a few days later ended the war.<ref>Hobbs 2011, pp. 286–288, 410</ref>

===Post-war actions===
[[File:Convoy of repatriated POWs departing after being unloaded from HMS Formidable in October 1945.JPG|thumb|alt=Black and white photo of a dockside scene. Buses are driving in front a crowd of people. An aircraft carrier and a bridge are visible in the background.|Friends and relatives of repatriated Australian POWs wave them off as they depart in buses after disembarking from ''Formidable'' at Sydney in October 1945]]
''Formidable'' arrived at Sydney on 24 August, and had her hangar refitted to accommodate Allied ex-prisoners of war and soldiers for repatriation. Having left her air group behind to maximise the numbers of passengers she could carry, the ship arrived at [[Manila]] on 30 September, where she loaded over 1,000 Australian former prisoners of war on 4 October and unloaded them at [[Circular Quay]] in Sydney on 21 October. She departed three days later, bound for [[Karavia Bay]], [[New Britain]], where she loaded 1,254 men of the [[British Indian Army|Indian Army]] and continued on to [[Singapore]] where she loaded Indian ex-PoWs before delivering them to Bombay. There ''Formidable'' loaded an Indian Army [[infantry]] [[battalion]] for transport to [[Jakarta|Batavia]] in the Dutch East Indies to maintain law and order until Dutch colonial troops could take over. The ship then loaded elements of the [[7th Australian Division]] and their equipment at [[Tarakan Island]], [[Borneo]], and picked up more Australians at [[Morotai]]; she arrived at Sydney on 6 December.<ref>Hobbs 2011, pp. 339–340</ref>

Vice-Admiral Vian addressed the ship's crew on 27 December before she departed the following day with 800 naval personnel embarked for passage home. She arrived at [[HMNB Portsmouth|Portsmouth]] on 5 February 1946. The dockyard there fitted her with more permanent accommodations in the hangar for more trooping duties and she loaded 480 personnel before departing for Sydney on 2 March. ''Formidable'' arrived there a month later and loaded 1,336 naval personnel as well as some [[Women's Royal Naval Service|Wrens]] and [[Voluntary Aid Detachment|VAD]] nurses. She sailed on 12 April, stopping in Colombo to refuel and drop off 576 naval personnel, before arriving in [[HMNB Devonport|Devonport]] on 9 May. She made her next voyage to Bombay and Colombo between 15 June and 25 July. The ship loaded 114 officers, 958 ratings and 11 VAD nurses in Singapore in August and another 319 ratings in Trincomalee before stopping in Malta to load 41 men of the [[Merchant Navy (United Kingdom)|Merchant Navy]]. ''Formidable'' made her last trooping voyage between Portsmouth and Singapore, delivering 1,000 [[Royal Marine Commando]]s to the latter, between 3 December and 3 February 1947.<ref>McCart, pp. 67–68</ref>

===Decommissioning and disposal===
In early March 1947, ''Formidable'' steamed north to Rosyth for a brief refit before being reduced to reserve. She was paid off on 12 August and a later survey revealed that her wartime damage and poor material shape meant the ship was beyond economical repair at a time when money was very tight. She was towed to [[Spithead]] in mid-1949 and then to Portsmouth Royal Dockyard in November 1952. ''Formidable'' was sold for scrap in January 1953 and towed to [[Inverkeithing]] where she was broken up.<ref>Hobbs 2013, p. 99; McCart, p. 68</ref>

==Squadrons embarked==
[[File:The Royal Navy during the Second World War- Madagascar, April - May 1942 A9710.jpg|thumb|upright|Fulmars on the flight deck, May 1942]]
[[File:Fairey Barracuda and Vought F4U Corsair aircraft being armed on board HMS Formidable.jpg|thumb|upright|Barracudas being "bombed-up", during Operation Goodwood in August 1944. The heavy cruiser {{HMS|Berwick|65|2}} is in the background.]]
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
!width="10%"|Squadron
!width="20%"|Aircraft operated
!class="unsortable" width="25%"|Embarked (from – to)
!class="unsortable" width="35%"|Notes
|-
|[[803 Naval Air Squadron|803]] || [[Fairey Fulmar]] ||27 November 1940 – 12 May 1941<br />25 April 1942 – 24 August 1942 || To HMS ''Illustrious''<ref>Sturtivant, pp. 172–174</ref>
|-
|[[806 Naval Air Squadron|806]] || Fairey Fulmar || 4 March – 27 May 1942<ref>Sturtivant, pp. 184–186</ref> ||
|-
|[[810 Naval Air Squadron|810]] || [[Fairey Swordfish]] || 13–21 December 1941<ref>Sturtivant, pp. 198, 200</ref>||
|-
|[[818 Naval Air Squadron|818]] || [[Fairey Albacore]] || 4 February – 20 April 1942|| Disbanded<ref>Sturtivant, p. 238</ref>
|-
|[[820 Naval Air Squadron|820]] || Fairey Albacore  ||3 February 1942 – 11 November 1943 || Disbanded<ref>Sturtivant, pp. 247–248</ref>
|-
|[[826 Naval Air Squadron|826]] || Fairey Albacore<br />Fairey Swordfish<br />Fairey Barracuda || 26 November 1940 – 27 May 1941 <br /> 15 August – 2 September 1944<ref>Sturtivant, pp. 275–276</ref>  ||
|-
|[[827 Naval Air Squadron|827]] || [[Fairey Barracuda]] || 11–19 July 1944||Returned to HMS ''Furious''<ref>Sturtivant, p. 281</ref>
|-
|[[828 Naval Air Squadron|828]] || Fairey Barracuda || 18 August – 2 September 1944 || Returned to HMS ''Implacable''<ref name=s84/>
|-
|[[829 Naval Air Squadron|829]] || Fairey Albacore ||15 November 1940 – 23 August 1941 <br />10–21 December 1941<ref>Sturtivant, p. 287</ref> ||
|-
|[[830 Naval Air Squadron|830]] || Fairey Barracuda || 9–19 July 1944 || Returned to HMS ''Furious''<ref>Sturtivant, p. 290</ref>
|-
|[[841 Naval Air Squadron|841]] || Fairey Barracuda  ||8–14 August 1944|| Transferred to HMS ''Implacable''<ref>Sturtivant, p. 309</ref>
|-
|[[848 Naval Air Squadron|848]] || [[Grumman TBF Avenger]] || 16 September 1944 – 24 August 1945<ref>Sturtivant, p. 331</ref> ||
|-
|[[853 Naval Air Squadron|853]] || [[Grumman F4F Wildcat]] || 14–24 June 1944<ref>Sturtivant, p. 345</ref> ||
|-
|[[881 Naval Air Squadron|881]] || Grumman F4F Wildcat || 10–12 November 1943<ref>Sturtivant, p. 362</ref> ||
|-
|[[885 Naval Air Squadron|885]] ||[[Supermarine Seafire]] I/II||28 October 1942 – 18 October 1943<ref>Sturtivant, pp. 367–368</ref> ||
|-
|[[888 Naval Air Squadron|888]] || Grumman F4F Wildcat || 24 August 1942 – 13 November 1943<ref>Sturtivant, p. 372</ref> ||
|-
|[[893 Naval Air Squadron|893]] || Grumman F4F Wildcat || 21 October 1942 – 13 November 1943||Disbanded<ref>Sturtivant, p. 383</ref>
|-
|[[1840 Naval Air Squadron|1840]] || [[Grumman F6F Hellcat]] || 31 July – 5 August 1944|| Transferred to HMS ''Indefatigable''<ref>Sturtivant, p. 420</ref>
|-
|[[1841 Naval Air Squadron|1841]] || [[Vought F4U Corsair]] || 26 June 1944 – 23 August 1945<ref>Sturtivant, p. 422</ref> ||
|-
|[[1842 Naval Air Squadron|1842]] || Vought F4U Corsair || 28 June 1945 – ?|| 2 of these were [[photoreconnaissance]] versions<ref>Brown, J. D., p. 100</ref>
|}

==Notes==
{{reflist|group=Note}}

==Footnotes==
{{Reflist|colwidth=30em}}

== Bibliography ==
* {{cite book|last=Ballantyne|first=Iain|title=Warspite|series= Warships of the Royal Navy|publisher=Naval Institute Press|year=2001|isbn=1-55750-988-3}}
* {{cite book|last=Brown |first=David |title=WWII Fact Files: Aircraft Carriers|location=New York |publisher=Arco Publishing |year=1977 |isbn=0-668-04164-1}}
* {{cite book|last=Brown|first=J. D.|title=Carrier Operations in World War II|year=2009|publisher=Naval Institute Press|location=Annapolis, Maryland|isbn=978-1-59114-108-2}}
* {{cite book|last=Campbell|first=John|title=Naval Weapons of World War II|year=1985|publisher=Naval Institute Press|location=Annapolis, Maryland|isbn=0-87021-459-4}}
* {{cite book|title=Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1922–1946|editor1-last=Chesneau |editor1-first=Roger |publisher=Mayflower Books|location=New York|year=1980|isbn=0-8317-0303-2 |chapter=Great Britain |last1=Campbell |first1=N. J. M.|pages=2–85}}
* {{cite book|last=Friedman|first=Norman|author-link=Norman Friedman|title=British Carrier Aviation: The Evolution of the Ships and Their Aircraft|year=1988|publisher=Naval Institute Press|location=Annapolis, Maryland |isbn=0-87021-054-8}}
* {{cite book
  | last1 = Garzke
  | first1 = William H.
  | last2 = Dulin
  | first2 = Robert O.
  | year = 1985
  | title = Battleships: Axis and Neutral Battleships in World War II
  | publisher = Naval Institute Press
  | location = Annapolis, Maryland
  | isbn = 978-0-87021-101-0|name-list-style=amp
  }}
* {{cite book |last1=Greene |first1=Jack |last2=Massignani |first2=Alessandro |date=1998 |title=The Naval War in the Mediterranean, 1940–1943 |publisher=Chatham Publishing |location=London |isbn=1-86176-057-4}}
* {{cite book|last=Hobbs|first=David|title=British Aircraft Carriers: Design, Development and Service Histories |year=2013|publisher=Seaforth Publishing|location=Barnsley, UK|isbn=978-1-84832-138-0}}
* {{cite book|last=Hobbs|first=David|title=The British Pacific Fleet: The Royal Navy's Most Powerful Strike Force|publisher=Naval Institute Press|location=Annapolis, Maryland|year=2011|isbn=978-1-59114-044-3}}
* {{cite book|last=Hobbs|first=David|title=The British Pacific Fleet: The Royal Navy's Most Powerful Strike Force |publisher=Seaforth Publishing|location=Barnsley, UK|year=2017|isbn=978-1-5267-0283-8}}
* {{cite book|last=Lenton|first=H. T.|author-link=Henry Trevor Lenton|title=British & Empire Warships of the Second World War|publisher=Naval Institute Press|location=Annapolis, Maryland|year=1998|isbn=1-55750-048-7}}
* {{cite book|last=McCart|first=Neil|title=The Illustrious & Implacable Classes of Aircraft Carrier 1940–1969 |publisher=Fan Publications|location=Cheltenham, UK|year=2000|isbn=1-901225-04-6}}
* {{cite book|last=Rohwer|first=Jürgen|title=Chronology of the War at Sea 1939-1945: The Naval History of World War Two|publisher=Naval Institute Press|location=Annapolis, Maryland|year=2005|edition=Third Rev|isbn=1-59114-119-2|author-link=Jürgen Rohwer}}
* {{cite book|title=H.M. Ships Damaged or Sunk by Enemy Action: 3rd. SEPT. 1939 to 2nd. SEPT. 1945|year=1952|publisher=Admiralty|url=https://www.navy.gov.au/media-room/publications/hm-ships-damaged-or-sunk-enemy-action-wwii|ref={{harvid|''H.M. Ships Damaged or Sunk by Enemy Action''|1952}}|access-date=19 July 2020}}
* {{cite book|last=Shores|first=Christopher|title=Dust Clouds in the Middle East|year=1996|publisher=Grub Street|location=London|isbn=1-898697-37-X}}
* {{cite book|last1=Shores|first1=Christopher|last2=Cull|first2=Brian|last3= Malizia |first3=Nicola|title=Air War for Yugoslavia, Greece, and Crete |publisher=Grub Street|location=London|year=1987|isbn=0-948817-07-0|name-list-style=amp}}
* {{cite book|last=Sturtivant|first=Ray|title=The Squadrons of the Fleet Air Arm|year=1984|publisher=Air-Britain (Historians)|location=Tonbridge, UK |isbn=0-85130-120-7|author-link=Ray Sturtivant}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|HMS Formidable (R67)}}
* [http://www.armouredcarriers.com/ Armoured aircraft carrier action and damage reports, 1940-1945]
* [http://www.hmsformidable.com Links to surviving members of the ship and "friends of" HMS/HMAC ''Formidable''] You may still contact survivors of the ship's complement and view photos of their annual reunions with hundreds of photos of the ship itself on this website.
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20110711172329/http://www.hmsformidable.com/FormAlbumpics/index1.html Huge gallery of photos of ''Formidable'']
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20090602040749/http://www.petermills.com/hms.php Found photos in Sydney. Geoffrey St Maur Mills archive scanned and posted. Includes rare scans of messages including "War Is Over" ''Formidable'']
* [http://www.maritimequest.com/warship_directory/great_britain/pages/aircraft_carriers/hms_formidable_67.htm Maritimequest HMS ''Formidable'' photo gallery]
* {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20070804203213/http://www.fleetairarmarchive.net/Ships/FORMIDABLE.html Fleet Air Arm entry for ''Formidable'']}}
* [https://www.facebook.com/HMS-Formidable-WW2-Aircraft-Carrier-website-131275343574328/info Link to HMS Formidable Facebook]
* [http://www.maritimequest.com/warship_directory/great_britain/pages/aircraft_carriers/hms_formidable_67_roll_of_honour.htm Roll of Honour]

{{Illustrious class aircraft carrier}}
{{May 1945 shipwrecks}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Formidable (R67)}}
[[Category:1939 ships]]
[[Category:Illustrious-class aircraft carriers]]
[[Category:Ships built by Harland and Wolff]]
[[Category:Ships built in Belfast]]
[[Category:World War II aircraft carriers of the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Maritime incidents in May 1945]]