Stuka Attack! How HMS Illustrious survived a seven-bomb firestorm

On January 10, 1941, Ju87 Stuka's from X Fliegerkorps were ordered to "Sink the Illustrious! Incensed by the daring raid on Taranto, Hitler was determined to send this new Royal Navy aircraft carrier to the bottom of the Mediterranean.
Here are veteran accounts of the first dedicated dive-bombing attack ever against an aircraft carrier.
Germany expected to sink it with just two hits.
Yet it survived seven.
And the losses to crew, aircraft and equipment were far less than that experienced by the USS Bunker Hill and USS Franklin four years later.

[@ianmcgregor6002]

My Grandfather Billy Brew Petty Officer served aboard the Illustrious during WW2 and was reduced to tears explaining this attack, he passed in 1988 a real Hero to me.

[@roybennett9284]

Thankyou for his services it's because of the calibre of his likes that we can be free...my dad was younger 1928..and also CPO... submarines

[@DannyBoy777777]

Passed ?

[@conradwood6700]

I did these audio interviews. There was no filming, no team. Just me with a tape recorder. And I am no technician ; just a historian. On a limited budget. The IWM is a registered charity. I had limited time. I did not engage in projects. I tried to get something on everything within the IWM brief: war and conflict since 1914. Army, navy, marines , air force, civilians, UK, Poland , Germany , France, Italy, Japan, Finland, Holland Belgium Australia, NZ etc etc. POWs, SOE, SAS, resistance movements, Channel Islands, Spanish Civil War, Korea, Falklands, boffins and much else that I have forgotten.

[@ArmouredCarriers]

The memories you captured - particularly the incidental anecdotes - a precious. They bring back that fact that this was about people - not politics and machines.

[@conradwood6700]

@@petersimons9824 Thanks, chum.

[@stephend4909]

These audio interviews are so golden, so precious and intriguing, and I am so thankful for them! If you made these, captured this testimony, I must thank you and encourage you. With little help you achieved something very great by capturing these fragments of history. Thank you for your dedication and good work. Awesome.

[@cvince2862]

My father was wounded in this action, a bomb landed near his action station and he sustained a broken back. I imagine he would have liked to see this film, sadly he passed just over 5 years ago.

[@nickyburnell]

My dad was ERA on Illustrious. On steam catapault so on deck during whole attack. Had a small gun. He went on to Cheif ERA on The Cavendish. Heros, proper men. Thank you for the video. Stunning.

[@chickennugget3362]

My Grandfather, Hugh Armstong-Taylor was on the Illustrious carrying a crate of ammunition when it was bombed. He was the most seriously injured person on the boat to survive and spent nearly 5 years in hospital on and off.

[@jaybee9269]

“In a fit of unwarranted enthusiasm I became after damage control officer for the next two hours...” Glad the man still has his sense of humor. You make great content!

[@msgfrmdaactionman3000]

Awesome eyewitness history and videos, thanks! I served in the US Navy and I'm glad I didn't serve then in the Med. That war started with biplanes and finished with jets, ballistic rockets and atomic bombs!

[@nickdanger3802]

In Februray 1941 she sailed to Virginia for permanent repairs at the safer Norfolk Virgina Navy Yard. One propeller shaft had to be cut away and her speed fell to 23 knots. She returned to service in May 1942.

[@timothylloyd2408]

My father Sidney Robert (bob) Lloyd was on there at the time and ended up in Sydney, met my mum at a sandwich stall at circular Quay. He passed away in 1992 aged 66. He had put his name up 1 year to enlist from Streatham London.

[@wayinfront1]

That would make him only 15 years old at the time of this action in 1941.

[@timothylloyd2408]

@@wayinfront1 perhaps my date of the action is out but he for sure raised his age and was born 3rd dec 1925 but his enlisted birth date as dec 3 1924. He served on illustrious till theta end of the war,was injured by machine gun fire in the legs and spoke of a kamikaze attack later in the Pacific as well as receiving Malta cross, pacific and Atlantic star. I jest you not. His nightmares when ill towards his end were distressing for us as he shouted out like a youngish lad.i am is youngest son .He spoke of being one of the guys on deck that helped guide the aircraft to landing with paddles from memory but that was decades ago now.

[@rayw3294]

@@wayinfront1 The Royal Oak had lots of 16 year olds (lots lied and younger) when it got sunk and most drowned. It was food and somewhere to stay. And you got paid.

[@geoffday2]

@@rayw3294 Royal Oak was a training vessel when it was sunk in Scarpa flow. It’s crew were mostly very young trainees

[@zzirSnipzz1]

@@timothylloyd2408 Maybe lied about his age so he could join up people in them days were brave

[@drew65sep]

I'm a bit of a history buff...have been for most of my 56yrs here. There's plenty of examples of the Stuka flying and bombing ground targets. I appreciate seeing a bit of footage of it's use against naval targets. Thanks for the effort of putting this vid together. Interesting...

[@andyexuptaylor4503]

Points in p

[@stephend4909]

Thank you again, This is masterfully resourced, coordinated and edited, the dialogue and directly relevant footage put us there, this is so authentic and compelling, I love the effort and solid work you dedicated yourself to here, as in many other videos. Brilliant preservation of history, the world needs good people like you, y'know.

[@forthleft]

Such a great format. Really appreciate the effort.

[@chullychullster3077]

Possibly the best YT video I have had the pleasure to come across in a long time. Absolutely mesmerizing listening to such wonderful gents talk so matter-of-factly about such horrors.

[@rayw3294]

Brave guys. I wished I could of met them. Thanks Armoured Carriers channel.

[@georgesakellaropoulos8162]

Charles Lamb has written about this time in the development and use of British carriers at this point in time. 'War in a stringbag' is worth a read.

[@conradwood6700]

Very well done Armoured Carriers

[@ArmouredCarriers]

Thanks. I am yet to do the second half. Though I may re-do this one using my improved video processing technology ...

[@JamesLaserpimpWalsh]

Thanks uploader.

[@jaybee9269]

Really well done. Great quality.

[@rubenazzopardi]

Wow what an amazing video. Just on the 80th anniversary of Operation Excess too. Well done!

[@ArmouredCarriers]

A bit late due to unexpected events in Washington DC. Second half still in the pipeline ...

[@vulturedroid9804]

Thanks awfully old chap. Great channel.

[@robrowe2298]

Excellent piece, really enjoyed it, loved the way the Battle of River Plate film piece was spliced in

[@ArmouredCarriers]

Plenty of footage of ships and planes came out of WW2. Very little of their crews ...

[@robrowe2298]

@@ArmouredCarriers I suspect that building up a library of stock footage wasn't much of a consideration at the time. Assuming film, cameras and camera operators were available! :-} Great work though and I really liked the picture of an Illustrious class shooting on both beams.

[@benwilson6145]

Thank you

[@randyjohnson6845]

I'm always hearing Malta Malta Malta...I watched a photo shoot on Malta..one of the most beautiful unique places I have ever seen

[@titanclass3895]

Backbone of Britain were those ol boys...........

[@billbolton]

Thanks

[@estarriol4710]

Wonderful as always. I'm sure accounts exist of Formidable's turn off Crete a few months later but I've never seen them. I'd love it if you could do one of these for her! Would be nice to see some of their successes too, rather than watching them taking poundings!

[@ArmouredCarriers]

I am looking for accounts of Formidable’s action off Crete. As for successes, check out the Chastise/Meridian and Iceberg/Pacific fleet playlists.

[@estarriol4710]

@@ArmouredCarriers I rewatched your meridian ii vid this morning! I guess I spend so much time staring at the Med I forget about the other theatres (which is highly hypocritical of me as I rant about the forgotten Fleet regularly!). I humbly beg your pardon, sir. Looking forward to Formidable when it arrives.

[@ArmouredCarriers]

@@estarriol4710 No offence was taken! I hope to do the likes of Taranto. I'm not sure if the raids of Tirpitz qualify as a success or not ... But, if I find the material, I'll also dig into the failure at Kirkenes / Petsamo. (PS - I consider Illustrious during Excess to be a technical success - her passive defence design proved its worth. But the goal-posts began to shift because of this action!)

[@alexhunt7810]

"In a fit of unwonted enthusiasm, I became aft damage control officer for the next two hours"

[@DevilDogMOS-zc7xh]

You Brits? Big balls!

[@daniellapus636]

It was her armoured hangar that saved HMS illustrious.thanks.

[@philodonoghue3062]

It’s amazing how much ‘real-time’ film footage was taken as a permanent record for posterity. Bet they never in their wildest imagination that in the following century their brave deeds and sad loss of lives, and ‘living’ fighting vessels, would be watched by thousands of people such as military historians and including their descendants and compatriots (and former enemies) with pride on a digital platform called KZbin.

[@ArmouredCarriers]

I have generally been surprised at how much footage exists and survived. Often in little clips. Often out of context. But they can be pieced back together. My favourite "reconstruction" would be the Pedestal Malta Convoy episodes.

[@ZOIDRAB]

Brave men.

[@QuizmasterLaw]

might as well have named this class of ships words like Impervious Indestructible Intractable etc...

[@raymondyee2008]

Ah yes the HMS Illustrious I got to use her in “Atlantic Fleet” and in one case with the Kriegsmarine campaign actually sink her with battleships (rings a tune with HMS Glorious). But that aside it’s good that she survived the historical outcome.

[@no_xepy6006]

Привет из России!!!

[@anthonysmith4784]

Great video 👍🏻the Germans must have hated that ship!

[@geordiedog1749]

I think you got a Knights Cross with Diamonds, Pearls, Rubies, Oak Leaves, Glitter and Unicorns if you hit an Aircraft Carrier. That’s jealousy for you ! #Graffzeppelinmyarse!

[@TyrannoJoris_Rex]

Wasn’t she hammered with something insane like 4 500-kg and 2 1000-kg bombs?

[@MrDino1953]

The way he pronounces Sicily as “Scicilair”…so fucking British.

[@4evaavfc]

Brave sailors.

[@roybennett9284]

Love the pompoms and the chug of their firing.. pity that they were getting on,like the 0.5 quad machine guns..it would give you a bit of Curry.. apparently the pompoms during the withdrawal from France...on a destroyer..they were being shot at by some mark 2 German tanks...the shell from these wonders bowled them over like nine pins

[@roybennett9284]

Two years Roy .much has changed but your still here, getting older and wiser.. still enjoy the chugging pom poms

[@geordiedog1749]

Fairy Fulmars - most successful FAA fighter. Only good thing to come from the Fairy Battle.

[@balham456]

Bizarrely, the designers added a 2nd crew member, but didn’t bother with a rear-facing MG.

[@geordiedog1749]

@@balham456 but they were occasionally given a Lanchester to shoot back with!! I suppose it made you feel better if you could at least have a cabby back. British aircraft design!!! Either a fuck off four gunned turret or nowt at all!

[@randyjohnson6845]

Edward you volunteered because it was your destiny

[@redskindan78]

A related video, in which Drachinifel interviews Armoured Carrier about this action. A perfect companion to this episode of Armoured Carrier. kzbin.info/www/bejne/fmbFhaFrmbp9aKM The USN was impressed by the armored flight deck on Illustrious and Formidable. It was too late to design the armored deck into the Essex class carriers, and concluded that it would take a much larger ship to carry armored deck and also to carry the air group the USN wanted for the Pacific. Result, then, was the late-war Coral Sea class.

[@mudkoerfgen9843]

Under attack from Stuka's, lucky Rudel wasn't piloting 1 of em as i think he claimed a huge Russian Battle ship. 👍 from Perth Australia 🙃

[@deadwolf2978]

so which Russian BB you are talking about? the biggest ships in both Baltic and Black sea were battlecruisers "Marat" & "October Revolution". Both survived the war, as far i know. so what are you Rudeling about?

[@mudkoerfgen9843]

@@deadwolf2978 Google it cause now 2.35am here in Perth Australia & i just woke up but going back to sleep but i know Hans Rudel was credited with sinking a fairly sizeable Russian ? ship

[@deadwolf2978]

@@mudkoerfgen9843 so are you just too lazy to type, or dont know for sure?

[@mudkoerfgen9843]

@@deadwolf2978 i like Your name but that's the Only thing i like bout you buddy F.O

[@mudkoerfgen9843]

@@deadwolf2978" A battleship & cruiser sunk " Hans - Ulrich Rudel awarded Germany's highest medal - Iron Cross with diamonds & oak leaves sourced from Mark Feltons You Tube channel Dead Wolf you pickle whistler it's now nearly 9am in Perth Australia & the Best Thing it's Saturday, so day off 🙃

[@daniellapus636]

I believe the survivability UK armoured carriers better than their us counterparts.

[@ArmouredCarriers]

It's complicated. www.armouredcarriers.com

[@nickdanger3802]

Armoured deck carriers. Armored decks did not save HMS Ark Royal, Courageous, Eagle, Glorious or Hermes.

[@ArmouredCarriers]

Correct. That's because they didn't have them. @@nickdanger3802

[@nickdanger3802]

@@ArmouredCarriers Did Akagi have an armored deck ? "Military and naval aviation in America has been developed to the full." "The United States Naval Air Service has provided us with many types of naval machines that we lack." below 820 Hansard FLEET AIR ARM HL Deb 27 January 1943

[@ArmouredCarriers]

No. And Akagi was disabled by bombs. What is the point of the question? But every US carrier since and including USS Midway has had them. Also, Memorandum by Diretor of Naval Construction ADM 1/ 17030 - 14 July 1943 www.armouredcarriers.com/opensided-versus-closed-hangars-in-aircraft-carriers and Criticism of Director of Naval Construction Memorandum ADM 1/ 17030] 29 July 1943 www.armouredcarriers.com/-document-2-opensided-versus-closed-hangars @@nickdanger3802

[@Kevwadius]

Shit keeps happening whenever these blokes are about to have lunch 🤣

[@SKILLED521]

The JU-87 was an ugly plane, and the sirens were just torture. So sir, I don't like the buggers.

[@Buconoir]

Every time I hear RN in battle, whether WW2, or even up to Falklands they never set their water tight doors or actually go to general quarters! No wonder they lost so many ships, their damage control was pure shyte!

[@gathasofpersia6432]

Ummm Ummm Ummmm I wish , when they interview people, that they get their dialog set before filming.

[@ArmouredCarriers]

Most of these audio recordings are up to 50 years old, on magnetic tape. It was part of an audio history preservation project. Modern broadcast standards weren't "a thing".

[@j_taylor]

I enjoy this interview format more than if they were reading a script. It feels more natural.

[@YARROWS9]

These guys are heroes ffs. They can umm and erm all they F**king want.