- HMS Indefatigable (R10)
HMS "Indefatigable" (R10) was an "Implacable"-class
aircraft carrier of the BritishRoyal Navy .Built at the famous John Brown Yard on the Clyde, at
Clydebank ,Scotland , "Indefatigable" was laid down on 3 November 1939 and launched on 8 December 1942. She commissioned into the Royal Navy on 3 May 1944, joining theHome Fleet . The ship's first commander was CaptainQ. D. Graham .The first mission (rather in the form of a 'working-up' exercise) was a set of raids on the German battleship "Tirpitz" in the
fjord s ofNorway . It was not a spectacular success with all sorts of equipment problems showing up.The ship's squadrons operated a number of aircraft types including the
Supermarine Seafire andFairey Firefly .After dockyard work on the problems the ship sailed on 19 November 1944 for theFar East to join theBritish Pacific Fleet as flagship of Rear-AdmiralPhilip Vian (former captain of "Cossack") who commanded the carrier group of the BPF. He transferred his flag to "Indomitable" on arrival atColombo on 10 December 1944.On 1 April 1945, while operating in support of the Okinawa operation, the ship was hit at the base of the
superstructure by akamikaze suicide bomber. Fourteen men were killed. Thanks to her armoured deck however, "Indefatigable" was able to operate aircraft again after just 5 hours."Indefatigable" was present at the formal surrender of the Japanese on 2 September in
Tokyo Bay . She later helped to repatriate Allied POWs held in Japan and was used as a spotting ship for later US nuclear tests in the Pacific ocean.She decommissioned after the war but recommissioned in 1950 as a
training ship . After being decommissioned for the last time, "Indefatigable" was scrapped in 1956.External links
* [http://www.maritimequest.com/warship_directory/great_britain/pages/aircraft_carriers/hms_indefatigable_10.htm Maritimeques HMS Indefatigable photo galley]
* [http://www.maritimequest.com/warship_directory/great_britain/pages/aircraft_carriers/hms_indefatigable_10_darrell_bumby_collection_page_1.htm Darrell V. Bumby RN Collection on MaritimeQuest]
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