HMS Indefatigable (R10)

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HMS Indefatigable being launched.

HMS Indefatigable (R10) was an Implacable-class aircraft carrier of the British Royal 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 the Home Fleet. The ship's first commander was Captain Q. 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 fjords of Norway. 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 and Fairey Firefly.

After dockyard work on the problems the ship sailed on 19 November 1944 for the Far East to join the British Pacific Fleet as flagship of Rear-Admiral Philip Vian (former captain of Cossack) who commanded the carrier group of the BPF. He transferred his flag to Indomitable on arrival at Colombo 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 a kamikaze suicide bomber. Thanks to her armoured deck, 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.

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.

See HMS Indefatigable for other ships of this name.