LAST STRIKES

摘要

To help the Allied assault on Japan, in late 1944 a powerful British Pacific fleet was formed, using Manus in the Admiralty Islands as a forward base. The core of the force was armoured aircraft carriers which, while they had less capacity than their US Navy equivalents, proved themselves resilient in the face of 'Kamikaze' suicide attacks in the waters off Okinawa and the Japanese Home Islands. In June 1945 the carriers HMS Formidable, Indefatigable and Victorious were joined by Implacable in preparation for operations against the Japanese homeland. HMS Indomitable was undergoing a short refit in Australia while Illustrious was en route to Britain. Although small by US Navy standards, the British fleet provided a significant reinforcement to the Allied efforts in the region. Under Vice Admiral Sir Philip Vian, Formidable, Implacable and Victorious joined Admiral 'Bull' Halsey's US Third Fleet off Japan as Task Force TF37 on July 16. The US Fast Carrier Task Force, TF38, had begun operations a week earlier.