Mar 20, 2020
With only HMS Victorious in the Home Fleet, HMS Formidable in the Mediterranean Fleet and Illustrious in the Eastern Fleet — the RN did not have carriers to spare.
Please see my answer to this question originally asked and answered on Quora below.
With only HMS Victorious in the Home Fleet, HMS Formidable in the Mediterranean Fleet and Illustrious in the Eastern Fleet — the RN did not have carriers to spare.
Nevertheless, when Admiral King, repeated his request for aircraft carriers to be diverted to bolster the Pacific Fleet after the unexpectedly high cost of the Guadalcanal campaign, the Admiralty acquiesced.
We are far more heavily engaged in the Southwest Pacific than I anticipated a few months ago, Roosevelt reportedly told Churchill.
It was not entirely a benevolent act: The Royal Navy knew the type of warfare being fought in the Pacific was vastly different to that of the Atlantic and Mediterranean. This would give the fleet some much needed experience in carrier strike operations.
HMS Victorious (R38) — Wikipedia
Service with the US Navy
USS Hornet was sunk and USS Enterprise was badly damaged at the Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands, leaving the United States Navy with only one fleet carrier, USS Saratoga, operational in the Pacific. In late December 1942, Victorious was loaned to the US Navy after an American plea for carrier reinforcement.
After a refit in the United States at the Norfolk Navy Yard in January 1943 and the addition of Avenger aircraft, Victorious passed through the Panama Canal on 14 February to operate with United States forces in the Pacific. Her crew suffered a diphtheria outbreak and medical supplies were dropped to her by air on 21 February.
Victorious arrived at Pearl Harbor in March 1943 and was fitted with heavier arrester wires as RN wires had proved too light for the Grumman Avengeraircraft. Additional AA guns were also fitted. She sailed for the south-west Pacific, arriving at Nouméa, New Caledonia, on 17 May to form Carrier Division 1 with USS Saratoga.
She sortied immediately for a week with Task Force 14, including Saratoga and battleships North Carolina, Massachusetts, and Indiana, sweeping against reported Japanese fleet activity, but without contact. Six aircraft were lost to accidents. Rear Admiral DeWitt Ramsey, commanding the division, carried out evaluation exercises and patrol sweeps in June and determined that Victorious had superior fighter control but handled Avenger aircraft poorly because of their weight. Accordingly, he transferred 832 Squadron FAA on to the Saratoga and US Carrier Air Group 3 on to the Victorious. Thereafter, Victorious’s primary role was fighter cover and Saratoga mainly handled strikes. On 27 June, TF14 was redesignated Task Group 36.3 and sailed to provide cover for the invasion of New Georgia (part of Operation Cartwheel). Victorious spent the next 28 days continuously in combat operations at sea, a record for a British carrier, steaming 12,223 miles at an average speed over 18 knots (33 km/h) kts and launching 614 sorties. Returning to Nouméa on 25 July, Victorious was recalled home. Though the Japanese had four carriers to Ramsey’s two, it seemed clear that they were not intending to press their advantage and the first two carriers of the new Essex-class had arrived at Pearl Harbor well ahead of schedule. Victorious left for Pearl Harbor on 31 July, leaving behind her Avengers as replacements for Saratoga, sailing in company with battleship Indiana and launching 165 anti submarine sweeps en route. She also carried US pilots finishing their tours as well as two Japanese POWs. After a brief stop in San Diego, Victorious passed through the Panama Canal on 26 August and arrived at Norfolk Navy Yard 1 September, where specialized US equipment was removed. Returning home, she arrived at Greenock on the Clyde on 26 September 1943 where aircraft and stores were discharged awaiting refit.
Reports — Armoured Aircraft Carriers
There was no doubt that not all of the US Navy senior officers wanted us or even judged us to be capable of fighting alongside them. All the crew, and our Captain in particular, demonstrated our efficiency and capability. Even the worst critics acknowledged we were as good as their best.
— Ray Barker, RN: Victorious the World Over
USS Robin: It’s the US aircraft carrier that never was.
It’s also the closest the USN really got to the mythical “Project Rainbow”, where experimentation with teleportation was supposed to have made ships ‘vanish into thin air’ before reappearing somewhere else.
So, what’s in a name?
At first glance it seems to be what it claims. It was a ship under US command. Its aircraft bore the USN white star. Its crew wore USN clothing. Its radio operators spoke with US accents. Many of its aircrew also had those distinctive twangs.
But the name didn’t match that in the USN inventory: USS Robin was supposed to be a minesweeper / ocean-going tug.
This one was an aircraft carrier.
And the ship itself was flying the flag of the Royal Navy.
The cause was the battle of Santa Cruz Islands.
USS Hornet had been lost. Enterprise had simply accumulated too much battle damage to be effective.
This left Saratoga. And her repairs were to keep her out of the front line until November 1942.
USS WASHINGTON as seen over the Sea Hurricanes aboard HMS VICTORIOUS in July 1942.
The effect was a US Pacific Fleet need for another carrier to appear, as if out of nowhere.
Eventually, this ‘miracle’ was to materialise in the form of USS Robin.
It’s one of World War II’s forgotten tales — when the United States asked Britain to help reinforce its diminished Pacific Fleet after the heavy losses of 1942.
What little reference is made to “USS Robin” is usually confused, incomplete — or simply a re-hashing of yet another poorly compiled summary.
As always, the story is much more mundane — and complex — than is generally understood.
With only HMS Victorious in the Home Fleet, HMS Formidable in the Mediterranean Fleet and Illustrious in the Eastern Fleet — the RN did not have carriers to spare.
Nevertheless, when Admiral King, repeated his request for aircraft carriers to be diverted to bolster the Pacific Fleet after the unexpectedly high cost of the Guadalcanal campaign, the Admiralty acquiesced.
We are far more heavily engaged in the Southwest Pacific than I anticipated a few months ago, Roosevelt reportedly told Churchill.
It was not entirely a benevolent act: The Royal Navy knew the type of warfare being fought in the Pacific was vastly different to that of the Atlantic and Mediterranean. This would give the fleet some much needed experience in carrier strike operations.
HMS Victorious arrived in Pearl Harbour on August 9 to see the future of the USN Pacific Fleet arrayed before her. Three fast assault carriers, three light fleet carriers and two escort carriers were sitting in the harbour.
They were ready to join the fight.
Victorious remained only long enough to refuel, reprovision and shuffle passengers. While the 33 USN officers and men embarked at Norfolk to supplement her crew were surrendered, a total of 85 were now on board for the passage to San Diego
She set sail again on August 12.
The armoured carrier crossed back into the Atlantic on August 26 and arrived at Norfolk Navy Yard on September 1.
All USN radios, cyphers and and other equipment was stripped out.
However, fresh damage from the second Panama Canal transit was repaired. A new SG radar system was installed and the tired Wildcat and Avenger veterans of the Pacific operations replaced with fresh aircraft.
The carrier returned to the Clyde on September 26, 1943, before moving on to Liverpool’s Gladstone Dock for a refit which lasted until March 4, 1944.
During this period Captain Mackintosh departed the carrier, replaced by Captain Denny.
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