HMS Ark Royal | Driven to destruction

Commissioned in November 1938, HMS Ark Royal was the most prominent British aircraft carrier of its time. At the outbreak of the war in September 1939, Ark Royal was assigned to the Home Fleet, primarily operating in the North Atlantic and the North Sea. Its early roles involved escorting convoys and conducting patrols to counter the threat posed by German battlecruisers and U-boats. In April 1940, Ark Royal played a central role in the Norwegian Campaign. Its aircraft conducted reconnaissance missions and attacked German forces on the ground and in harbour. However, the carrier sustained several near misses from German bombs during this campaign. The Ark Royal was then transferred to form the core of Force H at Gibraltar, initiating a long-standing partnership with the battlecruiser HMS Renown and cruiser HMS Sheffield. These were heavily involved in various operations in the Mediterranean Sea, including supporting the defence of Malta and providing air cover during raids on Italian ports. The ha