Old page wikitext, before the edit (old_wikitext) | '{{otherships|HMS Ark Royal}}
{|{{Infobox Ship Begin}}
{{Infobox Ship Image
|Ship image=[[File:HMS Ark Royal h85716.jpg|300px]]
|Ship caption=HMS ''Ark Royal'' in 1939, with Swordfish of [[820 Naval Air Squadron]] passing overhead.
}}
{{Infobox Ship Career
|Ship country=United Kingdom
|Ship flag={{shipboxflag|United Kingdom|naval}}
|Ship name=HMS ''Ark Royal'' (91)
|Ship ordered= 1934 build programme
|Ship builder=[[Cammell Laird|Cammell Laird and Company, Ltd.]]
|Ship laid down=16 September 1935
|Ship launched=13 April 1937
|Ship commissioned=16 December 1938
|Ship fate=Sunk 14 November 1941<br />after being torpedoed by [[Unterseeboot 81 (1941)|''U-81'']] on 13 November 1941
|Ship motto=''Desire n'a pas Repos'' - "Zeal Does Not Rest"
|Ship nickname=
|Ship honours=
<table>
* [[Allied campaign in Norway|Norway]] 1940
* [[Battle of Cape Spartivento|Spartivento]] 1940
* [[Battle of the Mediterranean|Mediterranean]] 1940-41
* [[German battleship Bismarck|''Bismarck'']] 1941
* [[Malta Convoys]] 1941
</table>
}}
{{Infobox Ship Characteristics
|Ship type=Unique [[aircraft carrier]]
|Ship displacement=22,000 tons standard, <br /> 27,720 tons loaded
|Ship length={{convert|800|ft|m|abbr=on}} overall<br />{{convert|721.5|ft|m|0|abbr=on}} waterline
|Ship beam={{convert|94.8|ft|m|abbr=on}}
|Ship draught={{convert|27.8|ft|m|abbr=on}}
|Ship propulsion=6 Admiralty 3-drum boilers,<br />3 Parsons geared turbines; 102,000 shp
|Ship speed={{convert|30|kn|lk=in}} (designed)<br />{{convert|31|kn}} (actual)
|Ship range={{convert|7600|nmi}} at {{convert|20|kn|abbrev=on}}<!--assuming these are nautical miles, used with a speed in knots, and fixing conversion accordingly-->
|Ship complement=1,580 officers and men
|Ship sensors=
|Ship armament=16 × [[QF 4.5 inch naval gun|4.5 inch (114 mm) guns]] (8 × 2)<br />32 × [[QF 2 pounder naval gun|2 pounder (1.5 in) Pom-poms]] (4 × 8)<ref name=pompom/><br />32 × [[Vickers_.50_machine_gun#Mark_III|.50 calibre (12.7 mm) machine guns]] (8 × 4)
|Ship armour={{convert|4.5|in|mm}} belt<br />{{convert|3.5|in|mm|abbr=on}} deck over boiler rooms and magazines
|Ship aircraft=72 (designed)<br />50 to 60 (actual)
<table>
* 1939–40: 26 [[Fairey Swordfish]], 24 [[Blackburn Skua]]s
* 1940–41: 30 Fairey Swordfish, 12 Blackburn Skuas, 12 [[Fairey Fulmar]]s
* 1941: 36 Fairey Swordfish, 18 Fairey Fulmars
</table>
|Ship notes=
}}
|}
'''HMS ''Ark Royal''''' ([[pennant number]] 91) was an [[aircraft carrier]] of the British [[Royal Navy]] that served in [[ World War II]].
Designed in 1934 to fit the restrictions of the [[Washington Naval Treaty]], ''Ark Royal'' was built by [[Cammell Laird|Cammell Laird and Company, Ltd.]] at [[Birkenhead|Birkenhead, England]], and completed in November 1938. Her design differed from previous aircraft carriers. ''Ark Royal'' was the first ship on which the hangars and [[flight deck]] were an integral part of the hull, instead of an add-on or part of the [[wikt:superstructure|superstructure]]. Designed to carry a large number of aircraft, she had two hangar deck levels. She served during a period that first saw the extensive use of naval air power; a number of carrier tactics were developed and refined aboard ''Ark Royal''.
''Ark Royal'' served in some of the active naval theatres of the Second World War. She was involved in the first aerial and U-boat kills of the war, [[Allied campaign in Norway|operations off Norway]], the [[Last battle of the battleship Bismarck|search for the German battleship ''Bismarck'']], and the [[Malta Convoys]]. ''Ark Royal'' survived several near misses and gained a reputation as a 'lucky ship'. The Germans incorrectly reported her as sunk on multiple occasions.
She was torpedoed on 13 November 1941 by the German submarine [[Unterseeboot 81 (1941)|''U-81'']] and sank the following day. Her sinking was the subject of several inquiries; investigators were keen to know how the carrier was lost, given there were efforts to save the ship and tow her to the naval base at [[Gibraltar]]. They found that several design flaws contributed to the loss, which were rectified in new [[United Kingdom|British]] carriers.
Her wreck was discovered by a BBC crew in December 2002, approximately {{convert|30|nmi|km}} from Gibraltar.
==Design==
In 1923, the [[Admiralty]] prepared a 10-year building programme which included an aircraft carrier and 300 aircraft for the [[Fleet Air Arm]].<ref name="Rossiter">{{cite book |last=Rossiter |title=Ark Royal |pages=43–4}}</ref> The economic downturn following the First World War caused it to be postponed. In 1930, the Director of Naval Construction, Sir Arthur Johns, began to update the plans for the carrier by incorporating recently developed technology.<ref name="Rossiter"/> His aim was to increase the number of aircraft carried by shortening the landing and take-off distances of aircraft by using [[arresting gear|arrestor gear]] and [[Aircraft catapult|compressed steam catapults]] respectively, which would make more deck space available for storage and aircraft preparation.<ref name="Rossiter"/><ref name=BisChant/> Along with the inclusion of two hangar decks, this allowed ''Ark Royal'' to carry up to 72 aircraft, although the development of larger and heavier aircraft during the carrier's construction meant that the actual number carried was between 50 and 60.<ref>{{cite book |last=Rossiter |title=Ark Royal |pages=48–51}}</ref> The hangar decks were placed inside the hull, thus benefiting from the protection of the {{convert|4.5|in|mm}} [[belt armour]].<ref name=BisChant/> Three lifts moved aircraft between the hangars and the flight deck.<ref name=BisChant/>
[[File:HMS Ark Royal 19sb2j1.jpg|thumb|left|''Ark Royal''{{'}}s flight deck overhangs the stern. Her unusual height above the waterline is visible in comparison with the tugboat.]]
Another feature was the length and height of the flight deck. At {{convert|800|ft|m}}, the flight deck was {{convert|118|ft|m}} longer than the keel; the latter dictated by the length of Royal Navy dry-docks in [[Gibraltar]] and [[Malta]].<ref name=BisChant/> Because hangar decks were within the hull, the flight deck rose to {{convert|66|ft|m}} above the waterline.
The [[Washington Naval Treaty|Washington]] and [[London Naval Treaty|London Naval Treaties]], which restricted warship tonnage for a number of the [[Great Powers]], were to expire at the end of 1936.{{Ref_label|A|a|none}} With a potential naval arms race developing between Britain, Japan and Italy, the [[Her Majesty's Government|British government]] sought a [[Second London Naval Treaty|second treaty]], which included limiting the maximum displacement of an aircraft carrier to 22,000 tons.<ref name="Rossiter 48-9">{{cite book |last=Rossiter |title=Ark Royal |pages=48–9}}</ref> ''Ark Royal'' would have to fit this anticipated limit; to conserve weight, armour plating was limited to the belt, engine rooms, and [[Magazine (artillery)|magazines]], while [[welding]] instead of [[rivet]]ing 65% of the hull saved 500 tons.<ref name="Rossiter 48-9"/> Installation of an [[armoured flight deck]] was not possible, as the weight would have placed ''Ark Royal'' above the proposed limit, while reducing her endurance and stability.<ref name="Rossiter 48-9"/>
The ship was fitted with six boilers, which powered three Parsons geared turbines. The turbines were connected via three driveshafts to three bronze propellers {{convert|16|ft|m}} in diameter, to produce a maximum theoretical speed of {{convert|30|kn}}.<ref name=navalhistory.net/><ref>{{cite book |last=Rossiter |title=Ark Royal |pages=47}}</ref> Speed was important, as with catapults and arrestor gear, ''Ark Royal'' would have to turn into the wind to launch and recover aircraft. To avoid endangering other ships with the frequent course changes associated with flight operations, ''Ark Royal'' would have to break away from accompanying ships, and catch up on completion. Additionally, as the carrier was not armed for ship-to-ship combat, speed was her main protection against enemy warships.<ref name="Rossiter"/>
==Construction==
The deteriorating international situation by 1933, typified by Germany's rearmament and the expansion of Japan and Italy, convinced the British to announce funds for the carrier's construction in the 1934 budget proposals.<ref>{{cite book |last=Rossiter |title=Ark Royal |pages=45}}</ref> The plans finalised by November 1934, and were tendered in February 1935 to [[Cammell Laird|Cammell Laird and Company, Ltd.]], which calculated the cost of the hull at [[British pound|£]]1,496,250 (£{{Formatprice|{{Inflation|UK|1496250|1935|{{CURRENTYEAR}}|r=-4}}}} as of {{CURRENTYEAR}}),{{Inflation-fn|UK}} and the main machinery at approximately £500,000.<ref name=navalhistory.net>{{cite web |last=Mason |url=http://www.naval-history.net/xGM-Chrono-04CV-Ark%20Royal.htm |title=HMS Ark Royal - Fleet Aircraft Carrier}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Rossiter |title=Ark Royal |pages=45–6}}</ref>(£{{Formatprice|{{Inflation|UK|500000|1935|{{CURRENTYEAR}}|r=-4}}}} as of {{CURRENTYEAR}}),{{Inflation-fn|UK}} The overall cost was estimated to be over £3 million, making ''Ark Royal'' the most expensive ship ordered by the Royal Navy.<ref>{{cite book |last=Rossiter |title=Ark Royal |page=46}}</ref> Construction began on Job No. 1012 when ''Ark Royal''{{'}}s keel was laid down on 16 September 1935.<ref name="Colledge">{{cite book |last=Colledge & Warlow |title=Ships of the Royal Navy |pages=21}}</ref>
[[File:HMS Ark Royal (91) just after launching.jpg|thumb|left|''Ark Royal'' immediately after launching. The lifts on the flight deck and the anti-aircraft positions on the hull are visible.]]
''Ark Royal'' spent nearly two years in the builder's yard before being launched on 13 April 1937 by Lady Maud Hoare, wife of [[Samuel Hoare, 1st Viscount Templewood|Sir Samuel Hoare]], then [[Lord Commissioner of the Admiralty|First Lord of the Admiralty]]. The bottle of champagne thrown against ''Ark Royal''{{'}}s bows did not smash until the fourth attempt.<ref>{{cite book |last=Rossiter |title=Ark Royal |pages=41}}</ref> The carrier spent a year [[fitting out]], was handed over to her first commander, [[Arthur John Power|Captain Arthur Power]], on 16 November 1938, and was commissioned on 16 December.<ref name="Colledge"/> Although intended for the [[Far East]], events in Europe during the carrier's construction, including the [[Second Italo-Abyssinian War|Italian invasion of Abyssinia]] in 1935 and the [[Spanish Civil War]] in 1936, caused the Admiralty to mark her for deployment with the [[Home Fleet|Home]] and [[Mediterranean Fleet (United Kingdom)|Mediterranean Fleets]].<ref>{{cite book |last=Rossiter |title=Ark Royal |pages=61–2}}</ref> After her crew joined at the end of 1938, ''Ark Royal'' underwent [[sea trial]]s to prepare for service, during which the carrier proved capable of sailing above her theoretical speed, reaching over {{convert|31|kn|km/h}}.<ref>{{cite book |last=Jameson |title=Ark Royal |pages=16}}</ref>
==Armament and aircraft==
''Ark Royal''{{'}}s armament was designed with [[anti-aircraft warfare]] in mind, as aircraft were expected to be the main threat; ships and submarines could be outrun or dealt with by escorts.<ref>{{cite book |last=Westwood |title=Fighting Ships of World War II |pages=66}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Rossiter | title=Ark Royal |pages=47}}</ref> Her main armament was sixteen [[QF 4.5 inch naval gun|quick-firing 4.5 inch]] anti-aircraft guns in eight double turrets, four on each side of the hull, controlled by four [[Gun Director|Directors]] using the [[High Angle Control System]].<ref name=BisChant>{{cite book |last=Bishop & Chant |title=Aircraft carriers |pages=45}}</ref> The original design placed the turrets low on the hull, but was later altered to locate them just below the flight deck, which increased each turret's [[field of fire (weaponry)|field of fire]].<ref name=BisChant/> Six<ref name=pompom>Friedman, ''British Carrier Aviation'', Appendix A. Ark Royal entered service with four 8 barreled mountings, but by October 1941 all six mountings were in place.</ref> 8-barrelled [[QF 2 pounder naval gun|2 pounder (1.5 in) pom-poms]] were located on the flight deck, in front of and behind the superstructure island, while eight 4-barrelled .50 calibre (12.7 mm) machine guns were installed on small projecting platforms to the front and rear of the flight deck.<ref>{{cite book |last=Rossiter |title=Ark Royal |pages=47–8}}</ref>
Sixteen [[Fleet Air Arm]] squadrons were posted aboard ''Ark Royal'' during her career; an average of five squadrons at any time. On entering service, most of ''Ark Royal''{{'}}s squadrons were equipped with either [[Blackburn Skua]]s, used as fighters and dive bombers, or [[Fairey Swordfish]]es, for reconnaissance and torpedo bombing. From April 1940, squadrons equipped with Skuas were upgraded to [[Fairey Fulmar]]s; like their predecessors, these were used as fighters and bombers. On occasion, the carrier operated [[Blackburn Roc]] fighter-bombers (from April 1939 to October 1940) and [[Fairey Albacore]] torpedo bombers (during October 1941); these were replacement aircraft used to boost squadron numbers.<ref name="Rossiter 112">{{cite book |last=Rossiter |title=Ark Royal |pages=112}}</ref> In June 1940, ''Ark Royal'' was host to [[701 Naval Air Squadron]], a training squadron which operated [[Supermarine Walrus]] reconnaissance [[amphibious aircraft|amphibians]].
{| class="wikitable sortable collapsible"
|+ Squadrons embarked aboard HMS ''Ark Royal''
|-
!width="10%"|Squadron
!width="20%"|Aircraft operated
!class="unsortable" width="25%"|Embarked (from - to)
!class="unsortable" width="35%"|Notes
|-
| [[800 Naval Air Squadron|800]] || Blackburn Skua Mk. II || January 1939 - April 1941 || Transferred to [[HMS Victorious (R38)|HMS ''Victorious'']]
|-
| [[810 Naval Air Squadron|810]] || Fairey Swordfish Mk. I || January 1939 - March 1941<br />May 1941 - September 1941 || Aboard [[HMS Illustrious (87)|HMS ''Illustrious'']] from March to May 1941
|-
| [[820 Naval Air Squadron|820]] || Fairey Swordfish Mk. I || January 1939 - June 1941 || -
|-
| [[821 Naval Air Squadron|821]] || Fairey Swordfish Mk. I || January 1939 - April 1940 || Removed from operational service following losses against ''Scharnhorst''
|-
| [[803 Naval Air Squadron|803]] || Blackburn Skua Mk. II<br />Blackburn Roc Mk. I || April 1939 - October 1940 || -
|-
| [[818 Naval Air Squadron|818]] || Fairey Swordfish Mk. I || August 1939 - October 1939<br />June 1940 - July 1940 || Operated from [[HMS Furious (47)|HMS ''Furious'']] and land bases between October 1939 and June 1940
|-
| [[801 Naval Air Squadron|801]] || Blackburn Skua Mk. II || April 1940 - May 1940 || Transferred to [[HMS Furious (47)|HMS ''Furious'']]
|-
| [[807 Naval Air Squadron|807]] || Fairey Fulmar Mk. II || April 1940 - November 1941 || Embarked at sinking
|-
| [[701 Naval Air Squadron|701]] || Supermarine Walrus Mk. I || June 1940 || Training squadron
|-
| [[808 Naval Air Squadron|808]] || Fairey Fulmar Mk. II || September 1940 - November 1941 || Embarked at sinking
|-
| 821X || Fairey Swordfish Mk. I || December 1940 - January 1941 || [[Flight (military unit)|Flight]] assembled from [[821 Naval Air Squadron|821 Squadron]] survivors, later absorbed into [[815 Naval Air Squadron|815 Squadron]]
|-
| 800Y || Fairey Fulmar Mk. I || June 1941 || [[Flight (military unit)|Flight]] from [[800 Naval Air Squadron|800 Squadron]]
|-
| [[825 Naval Air Squadron|825]] || Fairey Swordfish Mk. I || June 1941 - November 1941 || Embarked at sinking
|-
| [[816 Naval Air Squadron|816]] || Fairey Swordfish Mk. I || July 1941 - November 1941 || Embarked at sinking
|-
| [[812 Naval Air Squadron|812]] || Fairey Swordfish Mk. I || September 1941 - November 1941 || Embarked at sinking
|-
| [[828 Naval Air Squadron|828]] || Fairey Swordfish Mk. I<br />Fairey Albacore Mk. I || October 1941 || Redeployed to Malta
|}
==Service history==
===With the hunter-killer groups===
[[File:Declaration of war naval message.jpg|thumb|right|The message sent to the ship informing her of the commencing of hostilities on 3 September 1939]]
The outbreak of [[World War II]] on 3 September 1939 had been presaged by Germany's [[U-boat]] fleet taking up positions off the British coast, where they could intercept British shipping.<ref name=Edwards18/> Within hours of the war starting, the passenger ship [[SS Athenia|SS ''Athenia'']] was torpedoed by [[Unterseeboot 30 (1936)|''U-30'']],<ref name=Edwards18>{{cite book |last=Edwards |title=Dönitz and the wolf packs |pages=18}}</ref> the first of over 65,000 tons of shipping sunk by U-boats during the first week of the war.<ref name="Rossiter 74-7">{{cite book |last=Rossiter |title=Ark Royal |pages=74–7}}</ref> ''Ark Royal'' was deployed with the Home Fleet in the [[Western Approaches|North Western Approaches]] as part of a "hunter-killer" group, consisting of a flotilla of destroyers and other anti-submarine vessels grouped around an aircraft carrier; either [[HMS Courageous (50)|HMS ''Courageous'']], [[HMS Hermes (95)|HMS ''Hermes'']] or ''Ark Royal''. Carrier-borne aircraft could increase the area searched for U-boats, but made the carriers tempting targets.<ref name="Rossiter 74-7"/>
On 14 September, ''Ark Royal'' received a distress call from [[SS Fanad Head|SS ''Fanad Head'']], which was {{convert|200|nmi|km}} away under pursuit from the surfaced ''U-30''.<ref name=fanad/> ''Ark Royal'' launched aircraft to aid the merchant ship,<ref name=fanad/> but was spotted by [[Unterseeboot 39 (1938)|''U-39'']], which launched two torpedoes.<ref name=Edwards87/> Lookouts spotted the torpedo tracks and ''Ark Royal'' turned towards the attack, reducing her cross-section and causing the torpedoes to miss and explode harmlessly astern.<ref name="Rossiter 74-7"/> Three [[E and F class destroyer|F class destroyers]] escorting the carrier began to [[depth charge]] ''U-39'', and forced her to the surface.<ref name=Edwards87>{{cite book |last=Edwards |title=Dönitz and the wolf packs |pages=87}}</ref> The German crew abandoned ship before ''U-39'' sank—the first U-boat lost in the Second World War.<ref name=Edwards87/> ''Ark Royal''{{'}}s aircraft reached ''Fanad Head'', which was in the hands of a German boarding party.<ref name=fanad/> The Skuas unsuccessfully attacked ''U-30'': two crashed when caught by the blast of their own bombs.<ref name=fanad/> The U-boat escaped after rescuing the boarding party and the pilots of the downed aircraft (both observers had drowned), and torpedoing the ''Fanad Head''.<ref name=fanad>{{cite book |last=Rossiter |title=Ark Royal |pages=75–8}}</ref>
''Ark Royal'' returned to base in [[Loch Ewe]], where she and her crew were inspected by [[Winston Churchill]]. The sinking of ''U-39'' was hailed as important to morale. However, the failed attack on ''Ark Royal'', and the successful attack on [[HMS Courageous (50)|HMS ''Courageous'']] on 17 September, convinced the Admiralty it was too dangerous to risk aircraft carriers in this way, and carrier-centred hunter-killer groups were abandoned.<ref name="Rossiter 74-7"/>
===Another near miss===
On 25 September 1939 ''Ark Royal'' helped rescue the submarine [[HMS Spearfish (69S)|HMS ''Spearfish'']], which had been damaged by German warships off Horn Reefs, in the [[Kattegat]].<ref>{{cite book |last=Rossiter |title=Ark Royal |pages=81}}</ref> While returning to port with ''Spearfish'' and the battleships [[HMS Nelson (28)|HMS ''Nelson'']] and [[HMS Rodney (29)|HMS ''Rodney'']] on 26 September, the ships were located by three [[Luftwaffe]] [[Dornier Do 18|Dornier seaplanes]].<ref name=navalhistory.net/> ''Ark Royal'' launched three [[Blackburn Skua]]s to disperse them; one Dornier was shot down in the first British aerial kill of the war.<ref name="Westwood">{{cite book |last=Westwood |title=Fighting Ships of World War II |pages=66}}</ref>
The air commander aboard ''Ark Royal'', aware that the surviving Dorniers would report the location of the British ships, ordered the aircraft to be secured and the anti-aircraft weapons readied.<ref>{{cite book |last=Rossiter |title=Ark Royal |pages=82}}</ref> Four [[Junkers Ju 88|Ju 88 bombers]]<ref>{{cite book |last=Bekker |title=The Luftwaffe War Diaries |pages=75–76}}</ref> soon appeared: three were driven away by anti-aircraft fire, but the fourth launched a {{convert|1000|kg|lb|adj=on}} bomb at the carrier. ''Ark Royal'' turned hard to starboard, heeling over and avoiding the bomb, which landed in the ocean {{convert|30|m|ft}} off her starboard bow and sent a spout of water over the ship. The German pilots did not see if the carrier had been hit, and a reconnaissance flight later located the two battleships, but not ''Ark Royal''. Based on this information, the Germans incorrectly claimed that ''Ark Royal'' had sunk.<ref name=ross84.5>{{cite book |last=Rossiter |title=Ark Royal |pages=84–5}}</ref> To prove the German propaganda false before it had a negative effect on Britain's allies, [[Winston Churchill]] personally reassured United States President [[Franklin Roosevelt]] that the carrier was undamaged and invited the US naval attaché to view ''Ark Royal'' in dock.<ref name=ross84.5/> The British naval attaché in Rome was instructed to assure Italian Prime Minister [[Benito Mussolini]] that the ship was still in service.<ref name=ross84.5/> This proved to be a considerable embarrassment for [[Goebbels]] and [[Nazi propaganda]].<ref>{{cite book |last=Balfour |title=Propaganda in War 1939-1945 |pages=158–9}}</ref>
===Hunting the ''Graf Spee''===
In October 1939 ''Ark Royal'' was redeployed to [[Freetown]] to operate off the African coast in the hunt for the German [[commerce raider]] [[German pocket battleship Admiral Graf Spee|''Graf Spee'']]. The carrier was assigned to [[Force K]], and sailed with the battlecruiser [[HMS Renown (1916)|HMS ''Renown'']] to the [[South Atlantic]].<ref name=navalhistory.net/> On 9 October, aircraft from ''Ark Royal'' spotted the [[German tanker Altmark|German tanker ''Altmark'']], which supplied ''Graf Spee''. The tanker was disguised as the US vessel ''Delmar'', which fooled the British into passing her by.<ref>{{cite book |last=Rossiter |title=Ark Royal |pages=88–9}}</ref> On 5 November, ''Ark Royal'' captured the German merchant [[SS Uhenfels|SS ''Uhenfels'']], which was attempting to reach Germany. The ship was later taken into British service as a cargo ship<ref name=Jameson53>{{cite book |last=Jameson |title=Ark Royal |pages=53}}</ref> and renamed ''Empire Ability''.<ref name=Mitchell431>{{cite book |last=Mitchell |title=The Empire Ships |pages=431}}</ref> Several neutral merchant ships were also spotted by the carrier's aircraft, twice causing crews to believe they were under attack and abandon ship.<ref name=Jameson42>{{cite book |last=Jameson |title=Ark Royal |pages=42}}</ref> A note explaining the situation was dropped in a bag to a Norwegian vessel's crew, and they re-boarded; an attempt to repeat this exercise with a Belgian crew failed when the bag was dropped down the ship's funnel.<ref name=Jameson42/>
By this time, ''Graf Spee'' had put into [[Montevideo]] to repair damage received during the [[battle of the River Plate]]. Two Royal Navy cruisers followed the raider, and patrolled the harbour entrance while reporting ''Graf Spee''{{'}}s position to the fleet. ''Ark Royal'' and ''Renown'' were dispatched to join the British ships outside the harbour, but as they were 36 hours away, the British naval attaché came up with a plan to make the Germans believe that the two capital ships had already arrived. An order for fuel for ''Ark Royal'' was placed at [[Buenos Aires]], {{convert|140|mi|km}} west of Montevideo. This was leaked to the press, passed on to the German embassy in Montevideo, and given to ''Graf Spee''{{'}}s captain, [[Hans Langsdorff]].<ref name="Rossiter 94-6">{{cite book |last=Rossiter |title=Ark Royal |pages=94–6}}</ref> This contributed to Langsdorff's decision to scuttle his ship.<ref name="Rossiter 94-6"/>
===Return to the fleet===
With the ''Graf Spee'' sunk, ''Ark Royal'' remained in the Atlantic for a short time before escorting the damaged [[HMS Exeter (68)|HMS ''Exeter'']] back to [[HMNB Devonport|Devonport Dockyard]], where they arrived in February.<ref name=navalhistory.net/> Following this, ''Ark Royal'' proceeded to [[Portsmouth]] to take on supplies and personnel, before sailing to [[Scapa Flow]]. On arrival, she transferred her Blackburn Skuas to [[RNAS Hatston|Naval Air Station ''Hatston'']] to strengthen the anchorage's defences.<ref name="Rossiter3">{{cite book |last=Rossiter |title=Ark Royal |pages=99}}</ref> ''Ark Royal'' was then assigned to the [[Mediterranean Fleet (United Kingdom)|Mediterranean Fleet]] for exercises, departing Scapa Flow on 31 March 1940 and heading for [[Alexandria]] with the aircraft carrier [[HMS Glorious (77)|HMS ''Glorious'']].<ref name=navalhistory.net/> The carriers arrived in the Eastern Mediterranean on 8 April, but the exercises were cancelled a day later. The ships sailed to [[Gibraltar]] to await orders.<ref name="Rossiter3"/>
German forces had invaded Norway as part of [[Operation Weserübung]] on 7 April, and had secured sections of the coast. Attempts by the Royal Navy to operate in support of British troops were unsuccessful; air attacks had overwhelmed the ships, sinking [[HMS Gurkha (F20)|HMS ''Gurkha'']] and nearly sinking [[HMS Suffolk (55)|HMS ''Suffolk'']]. Realising that the British ships required air cover, but aware that the Norwegian coast was outside the range of land-based aircraft in the United Kingdom, the Admiralty recalled ''Ark Royal'' and ''Glorious'' from the Mediterranean on 16 April.<ref name="Rossiter3"/>
===Norwegian campaign===
''Ark Royal'' and ''Glorious'' arrived at Scapa Flow on 23 April 1940 and were immediately redeployed as part of Operation DX. Sailing to Norway with the cruisers [[HMS Curlew (D42)|''Curlew'']] and [[HMS Berwick (65)|''Berwick'']] and screened by the destroyers [[HMS Hyperion (H97)|''Hyperion'']], [[HMS Hereward (H93)|''Hereward'']], [[HMS Hasty (H24)|''Hasty'']], [[HMS Fearless (H67)|''Fearless'']], [[HMS Fury (H76)|''Fury'']] and [[HMS Juno (F46)|''Juno'']], this was the first time the Royal Navy had deployed carriers with the primary purpose of providing fighter protection for other warships.<ref name=navalhistory.net/> The ships took up position on 25 April off the coast; ''Ark Royal'' positioned {{convert|120|nmi|km}} offshore to reduce the chance of air attacks. The carrier's aircraft conducted anti-submarine patrols, provided fighter support for other ships, and carried out strikes against shipping and shore targets.<ref name=navalhistory.net/><ref name="Rossiter 112"/> ''Ark Royal'' returned to Scapa Flow on 27 April to refuel and replace lost and damaged aircraft, before heading back on the same day with the battleship [[HMS Valiant (1914)|HMS ''Valiant'']] as escort.<ref name=navalhistory.net/> During the return, ''Ark Royal'' came under air attack from German [[Junkers Ju 88]] and [[Heinkel He 111]] aircraft operating from Norway. The carrier was undamaged, and resumed position on 29 April.<ref name=Jameson97>{{cite book |last=Jameson |title=Ark Royal |pages=97}}</ref>
[[File:HMS Ark Royal Skua landing.jpg|thumb|left|A [[Blackburn Skua]] landing on ''Ark Royal''. The Skuas were the mainstay of the Fleet Air Arm during the early Second World War. Also visible are the arrestor wires strung across the flight deck.]]
By this point, the British high command had realised that they could not hold the Germans in southern Norway. The evacuation of Allied troops from [[Molde]] and [[Åndalsnes]] began, with ''Ark Royal'' providing air cover from 30 April. On 1 May, the Germans tried to sink the carrier, with numerous air attacks through the day. ''Ark Royal''{{'}}s fighters and a heavy anti-aircraft barrage drove off the enemy, and although several bombs were dropped at the carrier, none impacted.<ref name=Jameson97/> The evacuation was completed on 3 May, and the carrier was recalled to Scapa Flow to refuel and rearm before returning to Norway. While in port, Captain Arthur Power left the ship for a promotion to the Admiralty, and was replaced by Captain Cedric Holland.<ref>{{cite book |last=Rossiter |title=Ark Royal |pages=117}}</ref> On return to Norway, ''Ark Royal'' was told to provide air cover for operations around [[Narvik]], including the landing of French troops on 13 May.<ref name=ross119>{{cite book |last=Rossiter |title=Ark Royal |pages=119}}</ref> She was joined on 18 May by the carriers [[HMS Glorious (77)|''Glorious'']] and [[HMS Furious (47)|''Furious'']].<ref name=navalhistory.net/>
Despite these efforts, it was clear by the end of May that French forces were on the verge of collapse and Norway was a sideshow compared to the German advance to the English Channel.<ref name=ross119/> [[Operation Alphabet]] was instigated to move Allied troops from Narvik to Britain. ''Ark Royal'' and ''Glorious'', screened by the destroyers [[HMS Highlander (H44)|''Highlander'']], [[HMS Diana (H49)|''Diana'']], [[HMS Acasta (H09)|''Acasta'']], [[HMS Ardent (H41)|''Ardent'']], and [[HMS Acheron (H45)|''Acheron'']], sailed from Scapa Flow on 1 June to cover the evacuation, which commenced the next day. ''Ark Royal'' carried out air patrols and bombing raids from 3 June to 6 June, before redeploying to Narvik on 7 June. Disaster struck the next day, when ''Glorious'', escorted by ''Acasta'' and ''Ardent'', were detached to return to the UK. The three ships were attacked and sunk by the German battleships [[German battleship Scharnhorst|''Scharnhorst'']] and [[German battleship Gneisenau|''Gneisenau'']]. A search by ''Ark Royal''{{'}}s aircraft failed to locate the German ships, which had returned to [[Trondheim]].<ref>{{cite book |last=Rossiter |title=Ark Royal |pages=120–1}}</ref>
The last evacuation convoy left Narvik on 9 June. Before the British ships could withdraw, a raid on Trondheim located ''Scharnhorst''. An attack by ''Ark Royal''{{'}}s Skuas took place at midnight on 13 June.<ref>{{cite book |last=Jameson |title=Ark Royal |pages=137}}</ref> The attack was a disaster: the escort destroyers [[HMS Antelope (H36)|''Antelope'']] and [[HMS Electra (H27)|''Electra'']] collided while ''Ark Royal'' was launching aircraft in fog and returned to England for repairs, eight of the fifteen attacking Skuas were shot down, while ''Scharnhorst'' escaped damage.<ref>{{cite book |last=Jameson |title=Ark Royal |pages=140–1}}</ref> ''Ark Royal'' returned to Scapa Flow the following day, and was reassigned to the [[Mediterranean Fleet (United Kingdom)|Mediterranean Fleet]].<ref>{{cite book |last=Rossiter |title=Ark Royal |pages=128}}</ref>
===Mediterranean deployment===
''Ark Royal'' left Scapa Flow with [[HMS Hood (51)|HMS ''Hood'']] and three destroyers, arriving at [[Gibraltar]] on 23 June 1940. Here she joined [[Force H]], under [[James Fownes Somerville|Sir James Somerville]]. After the [[Battle of France|capitulation of France]] there was concern that a French fleet at [[Mers-el-Kébir]] might fall under Axis control and tip the balance of power in the Mediterranean, affecting the whole war.<ref>{{cite book |last=Jameson |title=Ark Royal |pages=154}}</ref> ''Ark Royal''{{'}}s captain, Cedric Holland, had been the British naval attaché in Paris, and was sent to negotiate the surrender or scuttling of the French fleet.<ref>{{cite book |last=Rossiter |title=Ark Royal |pages=132}}</ref> Force H was deployed outside the harbour, and when the French admirals refused to agree to the offered terms, opened fire on the French ships. During the [[attack on Mers-el-Kébir]], ''Ark Royal''{{'}}s aircraft provided targeting information for the British ships.<ref>{{cite book |last=Rossiter |title=Ark Royal |pages=136}}</ref> The [[French battleship Strasbourg|French battleship ''Strasbourg'']] escaped, despite attacks by Swordfish from ''Ark Royal''.<ref>{{cite book |last=Rossiter |title=Ark Royal |pages=138}}</ref> Two days after the attack, aircraft from ''Ark Royal'' incapacitated the [[French battleship Dunkerque|French battleship ''Dunkerque'']], which had been beached in the initial attack.<ref>{{cite book |last=Jameson |title=Ark Royal |pages=170}}</ref>
[[File:HMS Ark Royal planes landing.jpg|thumb|right|A Fairey Swordfish aircraft lands on ''Ark Royal''{{'}}s flight deck, whilst a Blackburn Skua circles overhead. Photograph taken from [[HMS Kelvin (F37)|HMS ''Kelvin'']] after the attacks on the Italian Fleet off Sardinia.]]
Having reduced the possibility of a French challenge in the Mediterranean, Force H prepared for attacks on Italian targets, and sailed from Gibraltar on 8 July.<ref name=ross179>{{cite book |last=Rossiter |title=Ark Royal |pages=179}}</ref> The force was attacked by Italian bombers within eight hours of departing, and although Force H escaped damage, Somerville cancelled the raids and ordered the fleet to Gibraltar.<ref>{{cite book |last=Rossiter |title=Ark Royal |pages=180}}</ref> During July, the British colony of [[Malta]] came under attack from the Italian air force, with Force H ordered to deliver [[Hawker Hurricane]]s to reinforce the island's air defences. Force H was deployed from 31 July to 4 August, with the carrier [[HMS Argus (I49)|HMS ''Argus'']] used to deliver the aircraft, while ''Ark Royal'' provided air cover for the fleet.<ref name=ross179/> On 2 August, ''Ark Royal'' launched a successful air attack against the Italian air base at [[Cagliari]].<ref>{{cite book |last=Jameson |title=Ark Royal |pages=185–7}}</ref>
Force H remained at Gibraltar until 30 September, when it escorted reinforcements for [[Andrew Cunningham, 1st Viscount Cunningham of Hyndhope|Admiral Andrew Cunningham's]] fleet to [[Alexandria]].<ref>{{cite book |last=Jameson |title=Ark Royal |pages=192–3}}</ref> En-route, diversionary attacks were planned on Italian air bases at [[Elmas]] and Cagliari to direct attention from both the reinforcement operation and a supply [[Malta Convoy|convoy sailing to Malta]]. The attacks were successfully carried out on 1 October, and the fleet reached Alexandria without significant attention from the Italian air force.<ref>{{cite book |last=Rossiter |title=Ark Royal |pages=190}}</ref> From Alexandria, ''Ark Royal'' was detached and sent to West Africa to support British attempts to encourage [[Vichy French]] colonies to switch alleigance to the [[Free French]]. During negotiations, several Free French aircraft flew from ''Ark Royal'', but their aircrews were arrested at [[Dakar]]. Negotiations failed, and bombers from ''Ark Royal'' were directed against military installations during the unsuccessful British attempt to [[battle of Dakar|take Dakar by force]].<ref>{{cite book |last=Jameson |title=Ark Royal |pages=212–5}}</ref> Following this, ''Ark Royal'' returned to the United Kingdom for refit, docking in [[Liverpool]] on 8 October after being escorted by [[HMS Fortune (H70)|HMS ''Fortune'']], [[HMS Forester (H74)|HMS ''Forester'']] and [[HMS Greyhound (H05)|HMS ''Greyhound'']].<ref>{{cite book |last=Jameson |title=Ark Royal |pages=222–5}}</ref> The refit, which lasted until 3 November, included repairs to her machinery and the installation of a new flight deck barrier.
[[File:HMS Ark Royal attack.jpg|thumb|left|Bombs falling astern of ''Ark Royal'' during an attack by Italian aircraft during the [[Battle of Cape Spartivento]]. Photograph taken from the cruiser [[HMS Sheffield (C24)|HMS ''Sheffield'']].]]
Following refit, ''Ark Royal'', accompanied by HM Ships [[HMS Barham (04)|''Barham'']], [[HMS Berwick (65)|''Berwick'']], and [[HMS Glasgow (C21)|''Glasgow'']], sailed for Gibraltar, arriving on 6 November.<ref>{{cite book |last=Rossiter |title=Ark Royal |pages=192}}</ref> They were deployed with the rest of Force H to escort convoys from Gibraltar to Alexandria and Malta, performing several runs before being assigned to [[Operation Collar (Convoy)|Operation Collar]], one of 35 [[Malta Convoys|convoys to support Malta]] between 1940 and 1942, on 25 November. An Italian fleet, led by the battleships [[Italian battleship Giulio Cesare|''Giulio Cesare'']] and [[Italian battleship Vittorio Veneto|''Vittorio Veneto'']], was dispatched to intercept the convoy.<ref>{{cite book |last=Jameson |title=Ark Royal |pages=230}}</ref> The Italian fleet was detected by a reconnaissance aircraft from ''Ark Royal'' and the carrier launched Swordfish torpedo bombers while the capital ships of Force H turned to meet the enemy.<ref>{{cite book |last=Jameson |title=Ark Royal |pages=236–58}}</ref> During the engagement, the [[Battle of Cape Spartivento]], the Italian destroyer [[Italian destroyer Lanciere|''Lanciere'']] was damaged, although it is uncertain if torpedoes from the bombers or British gunfire were responsible. The British mistook ''Lanciere'' for a cruiser, while the Italian commanders received incorrect reports that the cruiser [[Italian cruiser Bolzano|''Bolzano'']] had been hit.<ref name=Jameson239>{{cite book |last=Jameson |title=Ark Royal |pages=239}}</ref> British attacks failed to damage any other Italian ships or sink the disabled destroyer, and a retaliatory attack by the Italian air force saw ''Ark Royal'' as the subject of multiple bombing runs, none of which hit.<ref name=Jameson239/> The battle had no clear result, although the British convoy reached its destination unscathed.
On 14 December 1940 ''Ark Royal'' and Force H were redeployed from Gibraltar to the Atlantic to search the [[Azores]] for [[commerce raider]]s. ''Ark Royal'' returned to the Mediterranean on 20 December, and escorted the battleship [[HMS Malaya (1915)|HMS ''Malaya'']] and merchant ships from Malta until 27 December.<ref>{{cite book |last=Rossiter |title=Ark Royal |pages=210}}</ref> Force H then became involved in [[Operation Excess]], a plan to move convoys through the Mediterranean to support the [[Western Desert Force]], which was trying to push Italian land forces from Egypt into Libya. Over the next month, British control of the Mediterranean theatre was weakened, particularly by the entry of the [[Luftwaffe]] and the near-loss of the aircraft carrier [[HMS Illustrious (87)|HMS ''Illustrious'']].<ref>{{cite book |last=Rossiter |title=Ark Royal |pages=218–9}}</ref> The [[Mediterranean Fleet (United Kingdom)|Mediterranean Fleet]] was under pressure from Axis forces in the Eastern Mediterranean, while the British port at Gibraltar was likely to be lost if the Spanish chose to ally with the Germans instead of remaining [[non-belligerent|out of the war]]. To relieve the Mediterranean Fleet, while demonstrating British strength to the Spanish, the Admiralty and Admiral Cunningham planned to use ''Ark Royal''{{'}}s Swordfish bombers in raids against Italian targets, supported by bombardment from heavy fleet units. The first bombing, on 2 January against the Tirso Dam in [[Sardinia]], was unsuccessful,<ref>{{cite book |last=Rossiter |title=Ark Royal |pages=222–6}}</ref> but ''Ark Royal''{{'}}s Swordfish bombers were more successful on 6 January, when they bombed the port city of [[Genoa]]. The carrier's aircraft also covered the battleships HMS ''Renown'' and HMS ''Malaya'' while they shelled the port. On 9 January, ''Ark Royal'' launched aircraft to bomb an oil refinery at [[La Spezia]], and to lay mines in the harbour. Both operations were successful.<ref>{{cite book |last=Rossiter |title=Ark Royal |pages=228–30}}</ref>
===Searching for ''Scharnhorst'' and ''Gneisenau''===
In early February 1941 the battleships [[German battleship Scharnhorst (1936)|''Scharnhorst'']] and [[German battleship Gneisenau (1936)|''Gneisenau'']] headed into the Atlantic on the orders of [[Erich Raeder|Admiral Erich Raeder]]. They were to disrupt Allied shipping and draw capital ships from other areas. On 8 March, Force H and ''Ark Royal'' were ordered to the [[Canary Islands]] to search for the battleships, and to cover convoys crossing from the United States.<ref>{{cite book |last=Jameson |title=Ark Royal |pages=259–60}}</ref> ''Ark Royal'' used her aircraft to search for captured ships returning to Germany under the control of [[prize crew]]s. Three ships were located on 19 March: two scuttled themselves, while the third, SS ''Polykarp'', was recaptured.<ref>{{cite book |last=Jameson |title=Ark Royal |pages=260}}</ref>
On the evening of 21 March 1941 a [[Fairey Fulmar]] from ''Ark Royal'' stumbled across ''Scharnhorst'' and ''Gneisenau'' at sea. Because of a radio malfunction, the crew had to return to ''Ark Royal'' to report, by which time the German ships had escaped under fog.<ref>{{cite book |last=Jameson |title=Ark Royal |pages=260–2}}</ref> The next day, ''Ark Royal'' re-established air patrols in the hope of re-locating the raiders. During the day, a catapult malfunction destroyed a [[Fairey Swordfish]]; flinging the fuselage into the sea ahead of the carrier. Unable to stop, ''Ark Royal'' ran over the Swordfish and was overhead when the aircraft's depth charges detonated.<ref>{{cite book |last=Rossiter |title=Ark Royal |pages=242}}</ref> ''Scharnhorst'' and ''Gneisenau'' reached [[Brest, France|Brest]] without British harassment, while ''Ark Royal'' returned to Gibraltar for repairs, arriving on 24 March.<ref>{{cite book |last=Rossiter |title=Ark Royal |pages=243}}</ref>
===Malta convoys and Operation Tiger===
[[File:HMS Ark Royal AA fire.jpg|thumb|right|An intense anti-aircraft barrage is visible during an attack by Italian torpedo bombers on Force H. ''Ark Royal'' is on the left, with an Italian aircraft over her bows, and HMS ''Renown'' to the right.]]
''Ark Royal'' spent April alternating between covering convoys and delivering aircraft to Malta and forays into the Atlantic to hunt commerce raiders. By May 1941, [[Erwin Rommel|Rommel's]] [[Afrika Korps]] were driving through North Africa towards the [[Suez Canal]], pushing the [[Western Desert Force]] before them. With British forces close to collapse and strategic locations threatened, the British High Command risked sending a reinforcement convoy across the Mediterranean to Alexandria. The convoy consisted of five large transport ships, escorted by ''Ark Royal'', the battleships HMS ''Renown'' and [[HMS Queen Elizabeth (1913)|HMS ''Queen Elizabeth'']], the cruisers [[HMS Sheffield (C24)|HMS ''Sheffield'']], [[HMS Naiad (93)|HMS ''Naiad'']], [[HMS Fiji (58)|HMS ''Fiji'']], and [[HMS Gloucester (62)|HMS ''Gloucester'']], and screened by destroyers of the 5th Destroyer Flotilla.<ref>{{cite book |last=Jameson |title=Ark Royal |pages=268–9}}</ref> Prior to ''Ark Royal''{{'}}s departure, Captain Holland left to recuperate from stress and poor health, and was replaced by Captain [[Loben Edward Harold Maund|Loben Maund]].<ref>{{cite book |last=Jameson |title=Ark Royal |pages=266}}</ref> The convoy left Gibraltar on 6 May, and was detected by Italian aircraft. The convoy, limited to {{convert|14|kn|km/h}} and escorted by so many capital ships, was such a tempting target that Italian and German aircraft were mobilised.<ref>{{cite book |last=Jameson |title=Ark Royal |pages=269}}</ref>
The British convoy came under air attack on 8 May, first by the Italian air force, then German [[Luftwaffe]]. Over the day, twelve of ''Ark Royal''{{'}}s Fairey Fulmars (the maximum number available) drove off over fifty aircraft, with the assistance of targeting information from HMS ''Sheffield''{{'}}s radar and anti-aircraft fire from the escorts.<ref>{{cite book |last=Jameson |title=Ark Royal |pages=271–4}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Rossiter |title=Ark Royal |pages=258}}</ref> During the initial waves, one Fulmar was lost, killing Flight Lieutenant Rupert Tillard and Lieutenant Mark Somerville, Admiral Somerville's nephew; another was destroyed with the aircrew recovered, while several others were damaged.<ref name=Ross249/> Consequently, only seven were able to face the main Luftwaffe force of thirty-four aircraft, while an attack just before dark was driven off by two aircraft and heavy fire from the ships.<ref name=Ross249>{{cite book |last=Rossiter |title=Ark Royal |pages=249}}</ref> The convoy survived without serious damage: the only casualties were to mines, with the ''Empire Song'' sunk and the ''New Zealand Star'' damaged but able to reach port.<ref>{{cite book |last=Jameson |title=Ark Royal |pages=274}}</ref>
''Ark Royal'' underwent another aerial attack on 12 May, during her return to Gibraltar. Later that month, she and fellow aircraft carrier [[HMS Furious (47)|HMS ''Furious'']] delivered [[Hawker Hurricane]]s to support Malta.<ref>{{cite book |last=Jameson |title=Ark Royal |pages=276–7}}</ref>
===Hunting the ''Bismarck''===
{{see also|Last battle of the battleship Bismarck}}
On 18 May 1941 the [[German battleship Bismarck|German battleship ''Bismarck'']] and the [[German cruiser Prinz Eugen|cruiser ''Prinz Eugen'']] began [[Operation Rheinübung]] by breaking into the Atlantic to raid shipping. After sinking [[HMS Hood (51)|HMS ''Hood'']] and damaging [[HMS Prince of Wales (53)|HMS ''Prince of Wales'']] during the [[Battle of the Denmark Strait]], ''Bismarck'' shook off her pursuers and headed for the French Atlantic coast.<ref>{{cite book |last=Jameson |title=Ark Royal |pages=279–90}}</ref> ''Ark Royal'', ''Renown'', and ''Sheffield'', accompanied by HM Ships [[HMS Faulknor (H62)|''Faulknor'']], [[HMS Foresight (H68)|''Foresight'']], [[HMS Forester (H74)|''Forester'']], [[HMS Fortune (H70)|''Fortune'']], [[HMS Foxhound (H69)|''Foxhound'']], and [[HMS Fury (H76)|HMS ''Fury'']], were dispatched to the Atlantic on 23 May to search for the battleship.<ref>{{cite book |last=Jameson |title=Ark Royal |pages=294}}</ref> On 26 May, a [[Fairey Swordfish]] from ''Ark Royal'' located ''Bismarck'' and began to shadow her, while the [[Home Fleet]] was mobilised to pursue.<ref>{{cite book |last=Jameson |title=Ark Royal |pages=296}}</ref>
[[File:HMS Ark Royal swordfish.jpg|thumb|left|One of ''Ark Royal''{{'}}s [[Fairey Swordfish]] returns at low level over the sea after making a torpedo attack on the ''Bismarck''.]]
At the time of detection, the British ships were {{convert|130|nmi|km}} away and would not catch ''Bismarck'' before the battleship reached [[Saint-Nazaire]]. Fifteen Swordfish bombers were armed with torpedoes and sent to delay the ship. HMS ''Sheffield'' was also shadowing ''Bismarck'', and was between ''Ark Royal'' and ''Bismarck''. The aircraft falsely identified the British cruiser as their target and fired torpedoes. The torpedoes were fitted with unreliable magnetic detonators, which caused most to explode on contact with the water, while ''Sheffield'' evaded the rest.<ref>{{cite book |last=Jameson |title=Ark Royal |pages=299–300}}</ref> After realising his mistake, one of the pilots signalled 'Sorry for the kipper' to ''Sheffield''.
On return to the carrier, the Swordfishes were re-armed with contact-detonator warheads, and launched at 19.15 hours for a second attack; locating and attacking ''Bismarck'' just before sunset. Three torpedoes hit the battleship: two impacted forward of the engine rooms, while the third struck the port steering room and jammed her rudder in a 15° port turn.<ref>{{cite book |last=Jameson |title=Ark Royal |pages=303–5}}</ref> ''Bismarck'' was forced to sail in circles until the disabled rudder was reset to neutral, at which point she was sailing towards the British warships with almost no manoeuvring capability. The German battleship suffered heavy attack during the night of 26–27 May, and sank at 10:39 hours on 27 May.
===Escorting the Malta convoys===
[[File:HMS Ark Royal planes.jpg|thumb|right|Six [[Blackburn Skua]]s of [[800 Naval Air Squadron|No. 800 Squadron Fleet Air Arm]] lined up on deck before taking off]]
''Ark Royal'' and the ships of Force H returned to Gibraltar on 29 May 1941. Despite the boost in Allied morale from the sinking of the battleship ''Bismarck'', the [[Mediterranean theatre of World War II|war in the Mediterranean]] was going against the Allies. [[Greece]] and [[Crete]] had fallen to the Axis Powers, and the [[Afrika Korps]] was preparing to launch a final push into [[Egypt]]. Malta remained an important stronghold in the Mediterranean, but was coming under increased pressure from Italian and German air attacks, and could no longer be supplied from the east since the [[Battle of Crete|fall of Crete]].<ref>{{cite book |last=Rossiter |title=Ark Royal |pages=316–7}}</ref>
''Ark Royal'' was pressed into service, delivering aircraft to Malta during several supply runs throughout June and July, and escorting the convoys of [[Operation Substance]] in July and [[Operation Halberd]] in September. Despite some losses, the convoys succeeded in keeping Malta supplied and fighting.<ref>{{cite book |last=Jameson |title=Ark Royal |pages=318}}</ref> The continued Allied presence in Malta was a considerable problem for Rommel in Africa, who was losing as much as a third of his supplies from Italy to submarines and bombers based there.<ref name=Rossiter327>{{cite book |last=Rossiter |title=Ark Royal |pages=327}}</ref> [[Adolf Hitler]] decided to send a flotilla of [[U-boat]]s into the Mediterranean to attack Allied shipping, against the advice of [[Admiral Raeder]].<ref name=Rossiter327/>
==Final voyage and sinking==
On 10 November 1941, ''Ark Royal'' ferried more aircraft to Malta before returning to Gibraltar. Admiral Somerville had been warned of U-boats off the Spanish coast, and reminded Force H to be vigilant.<ref>{{cite book |last=Jameson |title=Ark Royal |pages=337}}</ref> Also at sea was [[Friedrich Guggenberger]]'s [[Unterseeboot 81 (1941)|''U-81'']], which had received a report that Force H was returning to Gibraltar.<ref name=Rossiter327/> On 13 November, at 15:40 hours, the sonar operator aboard the destroyer [[HMS Legion (G74)|HMS ''Legion'']] detected an unidentified sound, but assumed it was the propellers of a nearby destroyer. One minute later, ''Ark Royal'' was struck amidships by a torpedo,<ref>{{cite book |last=Rossiter |title=Ark Royal |pages=329}}</ref> between the fuel bunkers and bomb store, and directly below the bridge island.<ref name=ross332/> The explosion caused ''Ark Royal'' to shake, hurled loaded torpedo-bombers into the air, and killed Able Seaman Mitchell.<ref name=ross332>{{cite book |last=Rossiter |title=Ark Royal |pages=332}}</ref> A {{convert|130|ft|m}} long by {{convert|30|ft|m}} deep hole was created on the starboard side, which caused flooding of the starboard boiler room, main [[Telephone switchboard|switchboard]], oil tanks, and over {{convert|106|ft|m}} of the ship's starboard bilge. The starboard power train was knocked out, causing the rear half of the ship to lose power, while communications were severed shipwide.
[[File:HMS Ark Royal sinking.jpg|thumb|left|[[HMS Legion (G74)|HMS ''Legion'']] moving alongside the damaged and listing HMS ''Ark Royal'' to take off survivors]]
Immediately after the torpedo strike, Captain Loben Maund attempted to order the engines to full stop, but had to send a runner to the engine room when it was discovered communications were down.<ref name=Jameson338>{{cite book |last=Jameson |title=Ark Royal |pages=338}}</ref> The hole in the hull was enlarged by the ship's motion, and by the time ''Ark Royal'' stopped she had taken on water and begun to [[Glossary of nautical terms#L|list]] to starboard, reaching 18° from centre within 20 minutes.<ref name=Jameson338/> Considering the list of the carrier, as well as the fates of other carriers, including [[HMS Courageous (50)|HMS ''Courageous'']] and [[HMS Glorious (77)|HMS ''Glorious'']], which had sunk rapidly with heavy loss of life, Maund gave the order to abandon ship. The crew were assembled on the flight deck to determine who would remain onboard to save the ship while HMS ''Legion'' came alongside to take off the rest; as a result, comprehensive [[damage control|damage control measures]] were not initiated until 49 minutes after the attack. The flooding spread unchecked, exacerbated by covers and hatches left open during evacuation of lower decks.<ref>{{cite book |last=Jameson |title=Ark Royal |pages=338–40}}</ref>
Water spread to the centreline boiler room, which started to flood from below, and power was lost shipwide when the boiler uptakes became choked; ''Ark Royal'' had no backup diesel generators.<ref>{{cite book |last=Rossiter |title=Ark Royal |pages=345}}</ref> About half an hour after the explosion, the carrier appeared to stabilise. Admiral Somerville, determined to save ''Ark Royal'', ordered damage control parties back to the carrier before taking the battleship [[HMS Malaya (1915)|HMS ''Malaya'']] to Gibraltar to organise salvage efforts. The damage control parties were able to re-light a boiler, restoring power to the bilge pumps. The destroyer [[HMS Laforey (G99)|HMS ''Laforey'']] came alongside to provide power and additional pumps, while Swordfish aircraft from Gibraltar arrived to supplement anti-submarine patrols.<ref>{{cite book |last=Jameson |title=Ark Royal |pages=342}}</ref> The tug [[Thames (tug)|''Thames'']] arrived from Gibraltar at 20:00 hours and attached a tow line to ''Ark Royal'', but flooding caused the angle of list to increase rapidly. Water had reached the boiler room flat, an uninterrupted compartment running the width of the ship, which forced the shutdown of the restored boiler.
[[File:HMS Ark Royal sinking 2.jpg|thumb|right|Another photograph showing the degree of the list]]
The list reached 20° between {{nowrap|02:05 and 02:30 hours}}, and when 'abandon ship' was declared again at 04:00 hours, had reached 27°.<ref>{{cite book |last=Jameson |title=Ark Royal |pages=346}}</ref> ''Ark Royal'''s complement had been evacuated to ''Legion'' by 04:30 hours; with the exception of Mitchell, there were no fatalities. The 1,487 officers and crew were transported to Gibraltar.<ref>{{cite book |last=Duffy |title=Target America |pages=136}}</ref> The list reached 45° before ''Ark Royal'' capsized and sank at 06:19 hours on 14 November.<ref>{{cite book |last=Jameson |title=Ark Royal |pages=348}}</ref> Witnesses reported the carrier rolling to 90°, where she remained for three minutes before inverting. ''Ark Royal'' broke in two, the aft sinking within a couple of minutes, followed by the bow.<ref>{{cite book |last=Rossiter |title=Ark Royal |pages=375–6}}</ref>
===Investigation===
Following the sinking, a [[Board of Inquiry]] was established to investigate the loss. Based on its findings, Maund was [[court-martial]]led for negligence in February 1942. He was found guilty on two counts of negligence: one of failing to ensure that properly constituted damage control parties had remained on board after the general evacuation, and one of failing to ensure the ship was in a sufficient state of readiness to deal with possible damage.<ref name=ross372.3>{{cite book |last=Rossiter |title=Ark Royal |pages=372–3}}</ref> The board tempered their judgement with an acknowledgement that a high standard was being expected of Maund, and that he was primarily concerned with the welfare of his crew.<ref name=ross372.3/>
The Bucknill Committee, which had been set up to investigate the loss of major warships, also produced a report. This report said that the lack of backup power sources was a major design failure, which contributed to the loss: ''Ark Royal'' depended on electricity for much of her operation, and once the boilers and steam dynamos were knocked out, the loss of power made damage control difficult. The committee recommended the design of the bulkheads and boiler intakes be improved to decrease the risk of widespread flooding in boiler rooms and machine spaces, while the uninterrupted boiler room flat was criticised. The design flaws were rectified in the [[Illustrious class aircraft carrier|''Illustrious'']] and [[Implacable class aircraft carrier|''Implacable'']] class carriers, under construction at the time.<ref>Papers of Admiral Sir Hugh Binney, ''reports of Second Bucknill Committee relating to loss of HMS PRINCE OF WALES and HMS ARK ROYAL, 1941-1942'', held at Liddell Hart Centre for Military Archives, King's College London</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Rossiter |title=Ark Royal |pages=374}}</ref>
The Board of Inquiry closed its report with the observation that ''Ark Royal'' had sunk {{convert|22|nmi|km}} east of [[Europa Point]], the southernmost tip of Gibraltar. This was accepted as the wreck location for sixty years.<ref>{{cite book |last=Rossiter |title=Ark Royal |pages=30}}</ref>
==Rediscovery==
The exact location of the wreck remained unknown until mid-December 2002, when it was discovered by a BBC film crew {{convert|30|nmi|km}} from Gibraltar.<ref name=filmcrew>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/2585887.stm |title=Film team finds wreck of Ark Royal |work=BBC News | date=19 December 2002}}</ref> The crew had been working on a documentary on [[maritime archaeology]] related to major battles of the Royal Navy.<ref name=filmcrew/> ''Ark Royal'' lay in two sections: {{convert|20|m|ft}} of the bow had separated from the rest of the ship. A large debris field, which included the remains of the funnel and bridge island, parts of the ship that came loose as the carrier sank, and aircraft from the hangars, was located between the two hull sections. Analysis revealed that the port side of the ship hit the seabed first.<ref>{{cite book |last=Rossiter |title=Ark Royal |pages=368–9}}</ref>
The wreck was found further east than was claimed after the sinking. Initially, researchers thought the wreck had been caught in [[Ocean current|currents]] through the [[Strait of Gibraltar]] into the Mediterranean as she sank, causing the ship to drift eastwards underwater before settling.<ref>{{cite book |last=Rossiter |title=Ark Royal |pages=168–9}}</ref> The presence of other debris in proximity to the wreck, including a Swordfish bomber that was tipped off the flight deck before the ship rolled, proved this false, as the debris would have been spread over a much wider area. The currents did impact on her progress towards Gibraltar, despite being under tow for several hours.<ref name=Rossiter377>{{cite book |last=Rossiter |title=Ark Royal |pages=377}}</ref> Study of the wreck also showed that attempting to restart the engines to provide power increased the stresses placed on the hull, adding to the flooding. Once power was lost, it was impossible to prevent the carrier from sinking—her fate was more due to design flaws than the actions of her captain.<ref name=Rossiter377/>
==Notes==
<div class="references-small">
'''a.''' {{Note_label|A|a|none}} The [[Washington Naval Treaty]] (signed in February 1922) imposed a limit of 135,000 tons on total British aircraft carrier tonnage, with no one ship allowed to exceed 33,000 tons, and only two to exceed 27,000 tons.<ref>{{cite book |title=Papers Relating to the Foreign Relations of the United States |pages=247–266}}</ref> The [[London Naval Treaty]] (signed in April 1930) prevented signatories from constructing new capital ships, or converting existing capital ships into aircraft carriers, until 1937.<ref>Reproduced in {{cite book |last=Goldman |title=Sunken treaties |pages=307–319}}</ref>
</div>
==Citations==
{{Reflist|colwidth=25em}}
==References==
;Books
*{{cite book |last=Balfour |first=Michael |authorlink=Michael Balfour |title=Propaganda in War 1939-1945: Organisation, Policies and Publics in Britain and Germany |year=1979 |publisher=Routledge & Kegan Paul |location=London |isbn=0-7100-0193-2 |oclc=5373844}}
*{{cite book|last=Bekker |first=Cajus |others=Zielger, Frank (trans.)|title=The Luftwaffe War Diaries |publisher=Corgi |location=London |year=1969 |isbn=0-552-08236-8 |oclc=30270475}}<!-- May not be the exact edition/version of the book... the inserting editor did not provide much information. -->
*{{cite book |last=Bishop |first=Chris |coauthors=Chant, Christopher |title=Aircraft carriers: the world's greatest naval vessels and their aircraft |url=http://books.google.com/books?id=PY8CvlKC7kgC |accessdate=22 July 2008 |year=2004 |publisher=Zenith |location=Grand Rapids, MI |isbn=0-7603-2005-5 |oclc=56646560}}
*{{cite book |last=Chesneau |first=Roger |title=Aircraft Carriers of the world, 1914 to the present; an illustrated encyclopedia |year=1984 |publisher=Naval Institute Press |location=Annapolis, MD |isbn=0-87021-902-2 |oclc=11018793}}
*{{Colledge}}
*{{cite book |last=Duffy |first=James P. |title=Target America: Hitler's plan to attack the United States |origyear=2004 |edition=3rd ed. |year=2006 |publisher=Lyons |location=New York |isbn=1-59228-934-7 |oclc=70264388}}
*{{cite book |last=Friedman |first=Norman |title=British Carrier Aviation: The Evolution of the Ships and their Aircraft |year=1988 |publisher=Naval Institute Press |isbn=0870210548}}
*{{cite book |last=Edwards |first=Bernard |title=Dönitz and the wolf packs: the U-boats at war |origyear=1996 |edition=2nd ed. |year=1999 |publisher=Cassell |location=London |isbn=0-304-35203-9 |oclc=41465151}}
*{{cite book |last=Goldman |first=Emily O. |title=Sunken treaties: naval arms control between the wars |year=1994 |publisher=Pennsylvania State University |location=University Park, PA |isbn=0-271-01034-7 |oclc=28723444}}
*{{cite book |last=Jameson |first=William |title=Ark Royal: the life of an aircraft carrier at war 1939-41 |origyear=1957 |edition=2nd ed. |date=1 April 2004 |publisher=Periscope Publishing |location= |isbn=1-904381-27-8 |oclc=}}
*{{cite book |last=Lenton |first=H. T. |title=British and Empire warships of the Second World War |year=1998 |publisher=Greenhill Books |location=London |isbn=1-85367-277-7 |oclc=39245871}}
*{{cite book |last=Mitchell |first=William Harry |coauthors= Sawyer, Leonard Arthur|title=The Empire Ships: A Record of British-built and Acquired Merchant Ships During the Second World War |year=1990 |publisher=Lloyd's of London Press |isbn=1-85044-275-4}}
*{{cite book |title=Papers relating to the foreign relations of the United States |accessdate=4 June 2010 |volume=Vol I |year=1922 |publisher=U.S. G.P.O. |location=Washington |oclc=24045525 |pages=247–266 |chapter=Conference on the Limitation of Armament |chapterurl=http://www.ibiblio.org/pha/pre-war/1922/nav_lim.html}}
*{{cite book |last=Rossiter |first=Mike |title=Ark Royal: the life, death and rediscovery of the legendary Second World War aircraft carrier<!-- Ark Royal: sailing into glory --> |origyear=2006 |edition=2nd ed. |year=2007 |publisher=Corgi Books |location=London |isbn=978-0-552-15369-0 |oclc=81453068}}
*{{cite book |last=Westwood |first=J. N. |title=Fighting ships of World War II |origyear=1971 |year=1975 |publisher=Sidgwick and Jackson (for Book Club Associates) |location=London |isbn=0-283-98287-X |oclc=2090062}}
;Websites
*{{cite news |title=Film team finds wreck of Ark Royal |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/2585887.stm |work=BBC News |publisher=BBC |date=19 December 2002 |accessdate=4 June 2010}}
*{{cite web |url=http://www.naval-history.net/xGM-Chrono-04CV-Ark%20Royal.htm |title=HMS Ark Royal - Fleet Aircraft Carrier |accessdate=4 June 2010 |last=Mason |first=Geoffrey B. |year=2003 |work=Service Histories of Royal Navy Warships in World War 2 |publisher=Naval-History.Net}}
==External links==
{{Commons and category|HMS Ark Royal (91)|HMS Ark Royal (91)}}
*[http://www.kbismarck.com/arkroyal.html HMS Ark Royal - Operational History and Photos]
*[http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=12701 Video of HMS Ark Royal engaging high level bombers with her AA armament]
{{coord|36|3|N|4|45|W|display=title}}
{{WWIIBritishShips}}
{{Uboat}}
{{featured article}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ark Royal (91)}}
[[Category:Aircraft carriers of the Royal Navy]]
[[Category:Mersey-built ships]]
[[Category:1937 ships]]
[[Category:Unique aircraft carriers]]
[[Category:World War II aircraft carriers of the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Ships sunk by German submarines]]
[[Category:World War II shipwrecks in the Mediterranean]]
[[Category:Maritime incidents in 1941]]
{{Link FA|fi}}
{{Link FA|pl}}
{{Link FA|vi}}
[[ca:HMS Ark Royal (91)]]
[[cs:HMS Ark Royal (91)]]
[[de:HMS Ark Royal (91)]]
[[es:HMS Ark Royal (91)]]
[[fr:HMS Ark Royal (91)]]
[[it:HMS Ark Royal (91)]]
[[lb:HMS Ark Royal (91)]]
[[ja:アーク・ロイヤル (空母・初代)]]
[[no:HMS «Ark Royal»]]
[[pl:HMS Ark Royal (1938)]]
[[ru:HMS Ark Royal (91)]]
[[fi:HMS Ark Royal (91)]]
[[sv:HMS Ark Royal (91)]]
[[vi:HMS Ark Royal (91)]]
[[zh:皇家方舟号航空母舰 (1937年)]]' |
