HMS Ark Royal (91)
HMS Ark Royal (91) in sinking condition
| Name | HMS Ark Royal (91) | ||
| Type: | Aircraft carrier (Ark Royal) | ||
| Tonnage | 22.600 tons (one of the largest ships sunk). | ||
| Completed | 1938 - Cammell Laird & Co Ltd, Birkenhead | ||
| Owner | The Admiralty | ||
| Homeport | |||
| Date of attack | 13 Nov, 1941 | Nationality:  British | |
| Fate | Sunk by U-81 (Friedrich Guggenberger) | ||
| Position | 36.03N, 04.45W - Grid CG 9652 - See location on a map - | ||
| Complement | 1488 officers and men (1 dead and 1487 survivors). | ||
| Convoy | |||
| Route | Gibraltar - flying range for Malta - Gibraltar | ||
| Cargo | |||
| History | On 22 Jun, 1940, U-46 observed one carrier, identified as HMS Illustrious (87), with two destroyers during a force 11 storm in grid BE 6378. Endrass fired a salvo of three torpedoes at the carrier and heard a detonation. The carrier was in fact HMS Ark Royal (91) (Capt C.S. Holland, RN), accompanied by HMS Hood (51) (Capt I.G. Glennie, RN) and two destroyers, en route to Gibraltar. The carrier was neither hit nor damaged. | ||
| Notes on loss | At 16.37 hours on 13 Nov, 1941, U-81 fired a spread of four torpedoes at HMS Malaya (01) in the Force H and heard two detonations after 6 minutes 6 seconds and 7 minutes 43 seconds. In fact one torpedo hit HMS Ark Royal (91) (Capt L.E.H. Maund, CBE, RN) amidships, which sank under tow by the tugs HMS Thames and HMS St. Day (W 55) with almost all of her aircraft about 30 miles east of Gibraltar at 08.13 hours on 14 November. One rating was lost. The crew had been evacuated 13 hours after the torpedo hit by HMS Legion (G 74) (Cdr R.F. Jessel, RN) and taken to Gibraltar. The carrier was returning from the Operation Perpetual. On 10 November, she had left Gibraltar together with HMS Argus (D 49) (Capt G.T. Philip, DSC, RN) to ferry 37 Hurricane fighters to Malta under escort by the Force H, formed by HMS Malaya (01) (Capt C. Coppinger, DSC, RN), HMS Hermione (74) (Capt G.N. Oliver, RN) and seven destroyers. Two days later they had launched the fighters and turned back to Gibraltar. | ||
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