Illustrious Project

One of my joint-projects for Enfilade 2018 covers the air attack on HMS Illustrious on January 10, 1941 during Operation Excess convoy to Malta. Illustrious was a thorn in the side of the Axis, having participated in several operations including the attack on Italian battleships at Taranto. Operation Excess was well planned, but so was the German and Italian response, including plans to sink Illustrious. The Germans had recently deployed X Fliegerkorps with over 40 Stuka dive bombers. The basic plan was to use Italian SM.79 torpedo bombers to draw off the Royal Navy fighters and then let the Stukas go after the carrier and other ships. Historically, that plan almost worked. The Italians drew off a number of Illustrious' Fulmar fighters and the Stukas got six direct hits on the carrier.

Stuka attacks on HMS Illustrious on Jan 10, 1041 (from armouredcarriers.com)

While Illustrious was severely damaged, her armored flight deck held up and she was able to limp into Malta. The website Armored Aircraft Carriers of WWII has a good article on the overall action.

After getting to Malta, the carrier (and island) were subjected to numerous raids, which are often referred to at "The Illustrious Blitz."

As part of the joint project, my friend Kevin will be painting up Stukas, SM.79s, and Fulmars, while I take care of the ships for the game. We decided to limit the ships to the carrier and one escorting destroyer. I already have the kit for Illustrious and the kit for the selected destroyer is on the way.

I always like to get the paint schemes as close as possible and my research on the camouflage scheme for Illustrious turned up the following, from Mal Wright's British and Commonwealth Warship Camouflage of WWII, Volume 2, Battleships and Aircraft Carriers. 

Approximate HMS Illustrious paint scheme on January 10, 1941, from British and Commonwealth Warship Camouflage of WWII, Volume 2, Battleships and Aircraft Carriers, via the armouredcarriers.com

The colors are basically a light grey hull, with a medium grey disruptive pattern, and a dark grey deck. But it seems that the dotted yellow stripe had been replaced by a solid one by January 10.

I've assembled my Aoshima version of the carrier, adding some extra 20mm guns to round out the anti-aircraft gun fit for the time. I also put the large radio antennas in the down position (the assembly instructions for British carriers often tell you to assemble these in the up position, but my understanding is that they were lowered during flight operations. So, my version has them down as the crew rushes to get a few more Fulmars airborne).

Primed and ready for painting

Hopefully, my paint job will turn out like the pictures.