High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! HMS Formidable was an Illustrious class aircraft carrier of the Royal Navy during World War II. She was constructed by Harland & Wolff, Belfast, where she was to "Launch herself" half an hour before she was supposed to be and was commissioned on 24 November 1940. Formidable took part in the Battle of Cape Matapan on 27 March-29, 1941. On 26 May 1941, she received serious damage while transporting aircraft to Malta, being hit by two 1000 kilogram bombs that put her out of action for six months. After repairs at Norfolk Naval Shipyard, in the United States, she re-equipped with Vought Corsair and Martlet fighters. In 1942, she travelled across the Pacific and served briefly in the Indian Ocean, returning to the Mediterranean in October. Formidable then provided air support for the North African campaign and Italian campaign (1943), including the Allied invasion of Sicily (Operation Husky), before taking part in an Arctic convoy. On November 17 aircraft from HMS Formidable attacked U- Boat U-331 (the U-Boat that sank HMS Barham) and sank her.