Overview

HMS Formidable was a British aircraft carrier during the Second World War. One of four Illustrious-class carriers, Formidable was an armoured carrier, able to withstand air attacks, guarding its precious aircraft hangar with an armour-plated flight-deck. As well as its squadrons of fighters and torpedo bombers, Formidable was armed with sixteen 4.5-inch dual-purpose guns, mounted in eight turrets. When action stations sounded, in one of these turrets, sweating in the tropical heat due to heavy asbestos anti-flash gear, lifting shells from the hoist to the gunner, while frantically turning the air into a plum pudding' of smoke and flame to smash the enemy kamikaze from the sky, was the author's grandfather, Arthur Flint. Illustrated with almost 200 contemporary photographs throughout, Formidable is a memorial to the voyages and service of Arthur Flint and his shipmates during the war, from the Battle of Matapan, the landings in North Africa, Sicily and Salerno, to the arctic hunt for Tirpitz, before Formidable steamed east to Sydney in 1945 and joined the British Pacific Fleet, fighting alongside the Americans at Okinawa and the final assault against Japan. AUTHOR: Terry Crowdy is a well-established military historian and author. Known for his lively narrative and attention to detail, his research has won awards. Terry is the Fire and Risk Adviser for Historic Royal Palaces and lives in Rainham, Kent. He is Arthur Flint's grandson. 150 b/w illustrations

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9781399087667

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"""Flint was the grandfather of the author, who listened to the tales his grandfather told and folded them into this remarkable tribute to the Illustrious and its crew.""-- ""Seapower"" ""It's all well-written and well-illustrated with 208 black and white photos and two black and white maps.""-- ""Historical Miniatures Gaming Society"""

"""It's all well-written and well-illustrated with 208 black and white photos and two black and white maps.""-- ""Historical Miniatures Gaming Society"""

Author Information

TERRY CROWDY is a well-established military historian and author. Known for his lively narrative and attention to detail, his research has won awards. Terry is the Fire and Risk Adviser for Historic Royal Palaces and lives in Rainham, Kent. He is Arthur Flint's grandson.

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