USS Robin ...

[Mark Allen M]

SS Hornet was sunk and USS Enterprise was badly damaged at the Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands, leaving the United States Navy with only one fleet carrier, USS Saratoga, operational in the Pacific. In late December 1942, Victorious was loaned to the US Navy after an American plea for carrier reinforcement. Whilst in US service she was known as the USS Robin. After a refit in the United States at the Norfolk Navy Yard in January 1943 and the addition of Avenger aircraft, Victorious passed through the Panama Canal on 14 February to operate with United States forces in the Pacific. Her crew suffered an outbreak of diphtheria and medical supplies were dropped to her by air on 21 February.

Victorious arrived at Pearl Harbor in March 1943 and was fitted with heavier arrester wires as RN wires had proved too light for the Grumman Avenger aircraft. Additional AA guns were also fitted. She sailed for the south-west Pacific, arriving at Nouméa, New Caledonia, on 17 May to form Carrier Division 1 with USS Saratoga. She sortied immediately for a week with Task Force 14, including Saratoga and battleships North Carolina, Massachusetts, and Indiana, sweeping against reported Japanese fleet activity, but without contact. Six aircraft were lost to accidents. Rear Admiral DeWitt Ramsey, commanding the division, carried out evaluation exercises and patrol sweeps in June and determined that Victorious had superior fighter control but handled Avenger aircraft poorly because of their weight. Accordingly, he transferred 832 Squadron FAA to the Saratoga and US Carrier Air Group 3 to the Victorious. Thereafter, Victorious's primary role was fighter cover and Saratoga mainly handled strikes.

On 27 June, TF14 was redesignated Task Group 36.3 and sailed to provide cover for the invasion of New Georgia (part of Operation Cartwheel). Victorious spent the next 28 days continuously in combat operations at sea, a record for a British carrier, steaming 12,223 miles[clarification needed] at an average speed over 18 knots (33 km/h) kts and launching 614 sorties. Returning to Nouméa on 25 July, Victorious was recalled home. Though the Japanese had four carriers to Ramsey's two, it seemed clear that they were not intending to press their advantage and the first two carriers of the new Essex class had arrived at Pearl Harbor well ahead of schedule.

Victorious left for Pearl Harbor on 31 July, leaving behind her Avengers as replacements for Saratoga, sailing in company with battleship Indiana and launching 165 anti submarine sweeps en route. She also carried US pilots finishing their tours as well as two Japanese POWs. After a brief stop in San Diego, Victorious passed through the Panama Canal on 26 August and arrived at Norfolk Navy Yard 1 September, where specialized US equipment was removed. Returning home, she arrived at Greenock on the Clyde on 26 September 1943 where aircraft and stores were discharged awaiting refit.


HMS Victorious pictured in her role as 'USS Robin'.


Victorious in 1943 when in the Pacific. As well as Fleet Air Arm Martlets, she is operating Wildcats from VF-3 of the US Navy.

[AG pilot]

The photographer/s did take some great photos from above. Thanks for posting!

[Pat Carry]

Thanks Mark

[Aeronut]

Does the Avenger with its wings spread on the after deck in the last two photos have a problem? It port wingtip is lower than the starboard and there appears to be two crewmen draped over the starboard wingtip as a counterbalance. Flat tyre? collapsed oleo?

[Spitty]

Wasnt there a problem with wing locks not engaging or am I thinking about the Dauntless?

[Stoney]

SBD wings don't fold.

[bdk]

Wasnt there a problem with wing locks not engaging or am I thinking about the Dauntless?

Dauntless didn't have folding wings.

[Lon Moer]

TBM's were the largest single engine carrier plane, but they look even more massive on that tiny little British carrier.... They barely fit on deck with the wings out.

[sandiego89]

TBM's were the largest single engine carrier plane, but they look even more massive on that tiny little British carrier.... They barely fit on deck with the wings out.

The Grumman Guardian begs to differ! but yes nothing small about the TBM.

I learned a lot in this thread. Had never heard the USS Robin code name. Wonder if anyone really used that?

Maybe just a tire change on the TBM? and the crew on the wing to reduce lift as the port wing was shielded by aircraft ahead, but the starboard wing was directly in the wind.

[Larry Kraus]

I worked as a loader among other things at the Goleta Tanker Base near Santa Barbara in the early 1960s during my summer vacations from Junior High and High School. We had TBM tankers based there. Occasionally, a TBM would return to base light on fuel and the main landing gear struts would stay almost fully extended. After fueling one strut would sometimes drop by about a foot while the other stayed nearly fully extended.

As the most expendable person available my job was to climb onto the high wing and get out near the tip and bounce up and down to try to get the strut to drop and even out with the low one. It worked. It was also very alarming when the strut and wing tip suddenly dropped a foot or more. There’s not much to grab onto out there while you are standing up and it’s a long way down to the concrete ramp.

There were a lot of comments about looking like a monkey doing things with a football that were probably valid. I think that I ended up being drafted into that chore three or four times. It would definitely get my heart rate going when the bottom fell out. Ah, the Good Old Days before OSHA.