HMS Illustrious T-Shirt
The HMS Illustrious T-Shirt is made by The Great British T-Shirt Emporium. The name and insignias used by the Armed Services are trademakes, reproduced under licence from the Secretary of State for Defence.
- 100% cotton
- Colour choice: Navy, White
- Machine washable, tumble dry & iron compatible
- Emblazoned with the official British Navy insignia on the left of the chest.
- Various sizes available
- Made to the highest quality
- Each T Shirt comes with a information card about the history behind the ship
- Made by The Great British T-Shirt Emporium
HMS ILLUSTRIOUS
The first HMS Illustrious, a 74-gun Third Rate ship of the line, was launched at Buckler’s Hard in 1789 and saw action against the French off Toulon in 1793 and at Genoa in 1795. The second HMS Illustrious was launched in Rotherhithe in 1803, and was also a 74-gun Third Rate ship of the line. She had a long career, winning battle honours at Basque Roads and Java before becoming a training ship in 1854. The third HMS Illustrious was a battleship, launched in 1896. She carried 12 and 6 inch guns, but was already obsolete by the time the First World War broke out in 1914.
The fourth HMS Illustrious was one of the most distinguished ships of the Second World War. She was the first of a new class of aircraft carrier and was commissioned in 1940. Her first theatre of action was the Mediterranean in defence of the Malta convoys and where, on 11th November, twenty Swordfish aircraft attacked the Italian Naval Base at Taranto. They inflicted severe damage on the Italian fleet and helped to tip the balance of Mediterranean sea power in favour of the Allies. Early in 1941, HMS Illustrious suffered extensive damage and many casualties following an attack by Stuka dive-bombers. She managed to escape to the United States for repairs, where she was refitted and returned to active service in late 1941. After playing a major role in operations off Diego Suarez, Salerno and Sumatra, she supported the American landings at Okinawa.
The current HMS Illustrious was built at Swan Hunter on the Tyne and commissioned in her base port of Portsmouth in 1982. She is the second of three “Invincible Class” aircraft carriers. Today’s powerful Royal Navy aircraft carriers provide a vital tool in terms of foreign policy, and the current HMS Illustrious, like her predecessors, plays an essential role in defending Britain.
The ship’s badge of HMS Illustrious is a trade mark of the Secretary of State for Defence and used under licence.
