By the final year of World War II, when the British Pacific Fleet formally came into existence, the US Navy was using naval airpower on a grand scale with operational doctrines to which the British needed to be re-educated. A first stage had been reached in early 1943 when HMS Victorious worked in the Pacific for several months with the USS Saratoga. A year on, the Americans reciprocated with the temporary loan of the Saratoga to the nucleus of the new British fleet then based on Ceylon. This included the Illustrious and other major units, which could be released to eastern service by virtue of the running-down of the sea war in the Mediterranean.

Following a couple of weeks' intensive work-up, the two carriers formed the cutting edge of a 27-ship task force, known as TF 70, formed to carry out a strike on the major oil refinery at Sabang Island, at the northern tip of Sumatra on 16 April 1944. Though under a British flag officer, it was a multi-national force, wearing six different ensigns. To the British it was a luxury to go on to the offensive against the Japanese, the two carriers fielding 83 aircraft, or over four times the force employed at Taranto The following month saw a repeat exercise carried out on Surabaya in Java. Though losses were very light, results were thin but, even so, the experience was valuable. Firstly, the British learnt the wisdom of sailing the force commander in a carrier, where he had an immediate overview of the situation, rather than (as was traditional) having him wear his flag in a battleship. Further, the availability of a second flight deck was found to be vital for sustained operations if accidents were not to hold up proceedings.

By the end of 1944, the quietening Indian ocean could be left to the six available escort carriers of the East Indies Fleet, based on Ceylon, occupied primarily with supporting the l4th Army campaign in Burma with their 150 aircraft, these being relieved finally by the new light fleet carriers.

In January 1945 he British fleet carriers which had been exercising in twos and threes primarily against oil-production targets in the East Indies leg to form the nucleus of the new British Pacific Fleet (BPF) based on Sydney. On the way, they mounted the first British four-carrier strikes against the Palembang refineries in south east Sumatra. These were successful y carried out in the face of stiff opposition and Provided usef4l experience in the operation of upwards of 100 aircraft in the simultaneous strike and support roles.

On 15 March 1945 the British Pacific Fleet reported itself fully operational from its temporary base at Manus, in the Admiralty Islands, north of New Guinea. Not the least of its problems had been the assembly and organization of the enormous American-style 'fleet train', necessary for the independent sustenance of the fleet in all respects in a mobile war far removed from established bases As TF 57, the BPF was commanded by Vice Admiral Rawlings under the overall direction of the American Commander-in-Chief Pacific, Admiral Nimitz, but serving as an element of Admiral Spruance's 5th Fleet. The BPF was centered on four fleet carriers and a couple of modern battleships and was supported also by six CVEs its main strength equating roughly to a task group within the US task force. Its first involvement was in the taking of Okinawa.

The British were tasked with suppressing the Japanese airfields on the islands between Okinawa and Formosa, the Sakishima Gunto. Attacking by day and withdrawing by night to replenish and renew aircraft, the force was little opposed for the first few days but on 1 April 1945, the day of the main landings HMS Indefatigable was hit squarely by a kamikaze. Thanks to her armoured deck

she was out of action only briefly.

After a month's continuous operations the British pulled out for a break, but were soon back as their American CVE stand-ins were unable completely to subdue Japanese aerial activity from the islands. On 4 May HMS Formidable was hit by a kamikaze, so hard that even the armoured flight deck was punctured. She was out of action for 80 minutes. Another bounced off HMS Indomitable. Attrition in aircraft on both sides continued relentlessly day after day. On 9 May the Formidable was hit again, and HMS Victorious was struck twice. There were few casualties, but aircraft losses aboard were considerable.

On 25 May, with Okinawa in US hands, TF 57 left the area after two months of concentrated activity. The heavy construction of the British carriers had convinced the Americans of its utility for, though they too had lost no carriers in the campaign several had been very seriously damaged and forced to withdraw.

Restyled TF 37 the BPF joined Admiral McCain's TF 38. which itself had eight fleet and six light carriers )or the final assault against the Japanese homeland. This occupied the last month of the war with continuous activity against a still-lively enemy who, fortunately, had apparently run out of kamikazes.

After the de facto Japanese surrender in mid-August, the Allied fleets remained on station off the Japanese coast until the formal signing in early September. They were struck by a typhoon in late August, a couple of the American carriers pitching heavily enough to collapse their overhung forward flight decks Again the British design proved superior and the so-called hurricane bow v', plated right up. was introduced to later US designs.

The BPF effort had extended to nearly 8,000 aircraft sorties with the loss in action of 85 aircraft Half that number again were lost to kamikaze strikes. Their achievements had been considerable and both fleets had benefited from the others experiences.