The idea of putting Hurricanes on aircraft carriers started in the summer of 1941 when four Hurricanes equipped with hooks only embarked on the carrier HMS Furious. This trial run took them from Scapa Flow to Norway in an attempt to hamper or sever German lines of communications. A mix of the Sea Hurricanes and Fairey Fulmars provided top cover. The Hurricanes stayed above the fleet to protect it while the Fulmars escorted Albacores in for the attack. The attack failed, with the loss of nine Albacores, but, on the way back to Scapa Flow, a Dornier Do18 was spotted and two of No 800 Squadron’s Sea Hurricanes made the interception and shot it down, thus recording the first victory for a Sea Hurricane on July 21, 1941.

The success of the Sea Hurricane is apparent in the rapid deployment of the Mk. IB. By the end of 1941, Sea Hurricane Mk. IBs equipped two flights of No 801 Squadron on HMS Argus and HMS Eagle; No 806 Squadron on HMS Formidable; No 880 Squadron on HMS Avenger; and No 885 Squadron on HMS Victorious. The Sea Hurricane was not long in finding battle, either. In early 1942, No 880 Squadron transferred to HMS Indomitable for a cruise into the Indian Ocean. In May of 1942, HMS Indomitable sailed to Madagascar to attempt to seize a French Navy base at Diego Suarez in order to prevent the Japanese from using it as a submarine base. The Sea Hurricanes were successful in their escort duties and managed to destroy 3 Morane Saulnier MS406 fighters on the ground.

This was just a warm-up for the coming attractions, though. It is in the Mediterranean that the Sea Hurricane truly came into its own. In June 1942, Sea Hurricanes from No 801 Squadron on HMS Eagle provided top cover for Harpoon, the essential supply convoy heading for Malta. Upon entering the Mediterranean, the convoy came under almost constant attack from the Germans and Italians. The Sea Hurricanes and Fulmars from HMS Argus did an outstanding job of defending the convoy, with No 801 Squadron claiming six Italian planes. This was the beginning of the Sea Hurricane’s escapades in the Mediterranean.

With Malta under constant attack and in desperate need of supplies, another convoy was sent through the Straights of Gibraltar in August of 1942. This convoy was escorted by HMS Indomitable with Nos 800 and 880 Squadrons; HMS Formidable with No 806 Squadron; HMS Victorious with No 885 Squadron; and HMS Eagle with No 801 Squadron. This convoy is where the Sea Hurricanes really distinguished themselves, but it started out on a down note. With nothing more than a Ju88 being seen, things were fairly quiet when HMS Eagle was torpedoed and sunk by the submarine U-73, taking 200 of her crew and most of the precious Sea Hurricanes. The few that were flying managed to land on the other carriers. The following day, the convoy was well within range of enemy airfields and came under heavy attack. The Sea Hurricanes put up a spirited fight, and when the dust of the battle settled, the score stood at 24 Italian planes and 14 German planes downed. This victory offset somewhat the loss of the Eagle and its compliment of Sea Hurricanes and greatly relieved Malta by getting the convoy through.

Getting convoys through is what the Sea Hurricane seemed destined to do, as the next big show was another escort mission, this time to Russia. HMS Avenger with Nos 802 and 883 Squadrons sailed off in September 1942 to escort a convoy to Russia. Their first encounter with the enemy resulted in a sucker punch of sorts. While the Sea Hurricanes were off trying to destroy a heavily armored Bv138, the convoy was attacked twice by Ju88s and He111s. Eight ships were sunk in this raid. The next day, with the successes of the previous day fresh in their minds, the Germans went out again, this time determined to sink the carrier. This time the Sea Hurricanes were ready. Through some intense flying, the bombers were herded into the convoy’s AA screen and five were shot down. Of the remaining seventeen that returned to base, nine were so badly damaged that they never flew again. Overall, between the Sea Hurricanes and the AA ships, 41 bombers were shot down against a loss of four Sea Hurricanes, three of which were shot down by friendly fire.

The last big hurrah of the Sea Hurricane was Operation Torch, the amphibious assault on North Africa. Sea Hurricanes of Nos 800 and 801 Squadron flew off of HMS Biter, while HMS Dasher carried Sea Hurricanes of No 835 Squadron. The Sea Hurricanes were very successful in protecting the beachheads against the French, with five Dewoitine D.520s being shot down and a further 47 aircraft destroyed on the ground. Once the invasion had taken hold, the carriers withdrew, leaving the job of air cover to the RAF and the USAAF.

Operation Torch was the last big deployment of the Sea Hurricane. By 1943, technology had passed it by, with Seafires and Hellcats taking its place. It continued to serve up through 1944, though, with 835 Squadron on HMS Nairana. They continued to do escort duty for convoys heading to and from Gibraltar. Instead of going out in a blaze of glory, the Sea Hurricane just faded away, working hard at what it did best: escorting convoys.