On June 8, 1940, HMS Glorious, one of Britain's largest and fastest aircraft carriers, and a duo of escorts, Ardent and Acasta, detached from Vice Admiral Lionel Wells' aircraft carrier squadron and set off towards England.

At the time, the threeship British convoy had been taking part in Operation Alphabet, the evacuation of Allied forces from Norway, occurring simultaneously with the more known Dunkirk evacuation.

Initially, the rough and gloomy gray Arctic Ocean was a dramatic change for the 1,200 men crowded inside the Glorious' labyrinthine steel interior. Thankfully, they were led by a famous Commander, Captain Guy D'OylyHughes, who was even said to be a favorite of Winston Churchill's.

By the end of the day, the Royal Navy had suffered one of its most devastating defeats in all of the War.

The official story caused controversy even during the war. Why was such an important ship left so unprotected?

New, darker theories have emerged recently. According to a British parliament member: [QUOTE]

“HMS Glorious may well have become detached from the greater safety of the convoy because of a serious breakdown in relations among her senior officers. She was an unhappy ship.”