During the Salerno landings, Force V, commanded by Admiral Philip Vian and consisting of , , , and , along with the light fleet carrier , provided air cover. The five carriers were expected to keep a fighter aircraft force of 22 Supermarine Seafires over the landing area until the ground forces had seized an Italian airfield for use by ground-based aircraft. On the first day, 9 September 1943, they flew 265 sorties. They had expected to be relieved by 10 September, but a suitable airfield was not captured until 12 September. Of the carriers' 105 fighters, ten were lost in action and 33 written off in accidents. In exchange, they claimed two German aircraft destroyed and four others probably destroyed. For the landings in the south of France on 15 August 1944, "Attacker", "Stalker", and "Hunter", each equipped with 24 Supermarine Seafires and "Pursuer", with 24 Grumman Wildcats, formed part of the aircraft carrier force dubbed Task Force 88.