During World War II HMS Furious was stationed in the North Sea and North Atlantic from September 1939 till April 1940. She took part in the Norwegian campaign between April-June 1940, and subsequently was stationed on northern patrols between June 1940 and October 1941. HMS Furious underwent a refit in the USA between October 1941 and April 1942, subsequently operating in the Mediterranean between April 1942 and January 1943, which included ferrying spitfires to Malta between August and October 1942, and taking part in the North African landings in November 1942. Furious returned to operate as part of the Home Fleet, taking part in operations against Norway between January and September 1944. Notable operations at this time included her participation on all air strikes against the German Battleship Tirpitz in Northern Norway between April-June 1944 (including Operations Tungsten, Mascot and Goodwood). She was decommissioned on 15 September 1944. She spent the last year of the war as an accommodation ship, and post-war she was used as an explosives target and trials ship from May 1945 till 1948. Sold for scrapping January 1948 and stripped at Dalmuir in March 1948, she was broken up at Troon from June 1948. Scrapping was only completed in 1954.

Commanding Officers:
Capt. Marshal Llewelyn Clarke, DSC, RN
16 May 1939 – 1 January 1940

Capt. Thomas Hope Troubridge, RN
1 January 1940 – 14 December 1940

Capt. Arthur George Talbot, DSO, RN
14 December 1940 – ???

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Capt. Tom Oliver Bulteel, RN
15 November 1941 – 26 February 1943+

Capt. George Tothill Philip, DSO, DSC, RN
28 February 1943 - ???

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