At its peak, a total of twenty squadrons of the Fleet Air Arm were equipped with the Fulmar. It flew from eight fleet aircraft carriers and five escort carriers. No. 273 Squadron RAF operated them for some months in 1942 from China Bay, Ceylon, seeing action against Japanese forces during the raid on 9 April 1942, though about half the squadron personnel were Navy. Fulmars was recorded as having destroyed a total of 112 enemy aircraft against the loss of 40 Fulmars, which made the type the leading fighter type in terms of aircraft shot down to be operated by the Fleet Air Arm during the course of the conflict. On February 1945, the Fulmar was withdrawn from front line service; the last operational aircraft, a Fulmar MK II night-fighter from No. 813 Squadron, was heavily damaged in a landing accident at the safety barrier on and was written off.