iJ?

,
Volume ll Issue 128

Published by
l -: s Pub ishrng L td
I -[Link] Publishing Ltd 1986
Editorial Offices
, ..' \tlachin-^
-:-,soace
.-: Publlshinq Ltd
)al ing Road
,-::r W6 0ES
hlanaging Editor: Stan Morse
Editorial: Trlsha Palmer
Chris Bishop
Chris Chant
an Drury

Design: -cd Teasdale

Colour Origination: lmago Publishing Ltd,
--:^-: Oxon

Typesetting: SX Composrng Ltd

Frim work: Precise Litho Ltd

Consultant Editor: Maior General Sir
Artists: Jeremy Moore KCB OBE MC, Comman-
-,- ::COnS der of British Land Forces during the
'::-,.:cdcock
Falklands campaign.

Picture acknowledgements
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Posf-trtrcr
AircraflGrriers
The years followingthe endof WorldWarIIsawthe aircraft
carrier entering sewice with more and more navies as the
products of the Britishlight carrierprogramme, [Link] Seen appropriately by the |ight of
the setting sun, Britain's last fleet
Royal Narry rcquirements, became available, In the aircraft-carrier makes her way
meantime, Britain and the USA had to adapt the enormous into history. To the politician Ark
Royal was an an achronism; no
post-wat advance in auiationtothe naval rolerwhichmeant /ongrernecessa ry, given the tJK,s
that the old cawiers were no longer suitable for the changing reduced world position. AII the
same, shewould have beenvery
faceofwat. useful in the Falklands.

The period immediately after World War II was shaped for alrcraft- conventional fixed-wing aircraft-carrier into the latter part of the 2c-n
carriers by the realization that jet aircraft had to be taken to sea, The first century by cancelling the new carrier programme, The excuse the
landing by the third prototype de Havilland Vampire on the deck of HMS government qave was that the only task ior which a carner was indis-
Ocean on 3 December 1945 had shown the way forward, but because of pensable (namely the support of the landrng or wlthdrawal of troops
the numbers of almost new ships rn service the need for jet-capable against sophisticated opposition outside the range of land-based itr
carriers could be met at first only by rebuilding World War II carriers power) would not be undertaken without the hetp of allies, and that the
strll on the stocks, or by modernizing those actually in service. The lack other rojes of carrierborne arrpower could be more cheaply performed
of finance for any new building precluded this natural solution to the in other ways. This demonstrated a politicat naivety beyonb behef to
problem, The rundown of the Royal Nauy's carrier force also offered many people, One can only wonder what effect a foresiqht of the l9g2
smaller nations the chance to purchase reconditioned vessels for their Falklands war would have had on this inept decision, whrch at a strike
own navies. effectively destroyed the core of the balanced Royal Navy fleet and its
The Korean War then proved to many doubters the value of shipborne mrlitary role within NATO.
tactical arr power rn the nuclear age, and the navies of the UK and USA
maintarned a fairly effective force throughout the lg5Os and 1960s, The.U-S Navy saw littleuse for the massive carrier forces builtup during the
However, desprte the use of carriers in several overseas crises (such as Paciticwar, until thewar inKorea convinced them otherwise. ti siiti Stiii"g -"
one of the few 'Essex' class not to undergo an scB modernization, uss l,"vt"
the Suez operation rn i956 and the Vletnam War of the lg6os), the Labour was able to operate the most up-to-date aircraft of the time in tne snape oiine
government ofthe day in 1966 axed any hkelihood ofthe UK keeplng a Grumman FSF-2 Panther.
Wars intheFar East
Aircraft carriers have contributed to a
number of conflicts since 1945, but the
ntensity and durationof the
nvolvement was most marked in the
r,vo maj or F ar Eastern conflicts - Korea
andVietnam.
-,';ars in Korea and Vietnam showed that
-:-=
:-= a:rcraft-carrier is a unrquely complex
',t:i.3n system, At trmes during the-former
:-:'-:'- carriers in fact proved to be the only
'.-=c-= ineans available to UN forces for the
of a credible air offensive against
,=::-:lng-uppties,
=:-::--; personnel and positions
.:::-ghout-the length and breadth ol the Ko-
:==:- ceninsula, It was this great tactical value
-- -:pporting the land forces ashore that was
=.'':-:.:ed to the fu]] ln the subsequent Vietnam
-,-,-- -,-;here enemy offshore actrvity was kept
, . ::riaimum to provide the carrier forces
:-,:= .r less unrestricted operation along the
-,:.:---: ci the Vtetnamese coastline
-:-:::cugh the Korean War started in the early
:,: *:s :i Slnday, 25 June 1950, lt was not until 3
- - -.-::a:
carriers from the US Navy's Task Force
l-':= ja: to launch air strikes, Allocated two
= ::=,1 :argets in an area of north west Korea
:- ::luded the North Korean capital of Pyon-
;;r:,1 r"1e carriers unleashed a two-day series
-, . =:<s that lelt l0 aircraft damaged on the
-:: -:i',rrth another two Yakovlevs shot down AnF4[J Corsair aboard the'Essex' class carrier
--- :-: combat. This, coupled with further Navv aircralt began to work in support of lhe
Army rn Lhe fleld, Shortly afterwards in USSPhilippine Seais loaded with 100-lb (45-kg)
::rl-<s oy ihe US Air Force, resulted in the US 8ih
bombs in preparationfor a strike onNorth Korean
:-- -.:-j:i :he North Korean air offensive for a early August, the US Marine Corps also er-l^ positions-WorldWar II types bore the brunt of
,.:,,:. reriod. However, by the middle of the tere'd the close support arena with the US early air operations.
r:--:--ir ire air oflensive had been renewed with Naw's Task Element 96.23 and the carriers USS
-,'-:,'-: and another Unlted Nations response Src/jz and Badoeng Strajl; these operated two '
" .. :-:eded, In two strikes by pilots from the squadrons of Vought F4U Corsair day,flghters of erght F4U Corsairs, eight Douglas AD Skf
from a positron off the southern coast of Korea in raiders and between eight and 12 Grumma:
--.: -::ce on 18 July against arrflelds around F9F Panthers would be directed to hit a spe-
:;-:,;-'ang 14 communist aircraft were des- direct support of the lst Provisional Marine
:--.-=j and 13 more damaged, On the lollowing Brigade ashore, Later the US Navy carriers cific target in the minimum time possible r-
r:-; :i= strikes were shifted to the east coast aiso added the interdiction role to their tasks in order to iimit aircraft losses and maximize dan:-
:-r-:-:s ai Yonpo and Sondok, where another an effort to cut off the enemy's front line forma- age,
destroyed, By 20 July the US tions from their rear-area supply depots, However, what the Korean War also showed
-: =-:::aii were As the war progressed the US Navy flters in hrndsrght to carrierborne airpower was th:
l.-'.-, =:C US Air Force, with help from the utrlity of an effective command and control ne --
learnt the art of air combat in all its hmited-war
-:,-:- :arrier HMS Tnumph, had succeeded forms, By October 1952 they had perfected the work to allocate targets for all the air asse-
,-, -::::tpiishrng ihe flrst pnority of United Na-
use of massed fighter-bomber attacks against available, Because of the lack of such a systei.-
---= =:jcal aiipower in Korea,
.:-=:rnent
namely the
enemy troop and supply positions near the at practically all levels rn the early part ol:h-=
andmaintenance of air supertor-
=- main iine oi resistance. Such an attack was war, many naval air strikes were wasied, alj
-..- : .-:1 ::le enemy, even when such a system was established :::
:'-:::'.-ngly it was not until 25 July that the US known as a 'Cherokee' strike, in which a force
the latter part there were still lapses,
Tasks for each service
Surpnsingly, a decade or so later the sar-=
-:-=
situation was repeated in the early part of
Vietnam War, Althouqh the 'Rolling Thuni=:
air campaign agatnst North Vietnam was s..i
jected to iniolerable tnterferences from the lS
government's adminrstration that all but :-=-
gated rts worth, the US Air Force and US Na-' I
it1ll adhered to the concept of asslgning sp=-
cific targets to each servlce. Iruckrly the au-,';'-
planners soon realized their fundamental: --
iake and refined the targets into a series :-
'route packages' which were then allocate j -
a service as J ftil-ti-e task, To fulfil its'6on_'--
ments to the overall target coverage, the -l
Navy designated a geographic point u:-:=
northern part of the Gull of Tonkin as the - =.r'
Force 77 carrier operating area kno-,":- =:

A Douglas AD-4 Skyraidet of VA-J95 iauncft es fc'::

[Link] :
Boxer jn I 9 5 1, 1o ade d w ith 5 0 0 - Ib ( 2 2 7 - kg ) a "
265-Ib ( I 20-ks) bombs. It was VA' I 95 which
Iaunched the only aerial torpedo attack of the't;-
against the Hwachon Dam.
 Post-war Aircraft Carriers
'Yankee' Station, Later a second area in the
southern part of the gulf, called 'Dixre' Statron,
was activated for carriers supporting the US
Army and Republic of South Vietnam forces
fighting the 'rn-country' war inside South Viet-
nam. The latter station also became a 'warm-
lng-upr area for newly arrived carriers and
their green air groups, so that they could be
brought to full operational pitch in the relative-
ly minimum air-defence environment of the
skies over South Vietnam, Thus crews adapted
to ihe hfe associated with continuous combat
operations and to the use of live ordnance in
combat situations Once 'conditioned' to this
way of 1ife, the carriers were then moved north
to 'Yankee' Station, where the air group was Above:A bombed-up Fairey Firefly of HMAS
used against the integrated North Vietnamese Sydneyprepares to take offfor a strike into Korea.
air-defence network which flelded radars, AA The Australian carrier took station off the east
guns, SAM missiles and MiG flghters, coastof Koreain place of HMS GLory, as partof the
American-led Task Force 77.
Front-line carriers
Right: By the end of the Korean action, jet
To service these two operating areas the US operations from carrier decks had become
Navy needed to keep rts carriers on station for commonplace. This Grumman FSF-| of VF- I 12 was
periods much longer ihan was considered nor operating off the modified 'Essex' class carrier USS
mal, and by June 1965 had allocated no less Kearsagein J953.
than five of rts front-line attack carriers to this
task, To breach the air defences (especially In December 1965 a new era of carrier war- kaay when 44 men died, two helicopters were
the missile barriers) along the various 'route fare operations was opened when the nuclear destroyed and four Skyhawks damaged follow-
packages', the US Navy developed its own powered USS Enlerpnse arrived on 'Yankee' ing an accidental explosion of a magnesium
attack methods and armaments. The carriers Station with Carrier Air Wing 9 aboard, With parachute flare in Hangar Bay 1. The second
thus found themselves operating aircraft car- two McDonnell F-4B Phantom fighter squad- was aboard the USS Forrestal, detached from
ryrng self-defence jamming pods as well as rons, four Douglas A-4C Skyhawk attack the Atlantic for a Vretnam tour: a Zunr rocket
iron bombs, and missiles such as the AGM-4SA squadrons one heavy PR squadron of Rock- accldentally dlscharged from a Phantom hit a
Shrike to hrt any SAM site located, Specialist well RA-SC Viqrlantes and one tanker squad- Skyhawk, which exploded in flames and
ECM aircraft such as the Douglas EA-3B Sky- ron of KA-3B Skywarriors (plus detachments of caused loaded ordnance aboard aircraft on the
warrior and the Grumman EA 6B Prowler were Grumman E-18 Tracer AEW aircraft, Kaman flight deck to explode; by the time that the flnal
also deployed over the years to screen the UH-2 utrlity and SAR helicopters, and RA-3B fires beneath the flrght deck had been brought
strike forces. Specific SAM suppression mis and EA-3B Skywarrior specialist intelligence- under control 13 hours later, the Fozre^stal's air
sions were given the name 'lron Hand', and gathering and ECM aircraft) Ihe Enterprise group had effectrvely been wiped out, with 2l
involved at some stage or other practically ali quickly began to set new records ior numbers aircraft destroyed and 43 others damaged to
the US Nalry fighter and attack aircraft types of sortres per day and tonnage of bombs drop-
used in the war, ped,
In spite of the marked disparity of performance,
Although not attacked by the enemy whtlst some North Korean MiGs were shot down by Royal
on station, the carrier force drd suffer a number Navy Sea Furies. The firstvictory fell to Lieulenant
of accidents involving fires, The first occurred Peter Carmichael of No. 802 Sqn aboard HMS
during 26 October 1966 aboard the USS Ons- Ocean, whodestroyed aMiG-15 inAugust tgS2.
Wars in the Far East

l'[Link],iit:;lf
-,,1rd:,lil,r:!,,t;..1
:l{::11t,iitii{ill;;11

iiil?,,;l$

Iune 1966, and Americaninvolvement in the

Vietnam war is building in intensity' USS Hancock,
changed out of all recognition from her World War
II form, is on station in the SouthChina Seawhile
launching strikes against North Vietnam.

While the conflict in Koreawas at its height' when she set sail for Vletnam on 26 lune, a Sargon, the South Vietnamese capital,
another carrier forcewas in action far to the south, testament both to the ship's design features and The final postscript to the war in Indo-Chlna
off the coast of Indo-China. As a portent of things to to the repair yard at Hawait. was written in May 1975, when Kampuchean
come, this American escort carrier, USS Windham Following the halt to bombing operations (Cambodian) communist gunboats setzed the
Bay, is seen a t S aigon w hile delivering air cr af t to over North Vtetnam the carriers switched to American merchant ship Mayaguez' The car-
'i,e F rench in J anuary I I 5 1. operations in the south and in Cambodra and rier Coral Sea launched air strikes ln conjunc-
Laos untii the early part of I972, when the Eas- tion with US Arr Force alrcraft on Kampuchean
-.-=ri'ing degrees. In additlon I34 of her crew ter offensive into South Vietnam by North Vlet- arrfields and Koh Tang island to help secure
iaci been krlled in the inferno. However, dam- namese regular troops and armour called for the release of the crew. lronically, American
sterner methods, By July of that year the US involvement in the area had ended more or
=:e below decks was hmited by the armoured Navy had deployed on the two stations stx car- less as it had begnrn 1l years before, with an
l-;ri deck It was the latter that also helped
attack on an American ship and the subsequent
--::::: damage aboard the En terprise on 14 Janu- rieri (the Am eica, Hancock, Kttty Hawk' Mid-
-:_. 1969 whilst she was preparing to retum to way, Saratoga and Oriskany) with thetr air use of carrierborne aircraft.
-.-,:lam, Premature rgnition of another Zuni groups ranging over the whole of the two Viet-
r::-<et caused a three-hour fire and the detona- nams 1n an effort to stop the offensive, At the A destroyer stands plane guatd off the stern of the
several HE bombs on the flight deck end of the year the carriers provided airfleld-
-': ci suppression strikes and EA-6B Prowler ECM
'Midway' class carrjer USS Coral Sea as an.A-J
-:-s resulted in a total of 15 aircraft being des- Skryaider attack aircraft comes in for recovery in
::;ed, the aft end of the flight deck being lammrng support for USAF Boerng B-52 heavy January 1968. Navy aircraft regularly operated
'over
-=-.:rely damaged and 28 men krlled Despite bombers durino the 'Linebacker II'strtkes over the North, as well as in suppott of US forces in
:-.. :he shrp had been completely repaired Hanoi and Haiihong Following the ceasefire theSouth.
of23 January 1973, theEnterpnse began opera-
tions rn support of the totterlng Cambodian
government, whilst in April 1975 during the
;:SS Bon Homme Richard and escort sail in dvinq davs of South Vietnam the carriers Mid-
:cnpanywith an amphibious squadron as they uiay'Enterpnse, Coral Sea and Hancockpro-
::.aie their way from theTonkinGulf to the major
'-'S liavy facility atYokosukainJapan, following the vrded arr support for the ignomintous evacua-
e:i of her last tour of duty off Vietnam. tron of the Amerlcans and some allies from
 ffi finns victorious
After servinq in World War II, HMS
Post-war Aircraft Carriers

Victorious (R3B) was completely re-

built lrom the hangar deck up between
1950 and 1957 at Portmouth Dockyard,
During this modernizatron the huli was
widened, deepened and lengthened
whrlst the machinery and boilers were
completely renewed, TWo steam cata-
pults, new arrester gear and an 8,75'
angled flight deck with mirror landing
sights (as well as new aircraft lifts and
radars) were fitted, A maximum of 35
fixed-wrng arrcraft were scheduled as
the air group, but in the event the
Victorious never had more than 28
aboard plus eight helicopters, She was
again refitted in 1962 and 1968, but be-
fore the latter was finished a minor fire
broke out, which was taken by the gov-
ernment of the day as an excuse for
scrapping her rn the following year as
part ofthe 1966 carrier run down prog-
ramme. The final air group composi-
tion carried by the ship was eight
Blackburn Buccaneer S,Mk I strike
arrcraft, eight de Havilland Sea Vxen HM,S Victorious was the only wartime
fighters, two Fairey Gannet AEW,Mk fleet carrier to be thoroughly
3s and flve Westland Wessex helicop- modernized in lft e J950s. Seen here
ters, As one of the fleet's and NATO's just before the start of her prctracted
strike carrier units, the ship and her refit, she was to emerge after eight
Buccaneers were fitted to carlv the year s complete Iy re bu ilt from the
naval versron of the S/2O-kiloton vari- hangar deck up, and able to operate
able-yield'Red Beard' tactical nuclear jetsof upto 18145 kg(40,000 lb).
gnavity bomb
Aircraft: 35 (see text)
Specification Complement:2,400
HMS Trctorious Electronics: one Tlpe 984 3D radar,
Displacement: 30, 500 tons standard one Type 293Q height-finding radar,
and 35,500 tons full load one Type 974 surface-searchradar
Dimensions: length 238.0 m (78 1,0 ft); and one CCA atrcraft landrng aid
beam3l,5 m(103.5 ft); draught9.4 m
(31.0 ft); flightdeckwidth4T.B m
(i57,0 ft) Three of the Royal Navy's four angled
Propulsion: three-shaft geared steam deck carriers of the time are seen in
turbines delivering 82027 kW this 1960 photograph, only HMS
(1 10,000 shp) Eagle berhgabsenf. Victorious, ft ere
Speed:31 kts seen aslern ofHermes and Ark Royal,
Armament: sxtwin 76-mm (3-1n) Mk33 was a very different vessel from the
AAand one sextuple 40-mm AA gmn carrier that attacked ffie Bismarck.

ffi iboloss,rs'class
The 'Colossus' class of light fleet car- Prbneer (R76) andPerseus (R51) were
rier was a World War II design that completed as aircraft maintenance
resembled in many ways a scaled- ships, continurng in these roles until
down'lllustrious' class fleet carrier but scrapped in 1954 and 1958 respective-
a single hangar, no armour and ly, Of the remainder, HMS l/enerabie
"\'1th
cnly liqht self-defence AA gnms. The (RB 1) was sold to the Dutch as the Karel
machrnery flt was essentially a mod- Doorman in 1948, whilst HMSWarrior
-:ied version of that fltted to contem- (R31) was lent to the Royal Canadian
porary cruisers, but with the boilers Nalry and then recommissioned into
=d engine rooms set one after the
:rer to reduce the effects of a bomb or
the Royal Navy before being sold to
Argentrna in 1958 as thelndependen-
-:lpedo hit below decks. Of the 10 un- cia. HMS Vengeance (R71) was also
-= burlt most sewed in the Royal Nalry lent, in this rnstance to the Royal Au-
--=- -:re post-war years. HMS Colossus stralian Narry between 1952 and 1955,
,.;- ioaned to the French naw as the before beinq placed in resewe and
Anomanches in 1946 and was even- then sold to Brazil in 1957 as the Mrnas
-:-1y sold to France, whilst HMS Gerals. The other four, namely HMS
Glory (R62), Ocean (R6B), Tfteseus
FIVS Fioneerr'sseen assfie was (R64) and Triumpfi (R16), served com- Above: Seen at Sasebo in compatT
completed in I 945 as a maintenance bat tours off Korea during the war with the American 'Essex'[Link]
carrier. Shewas unable to operate there, with air groups comprrsing Su- carrjer USS Oriskany, tie 'Colosslis"
arrcraltin a combat role, being able permarrne Seafire F,Mk 47s, Hawker class carrier HMS Ocean is prepa:=_:
ta take them aboard only by crane. Sea Fury [Link] 11s and Fairey Firef- to depart fot Korea in the spring c:
if'rlh iersrslersftrp HMS Perseus, lies. The Ocean also gtarned an earlier 1 9 52. Ocean was one of five
Acneer continued as amaintenance distinction (rn December 1945) as the 'Colossus'c,lass carriers to ser,-e ::
resselrnfo fhe J950s. first carrier to receive landings by a jet that conflict, althougri Warrior sroe:: :
time as an aircraft transport.
'Colossus' class (continued)

aircraft, The Glory, Ocean and (40,000 shp)

Tfieseus were all scrapped 1n 196i-2 Speed:25 kts
whilst the Triumph was convefied Aircraft: 48
over a seven-year period to a heaw 24 2-pdr and from
Aircraft: early units
repair shrp, She took part in the Beira 38 to 60 20-mm qmns; later units 17 40-
patrol rn the 1960s and was placed in mm gnrnsi maintenance carriers 16 2-
reserve in 1975, eventuallY being pdr and two 20-mm (later 40-mm) qnrns
scrapped in 1981-2 just before the Electronics: one type 2B I air-search
falklands war where her services radar, and later fitted wrth one Type
were most needed, 277 height-finding radar and one TVpe
293 surface-search radar
Specification
'Colossus'class
Displacement: 13, 190 tons standard HMS Ocean in comqan7 with the
and 18,040 tons full load cruiser HMS Belfast offKorea. Ocean
Dimensions: length 21 LB4 m (695 0 f1); ftas a considerable claim tofame: she
beam 24,38 ft (80,0 ft); draught 7, 16 m provided the flight deckfor the
(23,5 ft); flishtdeckwidth24,38 m world's first jet carrier landing, when
(80,0 ft) the third prototype de Havilland
Propulsion: two-shaft geared steam Vampire made it on 3 December
turbrnes delivering 29828 kW 1945.

>K finns centaur

The history of HMS Centaur (RO6) IiMS Centaw as seen r'n the late I 950s
rested in the 'Hermes' class of etght with a good proportion of her air
carriers that began life on the design complement topsjde. Sfi e fi ad a 5 "
boards in 1943 as ships similar to the angled deck painted on to her
'Colossus' class but with significantly staight-through flight deck, but was
rmproved capabrlities, Followlnq the never converted to thefully angled
end of World War Ii four of those shrps deck of the larger carriers.
already laid down were retained on
the stocks for the new post-war fleet,
Three of the ships were completed to a Specification
modified design tncorPorating as HMSCentaur
many wartime lessons as Posstble Displacement: 22, 000 tons standard
These three were the Centaur Albion and 27,000 tons full load
andBulwark, which were launched in Dimensions: lenqlh 224.64 m (737 0 ft);
1947-8 for completion over the next sx beam 27,43 m (90,0 ft); draught 8.23 m
years, In fact the Centaur was com- (27.0 ft); flishtdeckwidth30,48 m
pleted to a sliqhtly less capable state (r00,0 ft)
than the other hvo as she had only a 5" Propulsion: two-shaft geared steam
line painted alonq her landing area to turbines delivenng 58 165 kW
srmulate an angled flight deck. The air (78,000 shp)
group was projected as 16 Hawker Sea Speed: 29.5 kts
Hawks, 16 Fairey Ftreflies and four Armament: originally 32 40-mm AA
Grumman TBM Avengter AEW air- quns (two sextuple, eight twin and four
craft. single mountings), then 20 40-mm AA
In the late 1950s the Centaur re- gnrns (eighr nvin and four single
:eived a patr of sleam catapaults but it mountingts)
-$on became apparent that she and Aircraft: onginally 42 then 29 (see text)
::er near sisters were too small to oper- Complement: 1,390
a:e the new gteneration of aircraft com- Electronics: one Type 982 air-search
::g into service with the Fleet Air Arm radar, one Type 960 air-search radar,
l-jrurg her career she served mainly one Type 983 height-flnding radar, one
:- ]re Mediterranean and the Far East, Type 277Q frghter-direction radar, one
::cludnq support duties for the army Type 974 navigation radar and one
:= Aden, By 1966 she had been rele- Type 275 flre-control radar
]::ed to the role of a depot shiP and
'.'.- stricken in 1971 the scrapping Right : A de H avilland Sea V ixen is
::::ess starting in the following year. Iainched from one of the newly fitted
::=: inal air Erroup comprised 21 fixed- s te am c at apults aboar d H MS
,'.--::q aircraft including de Havilland Centaur. .A/ong wilh Victorious, she
Se: Vuen fighiers, Supermarine Sci- was used forservice trials of the
:--::r flqhter-bombers and FaireY aircraft in N ovember I I 5 8, and her
3a:-:ei AEW aircraft. Eight Westland final air cr af t com P lement w as to
,',-:--rlwind helicopters were also include S ea V ix ens alongside
::;-ked for ASW and SAR duties, Scimitars andGannets.

,lIl'{S Hermes, a s she aPPeared in the

nr'd- -l 9 culmination of
60s, was the
-i.e'Centaur' class, taking some five
Teats longer to comPlete than her
.sislers. Sfte was amuchmore
:aoable vesse.l, incorporatng manY
advances in carrier design
=:':te
zrluch appeared in the 1950s.
 ffi iinns Abion and Bul wark Post-war Aircraft Carriers
Although sisters of HMS Cealaur HMS
Albion (R07) andBulwark (R0B) were
completed with an interim 5.75"
angled flight deck and two hydraulic
catapults. The new flight deck re-
quired the removal of three of the twin
40-mm Bofors mountings from the port
side rn order to accommodate the
overhanq. Thus built, the two ships
sewed as part of the British carrier
force employed in the tg56 Suez Canal
landings. The Albion served as a
fighter carrier with Hawker Sea Hawk
and de Havilland Sea Venom jets plus
Douglas Skyrarder AEW planes and
Bristol Sycamore utility/SAR helicop-
ters, whilst theBuft,rzarkhad Sea Hawks
and Grumman TBM-3 Avenger ASW
bomber aircraft
However, following the success of
the carriers HMS Ocean and HMS
T,heseus in the helicopter assault role
during this operatron, and because of
the difficulries lor thrs class rn operal-
ing the new jet generation, it was de-
cided to convert the Bulillarkto a Com-
mando carrier This task was under-
taken between January i959 and Janu-
ary i960 and resulted in removal of the
catapults, arrester gear and most ofthe Above: After service in the Far East in
AA gn-rns. Facilities for carrying a 733- the waters off Borneq Albion was
man Royal Manne Commando were detached to provide commando
fitted, as well as the equipment neces- facilities in the withdrawal from
sary for an air group of up to 16 West- Aden. Along with Bulwark, Albion
land Whirlwind heltcopters and davits was in reserve at the start of the
for four LCVPs, Although the refit was 1970s, butwas scrapped in 1972.
for the Commando role, the Bulwark Neediess lo say, either vessel could
aiso retained an ASW capability, have provedvaluable in the
During 1961-2 Ihe Albron was srmi Falklands in 1982.
larly converted, but for 900 Comman-
dos and 16 Westland Wessex helicop- War saw the possibility of her recom-
ters, This capability was retrofitted to mtssroning yet again tor acttve servlce.
lhe Bulwark during 1963. The llbion's but following a survey she was found to
Commando career was mainly in the be in such a bad state that the idea was
Far East and she was present during qutckly dropped and she was even-
the 1966 Indonesian confrontation and tually sold for scrap and broken up in
the subsequent Aden withdrawal. Im- 1984,
mediately following this she was
placed in reserve and was finally Specification
stricken from the fleet in 1972 and HMS A/bion and HMS Bulwark (as
broken up, In the meantime, the 8u-1- commando carriers)
nzark served in the Mediterranean and Displacement: 22 300 tons standard
the Far East as a Commando carrier and 27,705 tons full load
and was also on duty dunng the In- Dimensions: lenglh224.9 m (737,8 ft);
donesian and Aden cnses Placed in beam?7.4 m(90.0 ft); draughtB.S m
resewe in 1976 she was refitted in (28,0 ft); flightdeckwidth3T.6 m Aircraft: 20 hehcopters TwoWessex Mk 5 helicopters make
1977 to act as an rnterim ASW carrier (123 5 ft) Electronics: one Type 965 air-search an approach to the commando
ard recommissroned in 1979 to release Propulsion: two-shaft geared steam radar (,AJbton) or Type 982 air-search car rier H MS AIbion aff er /rer ./ 965
HMS Hermes from the amphibious turbines deliverinq 58,165 kW ndar (Bulwark), one Type 293 air- refil. Albionspent much of her
-,';adare role, With the advent of HMS (78,000 shp) search radar (both), one Type 983 commando career in the Far East,
-::uincible in 1980 she was again rele- Armament: (,AJbiol) four single 40-mm height-finding radar (AJbion), one type and within months of this
[Link] to the reserve and paid off in AAor (Bulwark) three twrn and two 974 navigation radar (both) and one photograph she was involved with
-::1 for disposal. The 1982 Falklands single 40-mm AA guns Type 275 fire-control radar (both) the I ndone s i an confronta t i on.

>K hnns Ark Royal

l,:ar srster of HMS Ea91e HMS Ark AEW types plus several utility helicop- fighters. An 8.5'fliqht deck was fitted, The air group capacity dropp=:
.Roya.l {R09) was completed in i955 to a ters. In 1956 the ship's starboard 114- together wlth new catapults (including from 48 lo 39 a lrgrure wluch s:='.::
:.,:: nodern configuration with a pair mm (4,5-in) turrets were removed, and a new waist one) and allester gear, constant Ior rhe remarnder or rhe -.:_: s
-- -::::n catapaults, a 5,5" angled flight in 1959 the deck-edge lift went. In 1964 The island was also reconflgured, and
r=:< amrrror landing stqht and a port- the forward pairs of the aft ll4-mm the addition of new radars was com- Theprofileof HMS ArkRoyalm /978
r:= :::k-edqe lift serving the upper guns were removed, whilst the re- plemented by the irnprovement of the presents a number of features very
:;-;-:dy. Her first air group capac- maininq turrets and the last 40-mm older types ditferent to the vesseJofffie .1950s.
-T -J::: :a aircraft, comprising Havfker Bofors went during the 1967-70 refit. The dome abaft theislandcovers the
i=- ,::,'.ks. Fairey Gannet ASW This was to allow for the operatton of CCA (Carrier Controlled Approach)
::::---=-:s and Douglas Skyraider McDonnell Douglas F-4K Phantom radar, an automaticlanding aid, and
the extra masts and antennae
indicate the sophistication of the
electronic tit.
HMS ArkRoyal (continued)

active career, Typically this was 12 and 50,786 tons full ioad
Phantom FG,Mk Is, 14 Blackburn Buc- Dimensions: lenqth 275,6 m (845.0 ft);
caneer S,Mk 2s, four Gannet AEW Mk beam 34,4 m (1 12 B ft); draught I 1 0m
3s, six Wesiland Sea King HAS,Mk 1 (36,0 ft); fliqht deckwidth 50, I m
(later HAS,Mk 2) ASW helicopters, two (164 5 ft)
Westland Wessex Mk I SAR helicoP- Propulsion: four-shall geared steam
ters and a converted Gannet ASW car- trrrhrLnes dehverinq I I 3346 kW
rier onboard delivery plane, The Buc- (152,000 shp)
caneers doubled as tanker aircraft Speed:31.5 kts
with buddy inflight-refuellinq pods Aircraft:39 (see text)
and as long-range pholo-reconnaiss- Armament: none, but fitted for four
ance aircraft with a bomb baY- quadruple GWS22 Sea Cat SAM
mounted camera Pack, at least one launchers
Buccaneer beinq confiqn-rred in the lat- Complement:2,637
ter role at all times. Electronics: two Type 965M air-search
Although suffering throughout her radars, two Type 982 air-search
life from mechanical Problems, the radars, two Type 983 height-finding
Ark Royal eventually was taken out of radars, one Type 993 suface-search
service in 1978 as the last ol the Royal radar, one SPN-35 arrcraft landing aid,
Navy's conventional carrlers. After one Type 974 navigation radar and one
much pub[c debate as to her future ESMsystem
she was finally towed awaY from De-
vonport in 19BO for scrapping. Like her Right: Bearer of an honourable name
srster ship she was fitted to carry in the d;tinq back to the Armada, tie Ark
1960s 'Red Beard' and later 'Green Par- RoyaGnded fie r career in the 1970s
rot taclrcal nuclear bombs. operating F-4 Phantoms and
Buccaneers, and in sPite of
Specification mechanical problems she was one of
HMS Ark Royal (lasl comm rsston) the most powerful vessels in the
Dispiacement: 43, 060 tons standard world.

Left: I n October I I 57 operating with Above:As completedin 1955, HMS

l/re USS Saratoga enab/ed Ark Royal Ark Royal iad a heavY gan armament
to play host to McDonnell F3H comprising l6 4.5-in(114-mm) and a
Demon fighters of VF-61 . The number of 40-mm AA guns' H er air
Seahawk is preparing for launch group of 50 aircraftwas to include
after theDemons, and in the Sea Hawks, Gannets, SkYraiders and
background twoAEW Skyraiders are helicopters.
ranged ready for a free take-off'

X finns Easte
From mid-1954 to early 1955 the ship which was followed in 1966 bY time to 30 flxed- and sx rotary-v"r-;:
underwent her modernization reflt that Rhodesia and the Beira patrol to pre- aircraft, these beinq Buccaneers, S:=
resulted in the building ofa 5 5" angled vent oil reachinq the rebel country Vixens, Gannet [Link] 3s and W=--
fliqht deck, the fittinq of a mirror land- through Mozambique, In 1967 she sexes,
in6 siqht and the temoval of three sing- moved on to Aden to cover the Bdtish
le and one sextuple Bofors mounts ln withdrawal from that troubled area. It
1956 the ship served as Part of the was dwing a reflt betvveen these op- Specification
Anglo-French carrter force dwing the erations that the Eagrle was fltted to HMSEag/e
carry Blackburn Buccaneers and had a Displacement: 44, 100 tons standari
Suez landings, operating a mixed air
group of Sea Hawks, Westland waist catapult added. Following a and 45, lOO tons fullload
Wvverns and de Havilland Sea further Far Eastern deployment in 1969 Dimensions: Iength 247 4 m (B I r.7: .
Venoms on strike missions, From mid- she was chosen to perform the McDon- beam 34.4 m (1 i2,7 ft); draught I 1 i ..-
ne]l Douglas F-4 Phantom trials for the (36.0 ft); flisrht deckwidth 52 1 m
1959 to mid- 196 4 Ihe Eagle was taken
in hand at Devonpofi DockYard for a Royal Navy. and in the following year (171,0 ft)
complete rebuild in which all the for- embarked her first ASW helicoPter Propulsion: four-shaft qeared stea::-
squadron, Her career was traqically turbines deliverinq 1 13346 kW
ward I l4-mm mounts and all the 40-
mm guns were removed, an 8,5" flight cut short in the early 1970s by the poli- (152,000 shp)
tical decisron that it would be too costly Speed:31.5 kts
deck was fitted, the radar otttfit was
sx
quadruple Sea to convert her to fuli-time Phantom op- Aircraft: 36-60 (see text)
modernized, and
Cat close-range SAM launchers were erations (in fact only minimal changes Armament: four twin 114-mm (4 :-:'
were required) and she became Yet DP guns, and sx quadruPle GWS::
fltted, The air grouP number was re-
another victim of the 1966 Labour qov- Sea Cat SAM launchers
duced to 35 fixed-wrng and I0 rotary-
wing aircraft, this complement being ernment, She paid off in January 1972 Complement: 2,750
and effectrvely became the floating Electronics: one TYPe 984 3D ra:''
madle up of Sea Vxens, SuPermarine
spares platform for the flrkRoyal, final- one Type 965 air-search radar : :.:
Scimitars, Fairey Gannets and West-
land Wessexes, ht beinq towed away for scrap tn l97B Tvpe 963 CCA tandtng a,o one - - ;
By the time she was Paid off her air 974 navroatton radar and one E31.1
in 1964 the ship sailed for the Far system
East and the Indonesian confrontation, grroup had again been reduced, this
EagleinAction
HMSEaglewas the logticalextension of thewartime'lmplacable'class of carriers,
but in her lifetime was to see many of the changes that swept through carrier design
in the 1950s. For manyyears theRoyalNavy's spearhead, she saw action atSuez and
in the Indian Ocean in the I 960s.

Although overshadowed rn the iatter part of her buddy packs, A couple of helicopters were
career by her near sister HMS&kftoyal HMS also embarked for SAR duties,
Eagle was for many years one of the Royal Tactrcally the Buccaneers were intended to
Navy's primary strike carriers. In the mid- 1960s operate below the detection limits of enemy
she underwent a refit to operate the latest naval air-search radars, approaching the target at
strike aircraft, the Blackburn Buccaneer, and hrgh subsonic speeds to deliver their weapon
was by the sprlng of 1966 on station off East loads either by toss-bombtng in the case of the
Africa enforcinq the Rhodesran oil blockade as rnternally carried 'Red Beard' tactical nuclear
part of the thankless Beira patrol. In the follow- weapon or by more conventional dive or lay-
ing year she was sent to the waters off Aden down modes wtlh 227-kg (500-1b) and 454-kg
during the withdrawal period, there teamingt (1 000-1b) HE ballistic bombs, and 5l-mm (2-in)
with the other carriers HMSHermes andVicto- or 76-mm (3-1n) unguided rockets. Mrssile
nous, the Commando cawiersAlbion andBu1- attacks could also be performed using wrng- The Buccaneer [Link] I equippedNo. 800 Sqn,
wark, and the assault ships lnlrepld and Fear- mounted radio-guided Martin AGM-I2B Bull- formed in March 1964 for sewice aboard HMS
/ess to form the biggest force of major warships pups, and photo-reconnaissance mtssions Eagle. Tfiese ea rly Buccaneers were painted in
the Royal Navy had assembled east of Suez were possible with a special camera pack overall' anti-flash' white, an anti-nuclear measure.
since the Korean War, Apart from the Buc- mounted in the bomb bay,
caneers the carrier air group embarked also The two-seater Sea Vrxen's main armament
included a squadron of de Havilland Sea Vixen comprised two retractable fuselage packs
F(AW) Mk 2 twin-boom jet flghters, The early each housing 14 Sl-mm ungnrided rockets plus Seen leaving Wellington, New Zealand, in the late
warning element was provlded by a flight of varrous weapons on each of the four inner / 960s, Eagle could always be distingaished from
Falrey Gannet [Link] 3s whilst a small num- underwing pylons such as a Firestreak or Red her halt-sister Ark Royalby lfte massivefipe 984
ber olSupermarine Scimitar [Link] 1s in a single Top lR-guided AAM, a 24-round 5 1-mm rocket radar atop her bridge, and the absence of catapu]t
flight provrded inflight-refuelhng facilities with pod, a 227-kq HE bomb or a cluster of six bridles (extensions).
Eagle in Action
76-mm rockets, The two larger outer pylc:=
usually carrted a 682litre (150-lmp gal) tue-
tank, though tthese could be replaced b,
either a 454-kg HE bomb or an AGM-l2A Burl-
pup mrssile if requtred,
To launch such aircraft requtred, as it shl
does, an elaborate rrtual of checks and tests
over a farrly long period by a highly trained
crew, Whilst the aircrew is getting dressed for
the mission the aircraft is subiected to a'before
flrght inspection' plus any additional tests/
checks deemed necesssary. If in the hangar
the aircraft is then moved to the flight deck by
the aircraft hft, where it is parked for the atr-
crew to board and start therr pre-launch
checks. When these tests have been satisfac-
torrly completed, the brakes are released and I
the aircraft is carefully taxied under its own
power to the designated catapult in response t
to the directions of the yellow-coated flight
deck difectors, Once there, the mainwheels
are lined up over the catapult groove by in-

October 1 956, and HMS Eagle, the flagship of Vice

Admiral M anley Power, Ieads HMS Bulwark and
IIMS Albion on exercise off Malta. Within weeks,
they were to be heavily involved in supportof the
Suezlanding.
 Post-war Aircraft Cariers
chrng the plane forward until it meets a set of
HMSEaglg assft e appeared af Suez in I 956; durittg
reiractable chocks for the wheels, her I 954/ 5 refit she had received a S .tr angld
At this point the aircraft passes to the control deck. Note the heavy gan arrnament stilj
ofa team offlight deck engrneers known as the maintained; muchwas later deteted inher major
'Badgers', under the control of a Fhght Deck refitfrom 1959 to 1964,when afully-angled and
Engineering Officer (FDEO) This offrcer is sponsoned deck was fitted. Radarsrn JgS5'
usually located alongside the Flight Deck included TTpe 982 air warning systems, a TyF
2-9-3Q target indicator on the yard arm, and a-Typ
Officer (FDO) A chief petty off,cer and a team
of three skilled ratings now flt the bridle and 983 height finder.
'hold-back' to the aircraft as a Petty Officer
Marine Engineering Mechantc (POMEM) slt-
ting rn a glazed room (nicknamed the 'How-
dah') at the edge of the deck, waits to fire the
catapult after all these procedures have been
completed,
The all-up weight of the aircraft is passed by
I the flight-control tower on the bridge (known
as FLYCO) to the flight engineers so that they
I can calculate the steam pressure needed to
give the catapult sufficient speed to launch the
atrcraft. Once this has been determined it is

{
Eagle in Action

AFouga CM.|71M Magkter Marine of the French

A6ronavalemakes afirsttouch downon the deck
of HMS Eagle, dunnga .1959 series of deck landing
trials conducted in conjunctionwith the French
navy,

Right: Spring 1966, andEagler's on the Beirapatrol,

enlorcing the blockade of Rhodesia following the
alony's llnilateral Declaration of I ndependence.
Some months later shewould be further north,
covering Britain's 1967 withdrawal trom Aden.

cassed to the POMEM, who calls the below- condition, He then lowers his flag slowly to the weather conditions; Type 2, whrch is radar-
j=:k control panel in the catapult department deck, At this point the duty planeguard SAR assisted to a visual circuit; and Type 3, whrch is
-: ;ertfy that suffrcient pressure will be avail- helicoper (wrth diver and winchman standing the Carrrer-Controlled Approach anci uses
by) moves in close to make a final visual check special radar and voice communciation techni-
=;:e. The FLYCO informs the aircrew of the of the whole scene, and then moves back to a ques in adverse weather condrtlons to bring
a::ral launch speed relative to the minimum
::quled, and this is then used by the crew to position some 46 m (50 yards) to port but clear the aircraft down, Once aboard, the aircraft's
:=.cru-late the tailplane trim settings necessary oI lhe launch itse]f, arrester hook engages a hydraulically ten-
::: :he launch, and they set thts on their con- In the 'Howdah the POMEM sees the FDO's sioned wlre stretched across the deck to bring
::ls. The actual angle set is checked by a signal and lowers his hands (prevrously kept in the aircraft to a fuli stop, Wtthin seconds of this
::-enber of the deck-crew, who confirms it to plain view of all the men working around the the aircraft is folding rts wings and the Flight
::: pilot via a printed message on a card with aircraft) down to the launch flring button, As he Deck Marshal is dtrecting tt towards its allotted
:: :bserved setting on it, At the same time two depresses rt the catapult operation is initiated parkrng space for the crew to get out and the
::er deck crewmen are working beneath the and the aircraft is dragged down the deck aircraft to be refuelled and rearmed, or for the
along the catapult track, At the end of the track aircraft to be struck down into the hangar for
=-::raft, one fltting the armament safety breaks more extensive maintenance,
the bridle comes to an abrupt halt to be saved
--i']re other plugging tn a lead from the ship's by a special strop-catching device, and the
:3r:ial navtqation system to align the aircralt
:,-lcs. Once this is done the alrcraft observer aircraft is launched skywards to climb away,
, s:ai1y conflrms this to the deck crew Landinq the aircraft is equally involved, re- Two Buccaneers overtly HMSEagle on deployment
qulnng a number of specialist devices and per-
-e-white wedge of the catapult shuttle is inthelate 1960s after theadditionof awaist
-:-=:: moved back to a point beneath the aircraft sonnel, Three modes of recovery are used: catapult. Atthis late stage of a Z0-year career her
: assurne the ready posltion, and two mem- Type 1, which rs visual all the way to the Deck displacement had risen from 45,720 tons in l95l to
:=:s cf the catapult crew attach the heavy wire Landrng Projector Sight and used in perfect a maximum of 54, I 00 tons.
- :-c bridle between the aircraft and the
:r:i-.'ed end of the shuttle, At a signal from the
l-:=cct chief to the 'Howdah', the shuttle rs
==s=i iorward to tension the brldiegivrng and haul
:-: a:craft back onto its tail skids, so the
its characteristic launch positlon and
=:la:i
:::; reasonable wtng angle of attack. As the
::-ie is fitted the hoid-back is also attached aft
:--: :e catapult Qlroove to ensure that the com-
::-:i power of the aircraft's engines and the
:=-=c:{: are applied instantaneously and in the
:-;r:r: anOunt,
Readyto launch
l:-:e both operations are completed the
l::1c'-.: chref hands over the launch to the
: - I ;,-ho then raises a visual green flag signal
:: :-e piot to indicate that he is to commence
:-. ::. cockpit checks and increase engine
!'- ,',-:i :o mll On completion of the checks the
;-:, :-itcates by hand or head movements
r,,-:::::r he is [Link] or not. If it is the latter
--= -=--:h s abandoned and the aircraft re-
-==.=i :rm the catapult. However, il every-
r,-:-l: satisfactory the FDO makes a final
=-:a-:he catapult track
-:-=:.: is free of obstruc-
.::- j :tai the catapult itself is in a launch
=
: USA

Essex crass SCB-Z 7A reconstructions Post-war Aircraft Carriers

-:,. ::-e end of World War II in 1945 the weapons), As more modern carrlers
, S llalry had what was in essence an entered service so the SCB-27As were
,:s:lescent carrier force as it could switched to ASW operations with
-=-:. 3perate the comlng qeneration of Grumman S-2 Trackers and helicop-
'=. a:rcraft. Aithough a follow-on car- ters, Many of these ships (CVS-9, 10
:-:: Cesrgn was completed in 1946 it 12, ]5 18 20and23)underwentFRAM
.',-.: not built, and the US Navy had thus ASW modernizations in the 1960s in a
:: -dopt the policy of reconstructng rts programme which included the fltting
'Essex' class carriers that had been of an SQS-23 bow sonar and a partially
,r,: up in reserve, The first proqram- automated ASW-orientated Command
:-e known as SCB-27A, was actually Information Center. Several of these
'-::d as the basis to complete the hull ASW carriers served tours offVietnam
:: ihe USS Oriskany (CV-34) As built as screening unrts to attack units. The
::e lacked the flight deck gn-rns of her air group normally comprised 30 fixed-
p:edecessors, but the most powerlul wing aircraft and 16-18 Sikorsky Sea
:- idraulic catapults were f,tted and the King ASW helicopters. The Essex,
--,ght deck itself was considerably Kearsage, Oriskany and Lake Cham-
s:englhened, The island superstruc- piarn also saw service offKorea durinqt
:-rre was rebuilt to rmprove radar that war in the conventional attack role.
lcverage, and a considerable internal
lsarrangement was made to enhance Specification
:,abitability and survivability, Eight 'Essex SCB-274'class
:iher vessels, the USS Essex (CV-9), Displacement: 2B 404 tons standard Aircraft: 45-80 (see text) S,rkorsi<yHSS-i Seabats aboard the
Yorktown (CV-10), Hornet (CV-12), and 40 600 tons ful] Ioad Complement: 2,900 SCB-ZZA conversion [Link] Lake
Randolph (CV-15), Wasp (CV-18), Dimensions: Ienqth273.B m (898,2 ft); Electronics: one SPS-6 (later SPS-12 Champlain(CZS-39) in the late j,950s.
Bennington (CV-20), Kearsage (CV- beam 30.9 m (101 3 ft); draught 9, i m then SPS-29) alr-search radar, one Themodification entailed tidyng up
:3) and Lake Champlain (CV-39), (29.7 ft); flight deck width (angled) SPS-B (later SPS-30) heightfinding the island and removal of the f-in
',-i
ere then refrtted to this standard, La- 59,7 m (196,0 ft) radar, one SPS- l0 surface-search ( 127-mm) flight deck gun mounts.
:er all but the lake Champlain were Propulsion: four-shaft qeared steam radar, and (FRAM ASW conversions)
;tiven angled flight decks and en- turbrnes delivering 1 1 1855 kW one SQS-23 bow sonar. Laid down in I 944 but not [Link]
:losed bows. (150 000 shp) until I 950, USS Oriskany was the fi rsi
Over the years most of the gmn arma- Speed: 30 kts of the SCB-27A conversions, with
ment was removed and the radar sys- Armament: eight singrle 127-mm (5-in) modifications to enable the'Essex
:ems changed. As rebuiit the ships car- and 14 twrn 76-mm (3-in) AA [Link], later class to operate the upcoming
ried 1135620 litres (300,000 US gal) of reduced to two or iour single 127-mm generation ofjet aircraft. These
Avgas and 725 tons of aircraft ordn- guns aircraftwere much heavier than ttre::
ance (including 125 tons of nuclear wartime forebears, so decks had to
be stronger.

ffi USA

'Essex' class SCB-2ZC reconstructions

lrce the SCB 274 reflt programme In the GuIf of Tonkin in I 97 1, an F8
','.'- under way it soon became appa- C ru s ader overflies ffi e USS Hancock.
r:nt that the advances in carrierborne Unlike many of tft e'Essex'c/ass, sle
. l:raft technology demanded even continued as a front-line carrier
:.:re alteratlons, and thus the SCB-??C throughout her career. Thevietnam
:r:Jramme was born. Three ships, War saw Hanco ck on station for
--.:::ely the USS Intrepid (CV-11), lengthy periods during the l,960s.
l:conderoga (CV-14) and Hancock Sfte uras decom missioned in 1976.
Lli9), were so converted in 1951-4
'' : -.wo steam catapults, revised air- standard, which involved the recon-
: - hft arangement and enhanced figuratron of the flight deck to an
angled landinq area and the reshaping
:= ::rverted, Ihe Lexington (CV- 16), of the island superstructure. All three
ici Homme Richard (CV 31) and units were out of dock by late 1955 by
i:angri-La (CV-38), were then chosen which time all the SCB-27Cs except
' :: refitted to the follow-on SCB-125 the lake Champlain of the SCB-27As
and lhe Oriskany. were undergoing or
- JJ Shangni Laasshe was jn the late had undergone simrlar conversions Of
- | l - s lollowing her SCB-Z7C the SCB-27Cs Ihe Intrepid was con
: : :','ersion. This was a verted to an ASW carrier and under-
::.:.:;-ehensive rebuild, with the wenl lhe FRAM modernLzario[il l1e
:::-:.-: o{ an enclosed hurricane bow, mid-1960s, whilst the Ticonderoga
.::.r: calapulfs and a fully angled, went the same way after first serving
:-;': :: cne d flight deck. I n all, I 5 off Vretnam rn the early part of the war
:::=:tes'were modernized to some as a strike carrier. The Hancock, Oris

i
ii

a:: :
Essex' class SCB-27C reconstructions (continued)

Specification
'Essex SCB-27C'class
Displacement: 30, 580 tons standard
-i 43,060 tons full load
Dimensions: lengIh272.6 m (894.5 ft);
::am3l.4 m(103 O ft); draught9,2 m
:1 3 ft); fllqhtdeckwidthSB.S m
_32 0 f0
Propulsion: four-shaft geared steam
-:rbines delivering l1iB55 kW
-50 000 shp)
Speed: 29 kts
Armament: four srngle 127-mm (5-in)
guns
-P
Aircraft: 70-80
Complement:3,545
Electronics: one SPS-B (later SPS 37A
ard SPS 30) heiqht-findingradars, one
SPS-12 surface search radar and one
:SMsystem

USS Intrepid as an ASW carrier in the

Atlantic in I971 . She saw action in
W or ld W ar I I, suffering many
kamikaze a f tacks. Affer
re m o de rnization, s he made thr ee
tours off Vietnam, before
decommissioning in I 974. She is now
preserved as amuseum rn New York.

F USA
ffir-- ,Midway'class
-::
Jrgnnally to have numbered sx units
'Midway' class suffered the can-
Propulsion: lour-shaft qeared steam
turbrnes deliverrng 15B0BB kW
(212 000 shp)
::rlatron of three units but entered the
c:si-war years as the only American Speed:30.6 kts
rallers capable of operalinq wtthout Aircraft:70-80
:,:Cifrcation the new generation of Armament: 10 single 127-mm (S-in) DP
:-:a',ry artack aircraft. Even so it was and mne twin 76 mm (3-rn) AA guns
-.::: iound that a reflt was needed in Complement:4,060
.:-: mrddle to late 1950s to accommo- Electronics: one SPS- 12 surface-
ri:e all recent carrier tnnovations The
',
search radar, one SPS-B herght-flndinq
>3 M idway (CVB 4 1) and USSFrank- radar and one SPS 10 surface-search
iin D. Roosevelf (CVB-42) were rebuilt radar, more modern equipmentwas
-:-r:r the SCB-II0 programme with added over the years
,-.: sream catapaults, the angled flight
r=l< of the SCB-Z7Cs and a 'hurricane The commissionjngof ffte Franklin D.
-"rrhtlst the last unit the USS Coral
::-.'..CVB-43) Roosevelt occu rred at a time when a
,iea recetved the SCB-II0A carrier was still expected to fight off
::-::-=,cation whtch was a somewhat air attack by gun power. The
:,:.: eli{ensive reflt that inciuded the 'Midway' class was designed for an
-r,.:1:- oiosrtlon,
a thlrd steam catapult 1n the
By the mrd i960s it was
air group of some 140 aircraft of
W orld W ar I I type, and this size was
r: -l:lt necessary for the three vessels to stand them in good stead in the iet
- -:::iergo yet another reburld, and age.
,,= ).!.Cway was taken in hand in the
-- =l - art of the decade for an SCB-
--ri.66 refit to allow her to accommo-
r:.: -:e latest qteneratlon of cattler US CoralSea'Midway' class aircraft carrier, mid-1960s
-,::r-:. However, the flnai cost proved CPO area l4 Crewarca 27 Mast 42 Capstan
: - rr:ar that the Fran,Uin D. Roosevelt Balanced rudder 15 Engneroom
'16 Boller room
28 Funne 43 Ancho r
29
=-,::j ;.ith only an austere version of Steer ng compartment
'l 7 Sh p's service turbo 30
SPS 43 radar 44
45
Mooring ring
Hawser reel
:l:--:: 66 in 1968 whiist the CoraJ Avlat on sPares/rePalr
s hops generator 3T
SPS 30 radar
ALrdefence pos t on 46 Chain ocker
---: :a;rng had the SCB-I10A im- Screw 'lB Pump room 32
33
Nav gation brldge 41 Forefoot
-:::-,:::,ent. was deemed sufflciently 5 lnch'154dual purpose gun 19 Auxlarymachineroom
20 34
Flag bridgc 48 Officer's quarters
- . )=-- o remaLn ln 5elvice ur- Water lne
B 5 inch gun flre conlro 21
Doublc bottom
Formerpos t on ofarmour 35
Control centre
Ventllators
49
50
Wa kway
Bomb stowage maqazine
=- :::: As the vessel in the worst sYStem bet 36 Flylng deck
:--:=:-a. ccndition Ihe Franklin D. I Aircrew 22 Frensel dcck landing m rror 37 Hangar
: ,.-="'::: -was stricken rn 1977 and 0 Stores 23 53 1on deck edge I ft 38 Wlng compartments
1 Ammun tlon 24 Alrcraftcrane 39 Fueltanks
:i : -:. -l bul 'he orher
-emaln -n Two 2 Aviatlonspirt 25 Bndg-- 40 Type C1 1 catapult
-;=:= sewrce. AIi three served 3 arresterwirc svstem 26 leryplaiform 41 Hawserpipe
-. -::a1
N/lk 7 Ga

'' -:.:am during the war there.

- :=: .:: SCB-I10/110A refits provi
:--:-- ,'. - nade for I 376 tons of ordn-
-.,: -:=-50 lrtres (35 600 US qal) of
-r-.'1:: :--;
-?
2271.240 lrtres (600 000 uS
:. : : arrcraft fuel
t/

$'

-i
 Post-war Aircraft Carriers

Above: Commissioned in the last Below: Thirty years separate the tlr'a
w ee k of World War[ USS Midway profilesof USS Midway, andln those
was the ultimate expression of the years the ship's fighting power has
'add-on hangar and (light deck' grown enormously. The most
concept. Like earlier carriers, the obuious changes are enclosure of the
hangar deckwas the strengthened bow and loss of the original very
one, but unlike the 'Essex' class the heavy gan armament.
' M idw ay s' in tr oduce d ex te nsive

armour at flight deck level.

M o s t t horoug h ly m ode rniz e d

R ig ht :
of the class, US,S Midway wrlJ remain
a deployable carrier until the turn of
the century. In her active life of over
55 years, it may be tue to say that she
will have experienced a more
dramatic enhancement of her
capability than any ship in history.
Hvolutfsn of the €mrr*mw
l.- ;-: : :: rVarld War II had seen the aircra{t carrier tirmly in
=
:'. ::; :-. :i'e most powetful cotnponent af modern navies. The
:=.:. j ":.','an ce in jetpropulsion was forepresent amaiar
r.:.-::: :c that importance, however, and until the carrier cauld
.:.": :, e ia e increase d size and speed of the new aircraft,, naval
=:.;::: cn ivas lo lag behind its land-based cou nterpart.

- .' . -: := :r,e first iet aircraft aboard the. Britrsh carriertoHMS Ocean in late
--, - , :.: a lew era for the aircra{t-carrler.
: ln order rneet the requ re-
- . :' ::-::cpeiled aircraft a numberof innovaiions were henceforth incorpo-
:.-r -.: :::nd new designs in lhe 1950s and 1960s By iar the most
,"=-'.:' lrese was the angled flight deck. The hrgh landing speed-s of jet
. ..'' -'-.. ed comparatively long landing runs, and conslCerations the of safety
: -- :-.-. sJcn runs be anbled away from the longltudinal axis of fllght
:,. -i':sultant change n the shape of the deck nol only removed the
.: r ,.-:: t-1Jntv
-.. :' arrcra{t collislbns during a landing but also at a stroke allowed both
ior more attempts to be made and, mcre importantly' the
: "-:- '. 'c; tne carrier to launch aircraft from its bow catapults while landlngs
: : r: -,c q:ade on the angled deck. This re-arrangement of (the {llght decl<
. :: ''ithe 1950s effectively produced three flight deck areas angled
. .--.'.- r >:: .. ine take-off position forward and a triangular deck parking area for
. ::'.i..,een lhe othei two areas) that have characterized ali carriers since,
r - - -.c e e*ceptron of those speclficlly equipped for VTSTOL operations.
-.': : :rr-.e t,me thatthe flight deck revolution occurred' itwas realized that
- - ^r rrcfe potent than alydraulic catapultwas needed to launch the jets
: . -:-trials iagain aboard a British carrier. HMS Perseus) in 1950, the
- ---: ,'ersalLi adopted was themuch steam {slotted cylinder) catapult which
-.. Jp ess space andwas lighterin relatlonto its poweroutput
' . - - ^.:raulic predecessors. ltisthe sizeof thesteam catapult (and hence lts
- --: -:r caracity in terms of the loaC that can be accelerated satrsfactorily)
-- :-::v ,nfluences tl a considerable degiee the physical pararfeters and
.' = - .,'^,ate cost of a carrier design. For ihstance a carrier must be able io
'. ' ,--' . rumber of missions which in turn usually requires several different
- ,.: --':.,:ter : icrait of different stzes land by implication weights) to fulfil them.
to launch these aircraft, catapuits of suffictent power and length
. - ::::a. and these catapults occupy a certaln proportion of the flight deck
-' -rs cecomes unavailabie for any other activitres. For the US Navy's
: '' -". .' : 4 Tomcat atr-defence fichter, werghing in at 33725 kg {74,350 lb)
T

.:: the mlnimum catapult length requiied ii in the order of 76 to 9'l m

-. . '- :,1+1\ so it rapidly becomes apparent why the US Navy has built a
, :-,-.:r:i3rce ot'super-carriers'.

- ::( iandlng atos

- :-:irlems assoctated with poor landing approaches to the carrier deck
.-: : sl resolveci by reolacing ihe human deck landing control officer with
: -. :- : nc alds that'could be ieen at a considerabie distance by an incoming HMS Ocean an her way to Kore€, presenfs fft e *Je-s"sic f&rougfl d*rj<of f'he
. - : -l rld rhus tudqe for himself whether or not his approach altitude was WarldkVar !! earrier. ftis ahvious fj:af rx..il.i'Je [Link] desk,
- -' 'e c d concbpttf a saf ety barrter or damaged aircraft landings, usrng
f iand:nE operadons wo*Jd be t'mpessrhJe as any *vers?lcc{ nrorujdpJoug& ;-ni*
, -:
=reei w res, v/as also abandoned for the use of nylon saf ety nels with macfiines farlfter up lfie deck

.,--,.:-' -l : io a sudcibn stop iruithout additional damage. ln contrast, the use of

.':.'.qnedstropsthatliterallyabsorbtheenergyoftheincomingairframe

-.':'-.:
.-'=l:e: w,re continued, aithough rn a much more powerful hydraullcally-
jet
';rm to cope wrth the heavier alrcraft.
''.='- ,i lf e ari-angemenis have for m6ny years been dependenl 0n the user
. .-r..: ,',iere ihe*carrier is expected to operale. The Royai Navy has, for
. : : - :llg laken the view that the belowdecks hangar shoul! be qn e1;
,.,: ::r', ie taking the entlre alrcralt
slructure that should be capable of
effectrvely lrmitlng the total number of aircraft embarked. At
: :-- 3.t, ih!s
: r : : . l.e a l servrcrng and repairs are also performed withtn this structure,
--
tnat everV avallable plece of space is uiilized for machinery and
- '-:,:s-"?o1
rne US \avy's pl- losoohy nas oeen 1l'aT rranga-s sno-ld be
: :: : rtr:n tc reduce the danger from explosions and that part ot the alr
-: :---J ie pernranently cariied on deck, thus lncreasing marked\' the
-. -.::i:'a'"'ailon
propulsion has also allowed for far hlgher
= ' -':e 'rcm fossil uel to nuciearJuel
f
io be carried, so extending the time
ordnance and
, -'. - - ::-rrairons. Although not able torvarlous reasons to match theAmer-
:-: .-t ::i,ai Navy counlered by rnrroducing into service the world's first
:-l-:::,,er', whiih allows for'aircraft operatlons in conditions hitherio
,- ^-;':[Link]
:- - : - -. -,.i1982ers to the Task Force during operations ln theTolal Exclusion Zone
'
: ' -: Falklands war is a testament to this capabrlity The latest
. - '.''.- :"e v'STOL carriers ts the'ski-iump' ramp to inci'ease the payload of
-
.: .' --: rileiatrng rn the short take-off mode.
'-iire tr lirould appear that smaller travies, likethat of the UK' wiil
r .':::-: :n the ViSTOL carrier types, whrlst the two biE superpower navres
, ..,' : LSA and USSR) plus thbt of France are go ng to coni rrue'tith the
--'-'", iixeC-\i\,'ingtypebutwithnuciearpropeiledcartierstoincreasetheti-
. -:, :s -re USSR is relativelv new to thls concept and has relied on its
. .. -,ss relicopter cruisers and lhe 'Kiev' class V/STOL carrlers to pro-
: : ,i- =llce rn the carrier {ield.

:-::.:e:l Douglas F'4 Phantom launches from thewaist cajap-ult a{.HIVS

?.:';' T i e p - edful steam catapult was which such heary'
the only way in
: =:t ::'cre [Link] 20 tans) could be regularly operafed-
 Ca-rriers

'::,::::!,:.:.,]..rr' i::'i rrr' ::':1: _j:.1 -li

j t:':{.ri:t*:,r,ii,,,ri,,.it .t .:i
loyal dei&;] tl5-Slfidway d:spJays {ie
*gjed in&eangled jaadiag
rgmeeavaitabte {ar

Themirror landing systemwas a

boon to carrier pilots, who for a long
time had notused their own
judgementwhen landing but had to
rely on a landing officer making
appropriate signals with a pair of
batons.
With the mirror system, the
approach path to the deck is
transmitted directly to the line of
sight of the pilot, allowing him to
make his own approach and to make
any adjustments to that approach to
make a safe landing.
: .::ect approach will be visible to
' : ::.:oming pilot by the green
' : .,. - g in the mirror system.

' ::: :.. : appraach is visible to

-: ::.::; pilot by red (too low) or
: :::::n)showino.
 uss united sfafes
-

catapuitsr tvvo at thebows and one its strategic mission The funds re- The startling lines of tfte USS United
l- :::ch cancelled onlY nine daYs af- States desr'gn we re a result of the fact
:r :ei keel had been lard down in each to port and starboard in com- leased were ploughed back to the US
plementing amtdships positions and Air Force to rncrease its bomber fleet. that early atomic bombs were heavY
-r-cr ; -949 the USS United States pieces of equipment, requiring large
I :.5S) ts rncluded here because angrled outwards to ciear the aircraft
::-: -ras the predecessor of the 'For- forward, Four deck-edqe lifts were Specification aircraft, which in turn required large
also to be fitted (one to Port two to USS UnifedStales amounts of fuel. To that end, the
::: :. class and its successors, and be- Displacement: tons standard United States was dedicated solely to
:r'-:: bv virrue of her advanced de- starboard and one at the stern) The 66, 850
aviation fuei capacity was to be a mas- and 83,249 tons full load the operation of these aircraft and
:-l::- sls had a profound effect on fu-
--:: development She was designed sive 1892700 titres (500 000 US gal) and Dimensions: ienqth 33 i.6 m (1 0BB 0 ft) their e s cor ting fi ghterc.
the ordance load 2 000 tons. Four ves- 38. t m (125.0 ft); draught 10.5 m
.: :perate a new generation of us (34.5 ft); fliqht deckwidth 57.9 m
i.:; aearry strategic bombers (in the sels were to have been built the later
and their attendant ones nuclear-powered, No major elec- (190 0 ft) single 20 mmAAguns
-: 1:-:on class)Because [Link] size of Lronics were carlred as the escorLing Propulsion: four-shaft geared steam Aircraft: lB bombers and 54
=::::- irghters. warships were expected to take care turbines delivering 208796 kW McDonnell F2H Banshee flghters
:= ;:rmbers the fl1ght deck had to be Compiement:4, i27
,=:;: enough both to Park tl-rem and to of this work. The cancellatron of the (280,000 shp)
ship was due mainiy to rts projected Speed: 33 kts Electronics: one SPS-6 arr-search
,-;-.:em on and off. In the end an radar and one SPS-B height-finding
.:::-: -red and completelY flush-deck role for the US Air Force objected Armament: eight single 127-mm (5-1n)
vrgorously to the US Navy duplicating DP eight twin 76-mm (3-tn) AAand20 radar
:::-:lrration was chosen wtth four

FNS Arromanches
-.': i:'.nn in June 1942 and launched
:- iec:ember 1943 as the British'Col-
:ssr:s-' class carrrer HMS Colossus this
::-: 'i, as loaned to the French nalry in
-r--.;:-s: -346 (after 12 months of seruice
: :-: iar East) for a five-Year Period
-r--. : \S Arromanches (R95) she made
.:r- ::nbat deployments to French
: ' : - l:,na. flying Douglas SBD Daunt-
--:-. :.coombers and SuPermarine
l==:= lr4< XV flgihters on the flrst, and
.= l::[Link] F6F Hellcat flqhters and
l::-'.s SB2C Helldiver divebombers
:-= :: second. She was finallY Purch
..:r :;irletht rn 1951 when the loan
= ':::el ald
was sent on two more
-:,i:-3:rna deployments beiore the
::::-:: iefeats of 1954, Transferred to
-': l,:=Cterranean, the Arromanches
::i p-r rn the 1956 Anglo-French
S'.=, ,ardrngs with Vougtht F4U Cor-
:..-:: -:i Grumman TBM Avengers
around Port Said
=:::--- -argets shrP
-:a7-8 the underwent a com-
:-=- = ::buld rn which she received a
Above: Aboard Arromanches off
-' -,;.:C flight deck and a mirror land- Saigon, FGF-Ss of Flottille I 1F
--f ''i TheAA armament then com-
prepare to launch on a mission,
Below: Originally thename shiP of Above; Arromanches ts seen tn the armed with 250-kg (500-1b) bombs .
ihe Royal Navy's'Colossus' class, the Far East in 1953 with Part of her Even such obsolete aircraftcould
com plem ent of G rumm an F 6F prove effective right up to the end of
.*:romanches en tered French service
H ellcat fighters and Cur tiss S B2C F r ance's I ndo- C hina w ar.
in 1946. At the same time as her
srsleis were m a ction off Korea, she bombers ranged on deck' After the
';;as involved in the French colonial debacle at Dien Bien Phu and F rench
s truggle in lndo-China, making four withdrawal from tft e east,
ieployments in eight Years. Arromanches to ok Part in the Suez
landings, operating off Port S aid.
 FNSArromanches (continued)
Post-war Aircraft Ca:riers
pnsed 43 40-mm gn-rns instead of the Clemenceau. In 1962 lhe Arromanches 1978,
:rignnal armament of 24 2-pdr and i9 also took on the assault role when a
]J-mm gnrns, By the earlv 1960s all of squadron of Sikorsky HSS-i helicop- Specification
.:e 4O-mm qnrns had been removed ters was embarked. After a further refit FNSArromancftes
=d lheto Arromanches had been rele-
the traimnEr carrier role flyingr
in 1968 to carry an arr Q[oup of 24 heli- Displacement: 14, 000 tons standard
=:ated copters she was redesignated as a and 19,600 tons fullload
:cth Bregmet Aliz6 ASW aircraft and helicopter carrier with ASW trans- Dimensions:length 211,84 m (695,0 ft);
:e navalized versron of the Magister port, training and intervention mis, beam24.38 m (80 0 lr); drauqhtZ r6 m
:t trainer, the Fouga CMl75M Zephyr, stons tasked to her as required Frnally (23 5 fr): flishl deck width 36.0 m
: produce personnel for the air decommissioned in 1974, the Arro- (1 18.0 ft)
Toups of the new carriers Foch and manches was broken up at Toulon rn Propulsion: two-shaft qeared steam
NETHERLANDS

HMNS Karel Doorman

-aid down in December 1942 and steam catapult to port forward, a mirror ternally by a boiler room fire, She was
,:unched one year later, the Bdtrsh landing slght, strenqrthened aircraft subsequently sold to the Argentine
-ght fleet carrier HMS Venerable, of
-:e'Colossus'
lifts and a new type of arrester gear, navy, which had her refitted rn the
class, was completed rn The island superstructure was also re- Netherlands before acceptrng her tnto
_:auary 1945 in time to see limtted ser- built wlth a new mast, Dutch radars service as ARAVeinticinco de Mayo
;ce in the Far East as part of the I lth and a taller funnel, whilst the arma- tn October 1968. She is still extant in
Jarrier Squadron in mopping-up op- ment was reduced from its original en- 1986,
:ratrons after the Japanese surrender, hanced 34 40-mm enms to 12 single
Sre was sold to the Royal Netherlands 40-mm gmns. The air qroup then typi- Specification
\avy in 1948 and was given the same cally comprised six Hawker Sea Hawk HMNSKaTe/Doorman
--ame, HMNSKarelDoorman (RBl), as [Link] 6 jet flghters, sx Grumman Displacement: 15,892 tons standard
re former British escort carrier (ex- TBM-3 Avenger ASW aircraft, four and 19,896 tons full load
-{MS ly'arTana) she replaced. By 1950 Sikorsky HSS-iN Seabat ASW helicop- Dimensions: lenqrth 2 I 1, 29 m (693.2 ft);
[Link] was operatinq an air gnoup of lg ters and two utility helicopters. By the beam 24,38 m (80.0 fr); drauqht Z.4Z m
:lawker Sea Fury [Link] ti
fighter- early 1960s the emphasis had shifted to Another o{ the wide s pr e ad
iombers and Fairey Fireflv Mk 4 and 5 ASW and the Karel Doorman became 'Co,lossus' c,las5
-iSW arrcraft. fft e Karel Doormar.
the flagship of a submarine hunter-krl- (formerly HMS Venerable) r'as useo'
It was then decided to rebuild the ler gnoup, The aircraft complement re-
snip completely so that she could Irom 1948 to [Link] 1950, she
flected this by changing to eight Crum- Iooked much like others of her class.
jet aircraft, This refit lasted man S2F-l Trackers and six HSS-lNs.
=mbark
:om 1955 to 1958 and resulted in a new
and as shown would have operater,
In i965-6 the shrp was reboilered, but Sea Fur'es and Fireflies. She was
:'rengthened B" angled flrght deck, a in April 1968 was badly damaged in- extensively rebuilt for jet operations.

ARA Independencia
-:-RA lndependencia (Vl) was laun- man F-9F Panther. By this time she was rn reserve. finaJly being solo lor scrap
::ed rn May Armament: one quadruple aiC :-,:,=
1944 as the British 'Col- also carryrnq prston-engined Vought rn early 1971. twin 40-mm AA giLrns
cssus' class carrrer HMS Warrior F4U-5 Corsair fighter-bombers and Aircraft: 24 (see te*r)
L3l) and lent to the Royal Canadran the Grumman TF-9J Cougar operation Specification Complement: I 575
[Link] on completion in 1945 for a al jet trainer, North American T-28 Tro- ARA/ndependencr'a Electronics: not known
p:riod oftwo years untrl the Canadian jan piston-engdned trainers (in the form Dispiacement: 14,000 tons standard
:arrrer HMCS Magniftcent was ready of the French Fennec armed version) and 19,540 tonsfullload Originally the British 'Colossus' class
:: ser\iice On return from the Cana- were also a common srgrht aboard the Dimensions: lenqth 211.84 m (695 O ft); carrier HMS W arior, the Argentine
''ans she was used by the Royal Nalry Independencia. By the end of the beam 24,38 m (80 0 ft), drauqht 7 l6 m carrier Independencia Jrad a varr"eo'
:r deck landrng trials and in 1948-9 ship s career in the late 1960s the (23,5 ft); flisht deckwidrh22.B6 m career, sewing in Korea as welJ as
',',-as fltted
with a flexible landing deck embarked air group was made up of (75 0 ft) being lent to the Canadian navy
, allow jet flghters with skid-type sx Grumman S-2A Tracker ASW air- Propulsion: two-snaft seared sream before being acquired in I 958.
-:rdrng gear to make soft landinqrs. In craft and 14 Fennecs. In 1970, foltowing rurbrnes deliverlnq 29B2B kW Among the aircraft types operated
,:52-3 the ship was fltted with a new the acquisition of ARA Veinticino de (40,000 shp) wereF4U Corsairs and Grumman
=::iarged bridge and a lattice fore- Mayo, the Independencia was placed Speed: 24.3 kts FSF Panthers.
:.1st, whilst in 1955 she was revised
:,:r 5'angled flight deck and stronger
=lrester gear. Followingt more deck
=drng trials work with thls new con
she was tasked rn 1957 to act
-;:ration,
.. ::re HQ ship for Operation 'Grapple'
:: British H-bomb test programme)
=. lhnstmas lsland in the Paciflc
ln her return the ship was offered
: sale to Argentina. The deal was
--;::ed in the summer of 1958, and the
-.-; sarl^d under her new name in
-:::mber of that year for Argentina.
-1-: :ansferred she carried only 12 40,
:, AA guns a number reduced to
=.;:,: shortly afterwards However, by
- l-'; .962 she was spotted with a new
: .-:ry ofone quadruple and nine twin
:, -:jr guns, In August of the followrngr
-.: she embarked the flrst jet flghter
-:;= :ithe Aviacion Naval, the Grum-
ro iiiwAs Metbourne
-,'i:lk cn all six of the Royal Nalry's
*Iajestic' class carriers was stopped
r-:l tie end of World War IL Howev-
:: because of interest expressed by
--:-: Rcyal Australian and Canadian
-:-;es ln acquiring carriers, tvvo units
-r::e subsequently completed as HMS
- .:.:tle (bought by the Australians as
-:l,1AS Sydney) and Magnificent
.-:=ed to the Canadians under that
*=-r:e). whilst work on a third, HMS
Majestic, was started in 1948 to a
;eatly modrfied conflgn-[ation with 25
l--rnm AA gmns, a 5.5" angle landtng
:::k. new arresler gear. a mirror
-r:Ciriqr sight system and a steam cata-
p':i: The opportunity to fit a greatly
::::anced radar suite was also taken,
;r --: no fewer than three Type 277Q
-:-grt-finding sets, a Type 293 sur-
-::e-search set and a Tlpe 978 naviga-
:l:r set.
Recommissioning as HMAS Mei- types, toqether with the old Type 293 Specification HMAS Meibourne is seen enfering
bourne (R21) in October 1955, the car- and Type 978 sets. The arr group now HMSMe/bourne Pearl H arbor in J une I I 5 8. H er air
:-:r embarked an air group ofeight de consisted of four Skyhawks, six Track- Displacement: 16,000 tons standard group at this time comprised 27
-{a-'rlland Sea Venom jet fighters, 12 ers and the l0 Wessex helicopters, and 20,320 tons full load air cr aft inclu ding S ea Venom s and
-::boprop-enqined Fairey Gannet though from 1972 onwards it was again Dimensions: Ienqlh 213,82 m (70 I 5 ft); ASW Gannets. Shewas flagship of
-lSW arcraft and two Bristol Sycamore chanqed to eight Skyhawks, sx Track- beam 24.38 m (80.0 ft); draught 7,62 m the Roy al Au s tr alian N avy, and
-.iR hehcopters. In 1963-7 Ihe MeI ers and 10 Westland Sea King HAS,Mk (25.0 ft); fliqrhtdeckwidth32.0 m remained so until her withdrawal
:clrne served as the RAN flagship, 50 ASW hehcopters plus two or three (105,0 ft) from service in 1982.
her air grroup was reduced to lour Wessex helicopters in the SAF/plane- Propulsion: two-shaft geared steam
=d
Sea Venoms, six Gannets and 10 West- gmard role. After a final refit in 1976 it turbines dellerlng 31319 kW Complement: 1, 425 (as flaqship)
i=d Wessex [Link] 318 helicopters, was announced that the Melbourne (42,000 shp) Electronics: one LW-02 air-search
h late 1967 the ship was taken in hand was to serve on until 1985, but as a Speed: 23 kts radar, one Type 293Q surface-search
::: strengthening of the decks, Iifts, result of financial constraints she was Armament: four twin and four single radar, one Type 978 naviqationradar,
:aiapult and arrester gear, the fitting of pard off into reserve during June 1982, 40-mmAAgmns one SPN-35 landinq aid radar, one
:-er radar and communications equtp- and in l9B4 was sold for scrap. Aircraft:27 (see text) TACAN systemand one ECM system
nent and the reduction of the AA Although a replacement was sche-
3rrnament numbers. This was to allow duled (includrnq at one stage the Royal Formerly name ship of the British
::r the carriage and operation of Navy's lnrzincrble), it now seems that built 'Majestic' class light fleet
-lmerican Douqlas A-4G Skyhawk this is a forlorn hope espectally as all carrier, H MAS Melbourne was
a:rack aircraft and Grumman S-2E navy flxed-wing atrcraft have now bought hy Australia in I 949. By I 965
lracker ASW arrcraft, The new radars been sold or transferred to the Royal shewas notable for the tall lattice
-,-;ere a mlxture of Dutch and American Australian Air Force, mast added to carry the newly fitted
LW series main search radar.

Ef iiiuics Bonaventure
The British 'Majestic' class aircraft- and eight Canadian-built Grumman sequently sold and broken up for Speed:24,5 kts
:rtier Powerful was laid down in CS-2F TrackerASWaircraft. In 1961 it scrap, Armament: four (later two) twin 76-mm
(3-in) Mk 33 AA quns
\.vember 1943 and launched in an was changed to an all-ASW force with
r:omplete state in February 1945, In eigrht Trackers and 13 Sikorsky HO4S- Specification Aj;rcraft'. 2I -24 (see text)
,352 the hulk was purchased by the 3 Whirlwind helicopters, The latter HMCSBonavenlure Complement: 1,370
3.oya1 Canadian Navy as HMCS were finally replaced by SikorskY Displacement: 16,000 tons standard Electronics: (before 1967-B refit) one
Bonaventure (RML22) and rede- CHSS-2 Sea Kinets when they became and 20,000 tons full load SPS- l2 air-search radar, one SPS-B
s:gned before her completion to available. The Bonaventure's mtd-life Dimensions: length2I4,BZ m (704.8 ft); height-finding radar and SPS- l0
accornrnodate an B" angled flight deck, (and last) major refit in 1966-7 saw the beam24.38 m(80.0 ft); draughtT 62 m surface-search radar
3 sieam catapult, modern arrester qear fittinq ofnew Dutch radar and the Fres- (25.0 ft); flightdeckwidth32.0 m
a stabilized mirror landing stght. nal landing aid the removal of the two (105,0 fr) The uncomple ted' M aj estic' c las s
--d
Sre was also fitted with four twin 76- forward gun sponsons in order to en- Propuision: two-shaft geared steam car r ier H MS P owerful was sojd f o
nm (3-rn) AA guns on four sponsons hance the ship's sea-keeprng qualities, turbines deliverinq 29828 kW Canada and completed as HMCS
crojectrng from the hull sides. The is- and improvements in the accommoda- (40,000 shp) Bonaventure. A lthough originally
,a-r:d was rebuilt and a tall lattice mast tron, aircraJt handling and anti-fallout equipped with M cD onnell F 2 H
',';rh US radars erected ln place of the protection facilities. The Bonaventure Banshees, by 1 96 I she had become
:ngrinal tripod model, Enterinq Cana- (now CVL22) was finally paid off in an ASW-dedicated vessel. By I 968
iian fleet servrce in 1957 (wlth pennant 1970 for disposal because of the costs she appeared as shown, with new
:urnber RSM22) the Bonaventurehad of keepirrg her rn sewice, She was sub- Dutch radars andwith improved
al air group consisting initially of 16 sea-keeping.
McDonriell F2H Banshee iet fighters

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