AIRCRAFT-CARRIERS. “Ark Royal” Class Cammell Laird 1938, one ship. Displacement: 22,000 tons, about 27,000 tons full load. Complement: 1,575. Dimensions: 800ft x 94ft x 22ft 6inch draught. HP & Speed: 102,000 at 30.75 knots. Aircraft: Sixty. Guns: Sixteen 4.4 inch dual purpose, Four 3 pounder; Six multiple Pom-poms, Eight multiple M.G.  HMS ARK ROYAL. G. H. Davies. In “London Illustrated London News” of October 7, 1939, there was a published drawing of the North Sea episode, which, indirectly, made the “Ark Royal” the most famous ship in the war—at least, until the “ Admiral Graf Spee” scuttled herself. For it was this occasion, which started the German propaganda, story that the “Ark Royal” had been sunk. No names of ships were permitted to be published at the time, but the aircraft-carrier shown bore a strong resemblance to the “Ark Royal.” It was an historic occasion in that, for the first time, an aircraft-carrier was attacked from the air. Writing about it in “Flight,” Major F. A. de V. Robertson told the story as follows: “Three Dornier ‘18’ flying-boats made their appearance. The “Ark Royal” at once flew of three sub-flights of Blackburn ‘Skua’ fighters. They climbed after the Dorniers and engaged them. One flying-boat was brought down, and the other two were damaged by our fire, but succeeded in getting away. They sent off their report, and presently wave after wave of bombers began to arrive and deliver their attacks. The bombers were met by the continuous fire of the high-angle guns and multiple pom-poms of the ships, and were so thoroughly upset by it that none of their bombs scored a hit……..One machine, a Heinkel ‘111’ the officers of the “Ark Royal” judged it to be, came down to 1200 feet over the carrier and from there released an 800 kilo bomb. The officers on the bridge saw it coming and said it looked as big as a tall man. But they judged straightaway that it would not hit the ship—‘And if it had it certainly would have sunk her’ said the captain—but it dropped harmlessly in the water some 15ft. off the starboard beam.” Its only effect was to break some loose crockery aboard her. There is no truth in the story that she rolled till her deck was almost under.  HMS ARK ROYAL. Charles E. Brown. Since this action the « Ark Royal » has travelled far and wide. She has joined in contraband control operations in the South Atlantic; not lucky enough to discover the “ Admiral Graf Spee” she and her aircraft have played their part in accounting for three German steamers. Her destroyer screen sank a submarine that attempted to torpedo her. The crew when picked up were hugely surprised to find themselves in the “Ark Royal,” which they had been told was lying at the bottom of the sea. When the “Admiral Graf Spee” was rounded up, the “Ark Royal” made a rapid crossing from Cape Town to Rio de Janeiro. In the course of her operations in the South Atlantic she steamed 75,000 miles and her aircraft made reconnaissance flights covering some 5,000,000 square miles of sea surface. She later returned to Portsmouth for a routine overhaul, and photographs of her there appeared in “The Illustrated London News” of March 30th. The design of the “Ark Royal” is highly successful. She is an extremely stable ship—a most desirable quality in an aircraft-carrier. According to the French manual “Flottes de Combat” nine machines landed on her deck in eleven minutes when her first trials were carried out. Illustrious Class. “Illustrious,” Vickers-Armstrongs, Barrow; 1939, “Victorious,” Vickers-Armstrongs, Tyne; 1939, “Formidable,” Harland & Wolff; 1939, “Indomitable,” Vickers-Armsrongs, Barrow; 1940, “Implacable,” Fairfield, 1942 and “Indefatigable,” John Brown, Clydebank, 1942. For interests sake I’ve added the completion dates. Displacement: 23,000 tons. Complement: 1,600. Dimensions: Length 753ft. HP & Speed: 110,000 at 30 knots. Guns: Sixteen 4.5 inch.  HMS ILLUSTRIOUS. Oscar Parkes OBE. Carriers Furious 1918, Eagle 1924 and Hermes 1924 Class. The dates above represent the ships latest modifications. Two ships in this class were conversions; “Furious” was originally launched by Armstrong’s as a 1st Class Cruiser in 1916 and underwent conversion in 1918. “Eagle” ex “Almirante Cochrane” (Chile) was converted by her builders, Armstrong’s on the stocks 1918. Finally, “Hermes” the first specifically designed aircraft carrier by the Admiralty and another Armstrong ship, but less than half the size of her consorts, was completed in 1919.  H.M.S. FURIOUS. Wright & Logan. Displacement: 22,450 tons. Complement: About 1,200. Dimensions: 786ft 3 inch x 89ft 9 inch x 25ft draught. Width across flight deck: 80ft. HP & Speed: 90,820 at 30 knots. Aircraft: 33 Guns: Ten 5.5 inch, Eight 4 inch, A.A. Twenty two smaller. Builder: Armstrong.  H.M.S. EAGLE. Wright & Logan. Displacement: 22,600 tons. Complement: 748. Dimensions: 667ft x 105ft 2 inch x 27ft draught. Width across flight deck: 100ft. HP & Speed: 50,000 at 24 knots. Aircraft: 21. Guns: Nine 6 inch, Four 4 inch, A.A. Twenty two smaller. Builder: Armstrong.  H.M.S. HERMES. Perkins. Displacement: 10,850 tons. Complement: 664. Dimensions : 598ft x 70ft x 18ft 9inch draught. Width across flight deck: 90ft. HP & Speed: 40,000 at 25 knots. Aircraft: 15. Guns: Six 5.5 inch, Three 4inch. A.A.; Eighteen smaller. Builders: Armstrong. The above photographs illustrate three of the oldest of the aircraft carriers at present in commission in the Royal Navy—the “Eagle” (22,000 tons), the “Furious” (22,450 tons), and the “Hermes” (10,850 tons normal), launched in June 1918, August 1916, and September 1919 respectively. The “Furious” having been first designed as a huge light cruiser mounting 18-inch guns, was modified and virtually became the first naval aircraft carrier. From her deck was launched the most successful naval air raid of the last war—the bombing of the Zeppelin sheds at Tondern. The attack was made by seven aeroplanes—130-HP single-seater “Camels”—flown off her deck, each carrying two bombs. Six reached their objective: two only got safely back; one fell into the sea and three had to come down in Denmark. But it was not until the “Furious” underwent her second conversion that the makeshift cruiser-carrier became a “floating aerodrome” in the full sense. The question of eddies from her funnels and upper works, which seriously affected alighting machines, became one of the vital points that influenced the design of later ships. In the final version of the “Furious” there was no funnel, and the furnace fumes were led aft and discharged through ducts terminating both at the end of the hangar, or alternatively through the flight-deck. In the “Eagle,” “Hermes” and “Glorious” class, as converted, however a return was made to the funnel, which was placed upon the extreme starboard side, leaving a clear flight deck. The “Hermes” launched in 1916, was the first ship to be specially designed by the Admiralty as an aircraft-carrier. The two “Courageous” class ships, “Glorious” and “Courageous,” were originally very similar to the “Furious.” They were both completed in 1916. The “Furious” has recently been operating in Norway, and a photograph was published of her near Tromsoe, in the far North, with snow lying on her flight-deck.  H.M.S. COURAGEOUS. Wright & Logan Displacement: 22,500 tons (about 25,500 full load). Complement: 1,216. Dimensions: 786ft 3 inch x 81ft 3 inch x 22ft 2 inch. Width across flight-deck: 100ft. HP & Speed: 90,000 at 30.5 knots. Aircraft: Forty eight. Guns: Sixteen 4.7 inch; Four 3 pounder; Seventeen smaller. Builders: Harland & Wolff. The aircraft carrier “Glorious” has had an extremely interesting history, and today differs completely from the original light cruiser of about 18,600 tons, which was completed in 1917. The “Glorious” was the sister ship of the “Courageous” which was torpedoed and sunk by U-29 when in the Atlantic on the 17th of September 1939. Both ships owe their origin to Lord Fisher. He was preparing a plan by which the Grand Fleet was to enter the Baltic and assault the coast of Germany, and the ‘Glorious” and “Courageous” were constructed with a view to Baltic operations, a fact which explains their shallow draught. (This is only 22ft., some five to ten feet less than that of heavy warships of similar tonnage.) The design included 15 inch guns and provided for a speed of thirty one knots and was only a little less original than that of the “Furious” in her first state—a large light cruiser mounting 18 inch guns, the heaviest ever given to a warship. The armament of “Glorious” and “Courageous” was planned to utilise available mountings and the ships were to be ready in twelve months. Lord Fisher’s Baltic proposals were not, of course, adopted. The building of the ships, however, went on. They were completed in 1917. After the war a more useful role was found for them, and they were taken in hand for conversion to aircraft carriers—the “Glorious” in 1924. The conversion was finished in 1930.  GLORIOUS IN THE MEDITERRANEAN. Charles E. Brown. It added another £2,137,374 to her original cost of £2,119,065, according to Jane’s “ Fighting Ships.” Her tonnage was increased from 18,6àà to about 22,500 (26,500 tons full load). As converted’ the “Glorious’ approximates to the “Furious” design, but with a single funnel on the extreme starboard side of the upper deck in place of the ducts. This funnel rises up through a narrow superstructure, which carries the navigating positions, searchlights, controls, etc., and a light signal mast, which replaces the heavy tripod fitted to the “Eagle” and “Hermes.” The armament is carried along the forecastle deck and consists of 4.7-inch A.A. guns, which of necessity have somewhat limited sky arcs. This may seem a rather light battery for ships of this size, compared with the heavy 8-inch batteries mounted in the U.S and Japanese carriers, but the Admiralty rightly consider that carriers must avoid action at all costs, and rely upon their screening ships to protect them. During refits, 1934-36, the quarterdeck was raised to the level of the upper deck to secure dryness aft. The “Glorious” served in the Grand Fleet during 1917-18, and from 1919 to 1924 was gunnery ship at Devonport and Reserve (flag). Converted at Rosyth and Devonport, 1924-30, she served in the Mediterranean from 1930 to 1934, when she returned for refitting, afterwards rejoining the Mediterranean station. Go to Chapter Three |
