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The 1942 Design Light Fleet Carrier, commonly referred to as the British Light Fleet Carrier, was a
light aircraft carrier A light aircraft carrier, or light fleet carrier, is an aircraft carrier smaller than the Fleet carrier, standard carriers of a navy. The precise definition of the type varies by country; light carriers typically have a complement of aircraft onl ...
design created by the Royal Navy during the Second World War, and used by eight naval forces between 1944 and 2001. They were designed and constructed by civilian shipyards to serve as an intermediate step between the expensive, full-size fleet
aircraft carrier An aircraft carrier is a warship that serves as a seagoing airbase, equipped with a full-length flight deck and hangar facilities for supporting, arming, deploying and recovering carrier-based aircraft, shipborne aircraft. Typically it is the ...
s and the less expensive but limited-capability
escort carrier The escort carrier or escort aircraft carrier (U.S. hull classification symbol CVE), also called a "jeep carrier" or "baby flattop" in the United States Navy (USN) or "Woolworth Carrier" by the Royal Navy, was a small and slower type of aircraf ...
s. Sixteen Light Fleet carriers were ordered, and all were laid down to the ''Colossus'' class design during 1942 and 1943. However, only eight were completed to this design; of these, four entered service before the end of the war, and none saw front line operations. Two more were fitted with maintenance and repair facilities instead of
aircraft catapult An aircraft catapult is a device used to help fixed-wing aircraft gain enough airspeed and lift for takeoff from a limited distance, typically from the deck of a ship. They are usually used on aircraft carrier flight decks as a form of assist ...
s and
arresting gear An arresting gear, or arrestor gear, is a mechanical system used to rapidly decelerate an aircraft as it lands. Arresting gear on aircraft carriers is an essential component of naval aviation, and it is most commonly used on CATOBAR and STOBA ...
, and entered service as aircraft maintenance carriers. The final six were modified during construction to handle larger and faster aircraft, and were re-designated as the ''Majestic'' class. The construction of the six ships was suspended at the end of the war. Five were eventually completed with the last commissioning in 1961; however, the sixth, ''Leviathan'', was dismantled for spare parts and scrap. Although not completed in time to fight in the war, the carriers in Royal Navy service participated in the
Korean War The Korean War (25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953) was an armed conflict on the Korean Peninsula fought between North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea; DPRK) and South Korea (Republic of Korea; ROK) and their allies. North Korea was s ...
and the
Suez Crisis The Suez Crisis, also known as the Second Arab–Israeli War, the Tripartite Aggression in the Arab world and the Sinai War in Israel, was a British–French–Israeli invasion of Egypt in 1956. Israel invaded on 29 October, having done so w ...
. During the latter, two ''Colossus''-class ships performed the first ship-based helicopter assault in history. Four ''Colossus''es and all five completed ''Majestic''s were loaned or sold to seven foreign nations – Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, India, and the Netherlands – with three ships serving in three different naval forces during their careers. Foreign-operated Light Fleets took part in the Korean War, the
First Indochina War The First Indochina War (generally known as the Indochina War in France, and as the Anti-French Resistance War in Vietnam, and alternatively internationally as the French-Indochina War) was fought between French Fourth Republic, France and Việ ...
, the
Vietnam War The Vietnam War (1 November 1955 – 30 April 1975) was an armed conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia fought between North Vietnam (Democratic Republic of Vietnam) and South Vietnam (Republic of Vietnam) and their allies. North Vietnam w ...
, the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971, and the
Falklands War The Falklands War () was a ten-week undeclared war between Argentina and the United Kingdom in 1982 over two British Overseas Territories, British dependent territories in the South Atlantic: the Falkland Islands and Falkland Islands Dependenci ...
. Despite being intended as 'disposable warships', all of the completed Light Fleet carriers exceeded their planned three-year service life. The maintenance carriers were the first to be
paid off Ship commissioning is the act or ceremony of placing a ship in active service and may be regarded as a particular application of the general concepts and practices of project commissioning. The term is most commonly applied to placing a warship i ...
in the 1950s, and by the 1960s, all of the Royal Navy carriers, (bar , which was later recommissioned as a repair ship) had been sold to other nations or for
ship breaking Ship breaking (also known as ship recycling, ship demolition, ship scrapping, ship dismantling, or ship cracking) is a type of ship disposal involving the breaking up of ships either as a source of Interchangeable parts, parts, which can be sol ...
. The carriers in other navies had longer service lives. At the time of her decommissioning in 2001, ''Minas Gerais'' was the oldest active aircraft carrier in the world. Despite attempts to preserve several of these carriers as museum ships, the last surviving example, , was sold for scrapping in 2014.


Design and construction

Experiences during the early part of the Second World War had demonstrated to the British that the Royal Navy needed access to defensive air cover for Allied fleets and convoys, which could only be provided by more aircraft carriers.Robbins, 2001, p. 91Ireland, 2008, p. 172 In mid-1941, the
Director of Naval Construction The Director of Naval Construction (DNC) also known as the Department of the Director of Naval Construction and Directorate of Naval Construction and originally known as the Chief Constructor of the Navy was a senior principal civil officer res ...
was instructed to investigate how best to achieve this without the lengthy construction times normally associated with carriers. The options were to refit the surviving ''Hawkins''-class cruisers with flight decks and aviation facilities, convert additional merchant vessels and passenger liners into vessels similar to but more capable than previous
merchant aircraft carrier A merchant aircraft carrier (also known as a MAC ship, the Admiralty (United Kingdom), Admiralty's official 'short name') was a limited-purpose aircraft carrier operated under British and Dutch civilian registry during World War II. MAC ships ...
s, or create a new design for a cheap, lightly armed, and unarmoured ship similar to the American escort carriers. In December 1941, it was decided that a new design was the best option. This ship was conceived as an intermediate step between the expensive fleet carriers and the limited-capability
escort carrier The escort carrier or escort aircraft carrier (U.S. hull classification symbol CVE), also called a "jeep carrier" or "baby flattop" in the United States Navy (USN) or "Woolworth Carrier" by the Royal Navy, was a small and slower type of aircraf ...
s. The design had to be as simple as possible so construction time was kept to a minimum and so more shipyards (particularly those with no naval construction experience) could be used. However, the ships had to be capable of operating in fleet actions.Preston, ''Aircraft Carriers'', p. 142 Originally designated the 'Intermediate Aircraft Carrier', the ships were reclassified as 'Light Fleet Carriers'.Konstam, ''British Aircraft Carriers 1939–45'', p. 24 Because naval design staff were overworked, the carrier was primarily designed by shipbuilders at
Vickers-Armstrong Vickers-Armstrongs Limited was a British engineering conglomerate formed by the merger of the assets of Vickers Limited and Sir W G Armstrong Whitworth & Company in 1927. The majority of the company was nationalised in the 1960s and 1970s, w ...
. The Light Fleet design, completed at the start of 1942, was effectively a scaled-down ''Illustrious''. Each carrier would displace 13,190 tons at standard load and 18,040 tons at full load, have a length of at the
flight deck The flight deck of an aircraft carrier is the surface on which its aircraft take off and land, essentially a miniature airfield at sea. On smaller naval ships which do not have aviation as a primary mission, the landing area for helicopters ...
and overall, a maximum beam of , and a draught of at standard displacement, and at full load displacement. The hull was built to Lloyd's specifications for merchant vessels from keel to maindeck, but incorporated better subdivision of compartments to reduce secondary damage by flooding.Blackman (ed.), ''Jane's Fighting Ships (1968–69)'', p. 313 The propulsion machinery was of a similar design to that used in cruisers—some of the steam turbines were sourced from cancelled cruisers.Harding, ''The Royal Navy 1930–2000'', pp. 79–80 The machinery was arranged in two compartments (each containing two Admiralty 3-drum boilers and a Parsons geared turbine), which were staggered ''en echelon'', with the starboard compartment forward of the port. These provided 40,000 shaft horsepower to two propeller shafts, driving the carriers at a maximum speed of , with as the designated economical speed. The carriers were intended to be 'disposable warships': to be scrapped and replaced at the end of the war or within three years of entering service.Hobbs, in ''The Navy and the Nation'', p. 217 However, all exceeded this planned service life, with one ship operating from 1945 to 2001.


''Colossus'' class

Construction was approved by the Naval Board in February 1942, with the first two ships, and , laid down in March. During 1942 and 1943, another fourteen Light Fleet carriers (named the ''Colossus'' class after the
lead ship The lead ship, name ship, or class leader is the first of a series or class of ships that are all constructed according to the same general design. The term is applicable to naval ships and large civilian vessels. Large ships are very comple ...
) were laid down under the 1942 Programme, to be constructed by eight British shipyards.Wright, ''Australian Carrier Decisions'', p. 65Konstam, ''British Aircraft Carriers 1939–45'', pp. 24, 26 Although it was originally planned that each Light Fleet would be ready for service in 21 months, modifications to the design saw the planned construction time increase to 27 months. Even with the omission of several important pieces of backup equipment, only two ships met this target. The ships were launched from late 1943 onwards, with the first commissioned in December 1944. However, the delays meant that only four ships (, , , and ; formed up as the 11th Aircraft Carrier Squadron) were completed before the end of the Second World War, and only eight of the sixteen planned Light Fleets were completed as ''Colossus''-class carriers. During operational service, the living conditions aboard the ''Colossus''-class ships were criticised, which resulted in the abolition of hammocks in favour of fixed bunks and the introduction of centralised eating arrangements in later warship designs.


Maintenance carriers

The impracticality of shore-based repair establishments in the Far East and Pacific theatres of the Second World War saw a requirement for aircraft maintenance carriers.Ireland, 2008, p. 177 Instead of building new ships from scratch, two under-construction ''Colossus''es, and , were marked for conversion as they would enter service quicker, and could be converted back into operational aircraft carriers if required, a need which never arose. Both ships were completed before the end of the war, with ''Pioneer'' sailing to the Pacific in company with the 11th Aircraft Carrier Squadron; ''Pioneer'' had repaired 24 aircraft since her arrival in the Pacific. As the ships were designed with the repair and transportation of aircraft in mind, much of the equipment required for carrier flight operations, including control facilities,
arresting gear An arresting gear, or arrestor gear, is a mechanical system used to rapidly decelerate an aircraft as it lands. Arresting gear on aircraft carriers is an essential component of naval aviation, and it is most commonly used on CATOBAR and STOBA ...
, and
catapult A catapult is a ballistics, ballistic device used to launch a projectile at a great distance without the aid of gunpowder or other propellants – particularly various types of ancient and medieval siege engines. A catapult uses the sudden rel ...
, were not installed. This space was instead used for additional hangar room, repair and maintenance workshops, and system testing facilities.


''Majestic'' class

The six remaining Light Fleet hulls were originally to be completed as ''Colossus''-class ships, but the rapid development of carrier-based aircraft and anti-aircraft weapons required modifications to the original design.Ireland, 2008, p. 173 The catapult, arrestor cables, and aircraft lifts had to be upgraded to handle faster and heavier aircraft, while the flight deck was reinforced. Improved weapons and radars were fitted, and equipment to perform replenishment at sea was installed. The modifications increased the
full-load displacement The displacement or displacement tonnage of a ship is its weight. As the term indicates, it is measured indirectly, using Archimedes' principle, by first calculating the volume of water displaced by the ship, then converting that value into weig ...
by 1,500 tons, and the draught by . This led to the six ships being reclassified as the ''Majestic'' class in September 1945. Five carriers were launched before the end of the Second World War, with the sixth launched in late September 1945. Following the war's end, work on the ''Majestic'' class was suspended, then restored to a low-priority status, with the rate of work increasing as foreign nations purchased the ships. Two, ''Magnificent'' and ''Terrible'', entered service more-or-less as designed, but the next three were heavily upgraded with three British developments allowing the operation of larger, faster, jet-propelled aircraft: the angled flight deck, the
steam catapult An aircraft catapult is a device used to help fixed-wing aircraft gain enough airspeed and lift for takeoff from a limited distance, typically from the deck of a ship. They are usually used on aircraft carrier flight decks as a form of assist ...
, and the mirror landing aid. The sixth, ''Leviathan'', was not completed.Hobbs, ''Aircraft Carriers of the British and Commonwealth Navies'', pp. 129–30 Work was suspended in May 1946, and plans to convert her into a commando carrier or missile cruiser, or sell her to a foreign buyer, fell through. During the 1950s, she was used as an accommodation ship in Portsmouth Harbour and, in 1966, her boilers were removed and sold to the shipyard refitting the ''Colossus''-class for Argentine service. ''Leviathan'' was scrapped in May 1968.Fontenoy, ''Aircraft Carriers'', p. 353 None of the completed ''Majestic''-class vessels saw service in the Royal Navy. In 1943, eight 'Improved ''Majestic''s' were planned, but developments in carrier aviation and the rapid obsolescence of the Light Fleets and the wartime armoured carriers required a larger and more capable design, which became the four-ship ''Centaur'' class.


Weapons


Aircraft

In the original design, each ship was capable of carrying 41 aircraft. A redesign of the available parking area on the flight deck in March 1942 saw the ships' air group expanded to 24
Fairey Barracuda The Fairey Barracuda was a British carrier-borne torpedo and dive bomber designed by Fairey Aviation. It was the first aircraft of this type operated by the Fleet Air Arm (FAA) of the Royal Navy to be fabricated entirely from metal. The Barra ...
torpedo bombers and 24
Supermarine Seafire The Supermarine Seafire is a naval version of the Supermarine Spitfire fighter adapted for operation from aircraft carriers. It was analogous in concept to the Hawker Hurricane variants#Sea Hurricanes, Hawker Sea Hurricane, a navalised aircraft ...
fighters, or 18 Barracudas and 34 Seafires. In RN service, the Barracuda was later replaced by the Fairey Firefly, and the Seafire was superseded by the Hawker Sea Fury during the
Korean War The Korean War (25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953) was an armed conflict on the Korean Peninsula fought between North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea; DPRK) and South Korea (Republic of Korea; ROK) and their allies. North Korea was s ...
.Ireland, 2008, p. 72 Early in their careers, and were fitted out for night flying operations: these carriers were to embark a 32-strong air group; mixed between Fireflies and
Grumman F6F Hellcat The Grumman F6F Hellcat is an American Carrier-based aircraft, carrier-based fighter aircraft of World War II. Designed to replace the earlier Grumman F4F Wildcat, F4F Wildcat and to counter the Japanese Mitsubishi A6M Zero, it was the United St ...
s supplied by the United States as part of the
Lend Lease Lend-Lease, formally the Lend-Lease Act and introduced as An Act to Promote the Defense of the United States (),
program. To launch and recover aircraft, the carriers were initially equipped with hydraulic catapults,
arresting gear An arresting gear, or arrestor gear, is a mechanical system used to rapidly decelerate an aircraft as it lands. Arresting gear on aircraft carriers is an essential component of naval aviation, and it is most commonly used on CATOBAR and STOBA ...
, and crash barriers. Aircraft were stored in a single hangar measuring , with a height clearance of . This allowed the Light Fleets to later operate aircraft that the fleet carriers, which generally had two hangars with lower clearance in each, could not. The hangar was serviced by two aircraft lifts.


Armament

The Light Fleets were the first British aircraft carriers where the ship's air group was seen as the 'main armament'; any mounted weapons were to be for close-range anti-aircraft defence.Harding, ''The Royal Navy 1930–2000'', p. 79 The ''Colossus'' design called for six quadruple barrelled 2 pounder gun mounts, and 16 twin
Oerlikon 20 mm cannon The Oerlikon 20 mm cannon is a series of autocannons based on an original German Becker Type M2 20 mm cannon design that appeared very early in World War I. It was widely produced by Oerlikon Contraves and others, with various models empl ...
s. Two 4-inch (102 mm) guns were originally included, but an increase in the design's flight deck length in March 1942 saw them displaced. The ships were unarmoured, as increasing the size of the vessels was deemed more important than protection. Lessons learned during the early part of the
Pacific War The Pacific War, sometimes called the Asia–Pacific War or the Pacific Theatre, was the Theater (warfare), theatre of World War II fought between the Empire of Japan and the Allies of World War II, Allies in East Asia, East and Southeast As ...
showed the superiority of the Bofors 40 mm gun to other anti-aircraft weapons. By the end of the war, all ''Colossus''-class ships had swapped all their other weapons for Bofors in single and twin mountings, and the ''Majestic'' design had been modified to carry 30 of the guns: 18 single mountings, and 6 twin mountings. The number of Bofors carried by the Light Fleets was reduced after the war, with British ships carrying only eight.


Royal Navy service


Second World War and aftermath

Although four ''Colossus''-class ships were completed before the end of the war, they did not see front-line action: the war in Europe had proceeded to the point where aircraft carriers were of limited use, and by the time the carriers reached the Pacific, Japan had surrendered. The four ships, assigned to the
British Pacific Fleet The British Pacific Fleet (BPF) was a Royal Navy formation that saw action against Japan during the Second World War. It was formed from aircraft carriers, other surface warships, submarines and supply vessels of the RN and British Commonwealth ...
, were instead used for the transportation of returning soldiers and rescued prisoners-of-war, to help alleviate the shortage of troopships and liners. As with the ''Colossus'' class, the maintenance carriers were completed but did not enter active service before the end of the war. They were reclassified as Ferry Carriers, and used to transport aircraft to British bases and ships across the world. During the late 1940s and early 1950s, the carriers were used as testbeds for new aircraft and technology. Throughout late 1945, ''Ocean'' was used to test several new aircraft: the Hawker Sea Fury and
de Havilland Sea Hornet The de Havilland DH.103 Hornet, developed by de Havilland, is a fighter aircraft driven by two piston engines. It further exploited the wooden construction techniques that had been pioneered by the de Havilland Mosquito. Development of the H ...
piston-engine fighters during August, and the de Havilland Sea Vampire jet-propelled fighter-bomber in December.Robbins, ''The Aircraft Carrier Story'', p. 107 On 3 December 1945, a de Havilland Sea Vampire became the first jet aircraft to land on a carrier—two months before, ''Ocean''s flight deck saw the last landing of a
Fairey Swordfish The Fairey Swordfish is a retired biplane torpedo bomber, designed by the Fairey Aviation Company. Originating in the early 1930s, the Swordfish, nicknamed "Stringbag", was principally operated by the Fleet Air Arm of the Royal Navy. It was a ...
torpedo bomber.Ireland, 2008, p. 80 The angled flight deck concept (which would later be installed on several of the ''Majestic''-class carriers) was first trialled aboard ''Triumph'': the straight-line deck markings were removed, and markings for an angled landing painted on. After a two-year loan to Canada, ''Warrior'' served as a testbed for rubberised flexible decks and skid-like
landing gear Landing gear is the undercarriage of an aircraft or spacecraft that is used for taxiing, takeoff or landing. For aircraft, it is generally needed for all three of these. It was also formerly called ''alighting gear'' by some manufacturers, s ...
during 1948 and 1949.Bishop & Chant, ''Aircraft carriers'', p. 62 During 1951 and 1952, ''Perseus'' was used as a trials ship for the under-development
steam catapult An aircraft catapult is a device used to help fixed-wing aircraft gain enough airspeed and lift for takeoff from a limited distance, typically from the deck of a ship. They are usually used on aircraft carrier flight decks as a form of assist ...
.


Korean War

The ''Colossus'' class first saw combat during the
Korean War The Korean War (25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953) was an armed conflict on the Korean Peninsula fought between North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea; DPRK) and South Korea (Republic of Korea; ROK) and their allies. North Korea was s ...
. Following the invasion of South Korea by North Korea on 25 June, ships of the British Far East Fleet that were operating in Japanese waters, including the carrier , were placed under the United States Far East Commander, to operate in retaliation to the invasion under the instructions of the
United Nations Security Council The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations (UN) and is charged with ensuring international peace and security, recommending the admission of new UN members to the General Assembly, an ...
.Hobbs. 2004. , p. 63 The first carrier attack began on 3 July 1950, with aircraft from ''Triumph'' and United States carrier performing air strikes on North Korean airfields.Hobbs. 2004. , p. 64 Between them, the ''Colossus''-class carriers ''Triumph'', , , and , along with the ''Majestic''-class , maintained a constant Anglo-Australian aircraft carrier presence for the duration of the Korean War.Hobbs. 2004. , pp. 64–6 The Light Fleets were cheaper to operate than the armoured fleet carriers while providing a similar sized air group, but during the war proved to be slower, less comfortable, and more prone to wear-and-tear than other RN carriers.Ireland, 2008, p. 73 Financial and manpower restrictions meant that only one Light Fleet could be deployed to Korea at a time. also contributed to the Korean War effort by transporting replacement aircraft from the United Kingdom to British bases throughout the Far East region, which were then drawn upon by the active carriers. Following the end of the Korean War, ''Warrior'' and ''Sydney'' returned to Korean waters on separate deployments, to ensure that the armistice was enforced and hostilities did not re-ignite.


Suez Crisis

and were part of the British response to the 1956
Suez Crisis The Suez Crisis, also known as the Second Arab–Israeli War, the Tripartite Aggression in the Arab world and the Sinai War in Israel, was a British–French–Israeli invasion of Egypt in 1956. Israel invaded on 29 October, having done so w ...
.Ireland, 2008, p. 76 The two ships were not used as aircraft carriers; instead they were equipped with helicopters and tasked with transporting ashore 45 Commando, a battalion of the
Royal Marines The Royal Marines provide the United Kingdom's amphibious warfare, amphibious special operations capable commando force, one of the :Fighting Arms of the Royal Navy, five fighting arms of the Royal Navy, a Company (military unit), company str ...
, in order to secure harbours and other landing points for heavy equipment. This, the first ship-based helicopter assault, was successful, and prompted the development of the
amphibious assault ship An amphibious assault ship is a type of warship employed to land and support ground forces on enemy territory during an armed conflict. The design evolved from aircraft carriers converted for use as helicopter carriers (which, as a result, ar ...
.


Decommissioning and disposal

The two maintenance carriers were decommissioned during the 1950s and scrapped: ''Pioneer'' was sold in 1954, and ''Perseus'' in 1958.Bishop & Chant, ''Aircraft carriers'', p. 51 With the exception of HMS ''Triumph'', the ''Colossus''-class carriers that remained in RN service were disposed of during the early 1960s. None was significantly modernised during its service life. ''Triumph'' left service in 1958, underwent a major conversion into a Heavy Repair Ship, and re-entered service in 1965.


Foreign service

As Britain was unable to maintain the size of her wartime fleet after the end of the Second World War, several ''Colossus''-class ships were placed into reserve,Ireland, 2008, p. 74 while work on the ''Majestic'' class was initially halted at the end of the war, then restored to a low-priority status.Hobbs, ''HMAS Melbourne – 25 Years On'', p. 5 Demands for fiscal cutbacks, combined with the rapid obsolescence of the carriers by the development of jet aircraft, saw four of the eight ''Colossus''es and all five completed ''Majestic''s sold off to other nations.Fontenoy, ''Aircraft Carriers'', p. 266 The majority of the Light Fleets in foreign service were modernised, either during construction or afterwards, to operate jet aircraft. This usually consisted of the installation of an angled flight deck, upgrading the aircraft catapult to be
steam-powered A steam engine is a heat engine that performs mechanical work using steam as its working fluid. The steam engine uses the force produced by steam pressure to push a piston back and forth inside a cylinder. This pushing force can be tra ...
, and installing an optical landing system: Australian ''Majestic''-class carrier HMAS ''Melbourne'' was the third aircraft carrier in the world, after and , to be constructed with these features instead of having them added later.Hobbs, ''HMAS Melbourne – 25 Years On'', p. 6


Argentina

After a two-year loan to Canada, and a second period in Royal Navy commission, ''Warrior'' was sold to the
Argentine Navy The Argentine Navy (ARA; ). This forms the basis for the navy's ship prefix "ARA". is the navy of Argentina. It is one of the three branches of the Armed Forces of the Argentine Republic, together with the Argentine Army, Army and the Argentine ...
in 1958, and commissioned as on 11 November. She was equipped with
Vought F4U Corsair The Vought F4U Corsair is an American fighter aircraft that saw service primarily in World War II and the Korean War. Designed and initially manufactured by Vought, Chance Vought, the Corsair was soon in great demand; additional production con ...
, and she was proved unsuitable for the Grumman F9F Panther jet fighters incorporated in 1963. ''Independencia'' served as the Argentine flagship until she was replaced by the Dutch ''Karel Doorman'' (formerly ), which was sold on to Argentina in 1969 and commissioned as . ''Independencia'' was struck from service in 1971 and broken up for scrap. ''Veinticinco de Mayo'' was initially equipped with F9F Panther and later with
Douglas A-4 Skyhawk The Douglas A-4 Skyhawk is a single-seat subsonic carrier-capable light attack aircraft designed and produced by the American aerospace manufacturer Douglas Aircraft Company, and later, McDonnell Douglas. It was originally designated A4D und ...
jet fighters; these were replaced with French Dassault Super Étendards in the 1980s. The carrier provided air cover for the
Occupation of the Falkland Islands The occupation of the Falkland Islands and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands ( "Military Administration of the Malvinas, South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands") was the short-lived Argentine occupation of a group of British islan ...
in April 1982. After hostilities broke out on 1 May 1982, it attempted an attack on the Royal Navy Task Force which did not take place, as poor winds prevented the heavily laden A-4Q jets from being launched. She remained confined to port for the rest of the
Falklands War The Falklands War () was a ten-week undeclared war between Argentina and the United Kingdom in 1982 over two British Overseas Territories, British dependent territories in the South Atlantic: the Falkland Islands and Falkland Islands Dependenci ...
, particularly after the British submarine sank the Argentine cruiser . Problems with her propulsion machinery meant that ''Veinticinco de Mayo'' was effectively inoperable from June 1986, although it was not until the start of 1999 that she was marked for scrapping.


Australia

In 1944, the Australian government suggested that Australian personnel be used to help counteract a personnel shortage in the Royal Navy by manning an aircraft carrier, one or more cruisers, and six destroyers. The Admiralty deemed a ''Colossus''-class Light Fleet to be the most appropriate aircraft carrier, and ''Venerable'' was initially proposed for transfer to the
Royal Australian Navy The Royal Australian Navy (RAN) is the navy, naval branch of the Australian Defence Force (ADF). The professional head of the RAN is Chief of Navy (Australia), Chief of Navy (CN) Vice admiral (Australia), Vice Admiral Mark Hammond (admiral), Ma ...
as a gift or on loan. The plan was deferred on the Australian end until a review of manpower requirements across the entire
war effort War effort is a coordinated mobilization of society's resources—both industrial and civilian—towards the support of a military force, particular during a state of war. Depending on the militarization of the culture, the relative si ...
was completed. The ship manning proposal was revisited in mid-1945, but the surrender of Germany in May meant that British shortages were not as problematic; as a counteroffer, the purchase of the ''Colossus''-class ''Ocean'' by Australia was suggested. The Australian government decided against the purchase of ''Ocean'' in June. Following the Second World War, a post-war review suggested that the
Royal Australian Navy The Royal Australian Navy (RAN) is the navy, naval branch of the Australian Defence Force (ADF). The professional head of the RAN is Chief of Navy (Australia), Chief of Navy (CN) Vice admiral (Australia), Vice Admiral Mark Hammond (admiral), Ma ...
acquire three aircraft carriers as the core of a new fleet; funding restrictions saw the number of proposed carriers dropped to two. To this end, Australia acquired two ''Majestic''-class ships: , which was commissioned in 1948 as ; and , which was upgraded for jet operations and commissioned in 1955 as . While waiting for ''Majestic/Melbourne'' to finish modernisation, the ''Colossus''-class was loaned to Australia from 1952 until 1955, allowing it to operate a two-carrier fleet.Donohue, ''From Empire Defence to the Long Haul'', p. 94 The first aircraft carrier acquired by the Royal Australian Navy, ''Sydney'' was deployed to Korea in order to maintain a consistent
Commonwealth A commonwealth is a traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good. The noun "commonwealth", meaning "public welfare, general good or advantage", dates from the 15th century. Originally a phrase (the common-wealth ...
carrier presence in the conflict.Bastock, ''Australia's Ships of War'', p. 304 Operating between September 1951 and January 1952, ''Sydney'' was the first carrier owned by a Commonwealth
Dominion A dominion was any of several largely self-governance, self-governing countries of the British Empire, once known collectively as the ''British Commonwealth of Nations''. Progressing from colonies, their degrees of self-governing colony, colon ...
to see combat. Reclassified as a training ship in 1955, ''Sydney'' was decommissioned in 1958 but reactivated in 1962 as a fast troop transport. In her troopship role, ''Sydney'' travelled to Vietnam 25 times between 1965 and 1972. She was decommissioned in November 1973, and sold to a South Korean company for scrapping in 1975. Although deployed to the Far East Strategic Reserve on several occasions, and assigned to escort ''Sydney'' to and from Vietnam on three occasions, ''Melbourne'' was not directly involved in any conflict during her career. However, she collided with and sank two plane guard destroyers— in 1964, and in 1969—which, along with several minor collisions and incidents, led to the reputation that the carrier was
jinx A jinx (also jynx), in popular superstition and folklore, is a curse or the attribute of attracting bad or negative luck. Examples of "jinxing" in the 21st-century press include the suggestion a ship might be "jinxed". The connection was made wi ...
ed.Bastock, ''Australia's Ships of War'', p. 313Hall, ''HMAS Melbourne'', p. 9 ''Melbourne'' was sold to China for scrapping in 1985; instead of being broken up, she was studied as part of the nation's top-secret carrier development program, and may not have been dismantled until 2002.Storey and Ji, ''China's aircraft carrier ambitions'', p. 79.Hobbs, ''HMAS Melbourne – 25 Years On'', p. 9 There were plans to replace ''Melbourne'' with the British carrier , but ''Invincible'' was withdrawn from sale following her service in the Falklands War, and a 1983 election promise to not replace the carrier saw the end of Australian carrier-based fixed-wing aviation.


Brazil

After ''Vengeance'' was returned from her loan to Australia, she was sold to the
Brazilian Navy The Brazilian Navy () is the navy, naval service branch of the Brazilian Armed Forces, responsible for conducting naval warfare, naval operations. The navy was involved in War of Independence of Brazil#Naval action, Brazil's war of independence ...
on 14 December 1956. From mid-1957 until December 1960, the carrier underwent a massive refit and reconstruction at Verolme Dock in Rotterdam; the work performed included the installation of an 8.5-degree angled flight deck and a
steam catapult An aircraft catapult is a device used to help fixed-wing aircraft gain enough airspeed and lift for takeoff from a limited distance, typically from the deck of a ship. They are usually used on aircraft carrier flight decks as a form of assist ...
, strengthening of
arresting gear An arresting gear, or arrestor gear, is a mechanical system used to rapidly decelerate an aircraft as it lands. Arresting gear on aircraft carriers is an essential component of naval aviation, and it is most commonly used on CATOBAR and STOBA ...
, and reinforcing of the hangar lifts.Blackman (ed.), ''Jane's Fighting Ships (1968–69)'', p. 23Ireland, 2008, p. 245Bishop & Chant, ''Aircraft carriers'', p. 82 The carrier was commissioned into the '' Marinha do Brasil'' (MB, Brazilian Navy) as ''Minas Gerais'' on 6 December 1960. The Brazilian carrier was equipped with Grumman S-2E Tracker fixed-wing aircraft, and Sikorsky ASH-3D Sea King, AS-355 Ecureuil, and AS332 Super Puma helicopters. Brazilian law prevented the MB from operating fixed-wing aircraft, so two separate air groups had to be embarked.English, ''Latin American Navies still treading water''Sharpe (ed.), ''Jane's Fighting Ships, 1996–1997'', p. 55 In 1999, the MB acquired Douglas A-4KU Skyhawks—the first time Brazilian naval aviators were permitted to operate fixed-wing aircraft until the carrier's 2001 decommissioning.Corless, ''The Brazilian Navy blazes a trail in the South Atlantic'' ''Minas Gerais'' was replaced by NAe ''São Paulo'' (the former French carrier ). ''Minas Gerais'' was the last of the Second World War-era light aircraft carriers to leave service, and at the time of her decommissioning was the oldest active aircraft carrier in the world. The carrier was marked for sale in 2002, and was actively sought after by British naval associations for return to England and preservation as a
museum ship A museum ship, also called a memorial ship, is a ship that has been preserved and converted into a museum open to the public for educational or memorial purposes. Some are also used for training and recruitment purposes, mostly for the small numb ...
, although they were unable to raise the required money.Syal & Lashmar, ''Race to save historic ship from scrap heap'' In December 2003 the carrier was listed for sale on auction website
eBay eBay Inc. ( , often stylized as ebay) is an American multinational e-commerce company based in San Jose, California, that allows users to buy or view items via retail sales through online marketplaces and websites in 190 markets worldwide. ...
, but was removed because the site's rules prevented the sale of military ordnance.Tweedie, ''For internet sale: aircraft carrier, only three owners'' Sometime between February and July 2004, the carrier was towed to the
ship breaking Ship breaking (also known as ship recycling, ship demolition, ship scrapping, ship dismantling, or ship cracking) is a type of ship disposal involving the breaking up of ships either as a source of Interchangeable parts, parts, which can be sol ...
yards at Alang, India, for dismantling.Parry, ''Sad end to symbol of city's liberation''


Canada

Following wartime experience showing the effectiveness of naval aviation, the
Royal Canadian Navy The Royal Canadian Navy (RCN; , ''MRC'') is the Navy, naval force of Canada. The navy is one of three environmental commands within the Canadian Armed Forces. As of February 2024, the RCN operates 12 s, 12 s, 4 s, 4 s, 8 s, and several auxiliary ...
decided to acquire an aircraft carrier.Ireland, 2008, p. 231 The Canadian government decided to purchase the ''Majestic''-class carrier ''Powerful'', and have her upgraded to modern standards.Ireland, 2008, p. 232 The ''Colossus''-class was transferred on a two-year loan from 1946 to 1948, so the experience gained by providing ship's companies for two British escort carriers during the war could be maintained. The upgrading of ''Powerful'' took longer than expected, and as ''Warrior'' had to be returned by 1948, ''Magnificent'' was completed to the basic ''Majestic'' design and loaned to the Royal Canadian Navy in 1948 as . On her return to Britain, ''Warrior'' was used as a trials ship, then modernised before her sale to Argentina. The loan of ''Magnificent'' continued until the completion of ''Powerful'' in 1957, at which point ''Magnificent'' was returned to the British. She was to be sold to another nation, but after no buyers came forward, the carrier was scrapped. In the meantime, ''Powerful'' had been upgraded to operate jet aircraft. The modifications included an 8° angled flight deck and steam catapult, and she was equipped with American weapons, radars, and jet aircraft instead of their British equivalents. She was commissioned in 1957 as . The carrier's design could not keep up with the advances in naval aircraft during the early 1960s, and in 1962, the ship's McDonnell F2H Banshee fighters were retired, leaving an anti-submarine warfare (ASW) focused air group of Sikorsky CH-124 Sea King helicopters and
Grumman S-2 Tracker The Grumman S-2 Tracker (S2F prior to 1962) is the first purpose-built, single airframe anti-submarine warfare (ASW) aircraft to enter service with the United States Navy. Designed and initially built by Grumman, the Tracker was of conventional ...
ASW aircraft. ''Bonaventure'' received a major mid life refit in 1967, but was withdrawn in 1970 after defence cuts. Her departure marked the end of Canadian carrier-based aviation.Ireland, 2008, p. 75


France

Lead ship was loaned to the
French Navy The French Navy (, , ), informally (, ), is the Navy, maritime arm of the French Armed Forces and one of the four military service branches of History of France, France. It is among the largest and most powerful List of navies, naval forces i ...
in August 1946 and renamed . The vessel remained in French service, and was purchased outright in 1951.Bishop & Chant, ''Aircraft carriers'', p. 63 She was deployed to
French Indochina French Indochina (previously spelled as French Indo-China), officially known as the Indochinese Union and after 1941 as the Indochinese Federation, was a group of French dependent territories in Southeast Asia from 1887 to 1954. It was initial ...
, and operated during the
First Indochina War The First Indochina War (generally known as the Indochina War in France, and as the Anti-French Resistance War in Vietnam, and alternatively internationally as the French-Indochina War) was fought between French Fourth Republic, France and Việ ...
from 1949 to 1954.Fontenoy, ''Aircraft Carriers'', p. 268 After the war's end, the carrier was assigned to the Mediterranean. She participated in the 1956 Suez Crisis, operating air strikes against Egyptian positions around
Port Said Port Said ( , , ) is a port city that lies in the northeast Egypt extending about along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea, straddling the west bank of the northern mouth of the Suez Canal. The city is the capital city, capital of the Port S ...
. A modernisation from 1957 to 1958 saw the installation of a 4° angled flight deck and an optical landing system, allowing ''Arromanches'' to operate Breguet Alizé anti-submarine aircraft. ''Arromanches'' was replaced in active service by the French-built ''Clemenceau'' class, and was converted into a training ship in 1960. Apart from a short stint as an anti-submarine carrier in 1968, the ship remained in this role until her 1974 decommissioning. ''Arromanches'' was broken up for scrap in 1978.


India

Work on the ''Majestic''-class was suspended in May 1946, with the ship about 75% complete.Blackman (ed.), ''Jane's Fighting Ships (1968–69)'', p. 130 The carrier remained in an unfinished condition until January 1957, when she was purchased by the
Indian Navy The Indian Navy (IN) (ISO 15919, ISO: ) is the Navy, maritime and Amphibious warfare, amphibious branch of the Indian Armed Forces. The President of India is the Supreme Commander of the Indian Navy. The Chief of the Naval Staff (India), Chief ...
.Bishop & Chant, ''Aircraft carriers'', p. 64 Fitted with an angled flight deck, ''Hercules'' was commissioned into the Indian Navy as in 1961. ''Vikrant'' was not involved in the 1962
Sino-Indian War The Sino–Indian War, also known as the China–India War or the Indo–China War, was an armed conflict between China and India that took place from October to November 1962. It was a military escalation of the Sino–Indian border dispu ...
or the 1965 Indo-Pakistani War because she was docked for maintenance and refits on both occasions. She did operate during the 1971 Indo-Pakistani War, with her air group performing strike and interdiction operations in
East Pakistan East Pakistan was the eastern province of Pakistan between 1955 and 1971, restructured and renamed from the province of East Bengal and covering the territory of the modern country of Bangladesh. Its land borders were with India and Burma, wit ...
. A major upgrade between 1979 and 1982 saw the carrier fitted with a new propulsion system, an updated radar suite, and a 9.75° ski-jump ramp to be used by Sea Harriers. The carrier was last deployed in 1994, and she was decommissioned in 1997. ''Vikrant'' helped the Indian Navy to become the dominant regional power. Following her decommissioning, ''Vikrant'' was marked for preservation as a
museum ship A museum ship, also called a memorial ship, is a ship that has been preserved and converted into a museum open to the public for educational or memorial purposes. Some are also used for training and recruitment purposes, mostly for the small numb ...
.''R 11 Vikrant'', GlobalSecurity.orgTembhekar, ''No takers for INS Vikrant's museum plan'' ''Vikrant'' was opened to the public by the Indian Navy for short periods, but the inability to find an operating partner, lack of funds, and the deterioration of the ship led to the closure of the museum in 2012, and the sale of the vessel for
ship breaking Ship breaking (also known as ship recycling, ship demolition, ship scrapping, ship dismantling, or ship cracking) is a type of ship disposal involving the breaking up of ships either as a source of Interchangeable parts, parts, which can be sol ...
in early 2014.


Netherlands

The
Royal Netherlands Navy The Royal Netherlands Navy (, ) is the Navy, maritime service branch of the Netherlands Armed Forces. It traces its history to 8 January 1488, making it the List of navies, third-oldest navy in the world. During the 17th and early 18th centurie ...
acquired the ''Colossus''-class in 1948, and commissioned her as . Initially, the carrier operated piston-engined aircraft, but underwent modernisation from 1955 to 1958, including a steam catapult, reinforced flight deck and aircraft lifts, and an 8° angled deck.Ireland, 2008, p. 244 Between the upgrade and 1964, ''Karel Doorman'' possessed a mixed air group of jet fighters, anti-submarine aircraft, and helicopters; the fixed-wing aircraft were removed in that year. In 1968, ''Karel Doorman'' was heavily damaged by fire. She was repaired with equipment stripped from other Light Fleet carriers in reserve and awaiting disposal. However, before the fire, the Royal Netherlands Navy was reconsidering carrier-based operation, and instead of returning her to service, ''Karel Doorman'' was sold to Argentina.Ireland, 2008, p. 241


Ships


See also

* List of ship classes of World War II


References


Bibliography

;Books * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * ;Journal articles * * * * * ;Newspaper articles * * * *


Further reading

* * *


External links


"Colossus class"
at Service Histories of Royal Navy Warships in World War 2 {{WWII British ships Light aircraft carrier classes Ship classes of the Royal Navy