Glorious 1918
| Name | No | Builder | Laid down | Launched | Comp | Fate |
| Courageous | Armstrong, Elswick | 28/3/1915 | 5/2/1916 | 1/1917 | converted to aircraft carrier 1924 - 1928 | |
| Glorious | Harland & Wolff, Belfast | 1/5/1915 | 20/4/1916 | 1/1917 | converted to aircraft carrier 1924 - 1930 |
|
Displacement normal, t |
19230 |
|
Displacement full, t |
22690 |
|
Length, m |
239.7 |
|
Breadth, m |
24.7 |
|
Draught, m |
7,1 |
|
No of shafts |
4 |
|
Machinery |
Parsons geared steam turbines, 18 Yarrow small-tube boilers |
|
Power, h. p. |
90000 |
|
Max speed, kn |
32 |
|
Fuel, t |
3160 oil |
|
Armour, mm |
belt: 76 - 51, bulkheads: 76 - 51, turrets: 229 (face) - 178 (sides) - 108 (roof), barbettes: 178 - 76, main deck: 38 - 19 (63 over magazines) with 25-mm slopes, CT: 254 |
|
Armament |
2 x 2 - 381/42 Mk I, 6 x 3 - 102/45 BL Mk IX, 2 x 1 - 76/45 QF Mk I HA, 2 x 1 - 47/40 Hotchkiss, 2 - 533 TT (beam) |
|
Complement |
828 |
Ship project history: The original ships, corresponding to battleships on displacement and dimensions, and to light cruisers on protection and speed. They had a shallow draught and improved anti-torpedo protection, but hulls have appeared very weak, and after unsuccessful trials of Courageous they should be strengthened.
Protection: There was internal underwater Protection with 38 - 25mm longitudinal bulkhead between "A" and "Y" barbettes, but this bulkhead was placed between center line and outer shafts turbine sets and can not successfully protect the ship machinery.
Modernizations: 1917, both: + 6 x 2 - 533 TT
1917 - early 1918, boyh: hull strengthening
spring 1917, Glorious: + 4 mine rails for 222 Elia or 202 H-II mines
1918, both: + flying-off platforms on both turrets
1924-1930: Both ships were converted to aircraft carriers.
Glorious, 1939
| Name | No | Reconstructed | Yard | Fate |
| Courageous | 50 | 6/1924 - 5/5/1928 | Devonport DYd | sunk 17/9/1939 |
| Glorious | 77 | 2/1924 - 10/3/1930 | Rosyth DYd/Devonport DYd | sunk 8/6/1940 |
|
Displacement standard, t |
22500 |
|
Displacement full, t |
Courageous: 27560 Glorious: 27400 |
|
Length, m |
224.0 pp 239.8 oa |
|
Breadth, m |
27.6 wl |
|
Draught, m |
8.51 - 8.53 deep load |
|
No of shafts |
4 |
|
Machinery |
Parsons geared steam turbines, 18 Yarrow small-tube boilers |
|
Power, h. p. |
90000 |
|
Max speed, kn |
30 |
|
Fuel, t |
Courageous: 3685 oil Glorious: 3450 oil |
|
Armour, mm |
belt: 76, decks summary: 76 |
|
Armament |
Courageous: 16 x 1 - 120/40 QF Mk VIII HA, 4 x 1 - 47/40 Hotchkiss, 4 x 1 - 40/39 pompom, 48 aircraft (Flycatcher fighters, Dart torpedo-bombers, Bison, Blackburn, Fairey III recon planes) Glorious: 16 x 1 - 120/40 QF Mk VIII HA, 4 x 1 - 47/40 Hotchkiss, 4 x 1 - 40/39 pompom, 48 aircraft (Flycatcher fighters, Dart, Ripon torpedo-bombers, Fairey III recon planes) |
|
Complement |
1216 |
Aircraft facilities (fd - 5,819 m², ha - 5,095 m² / 23,437 m³): main flight deck 161.5 x 27.9 m, short forward flight deck for fighters (forward flight deck was not used since 1936). Upper and lower hangars: 167.6 x 15.2 x 4.6 m each. Aircraft fuel stowage was 155 300 l. There were two lifts (5.5 t, 14 x 14.6 m).
| Year | Fighters | Dive bombers | Torpedo-bombers | Recon planes |
| 1928 Courageous | 12 Flycatcher | --- | 12 Dart | 12 Fairey III |
| 1930 Glorious | 12 Flycatcher | --- | 12 Ripon | 12 Fairey III |
| 1935 Glorious | 8 Nimrod, 8 Osprey | --- | 12 Baffin | 18 Fairey III, 6 Seal |
| 1935 Courageous | 9 Nimrod, 3 Osprey | --- | 12 Shark, 12 Baffin | 12 Seal |
| 8/1939 Glorious | 12 Sea Gladiator | --- | 36 Swordfish | --- |
| 9/1939 Courageous | --- | --- | 24 Swordfish | --- |
| 4/1940 Glorious | 18 Sea Gladiator | 11 Skua | --- | --- |
Ship project history: In the beginning it has been decided to rebuild these ships into aircraft carriers on Furious type. Works on Glorious have begun in February of 1924, and on Courageous in June, 1924. Ships become operational in new quality in March, 1930 and May, 1928 respectively.
As a whole on a construction were similar as Furious, but significantly differed outwardly thanks to island with impressive funnel. A length of the upper hangar have increased to a length of lower one (167,6), that has allowed to take aboard to 48 aircrafts.
Protection: There were bulges intended for torpedo protection. Main deck has 25mm slopes, connected with lower edge of main belt. Deck thickness distributed within main and lower hangar decks. There were 51mm anti-torpedo bulkheads.
Modernizations: 1934, Courageous: - 4 x 1 - 40/39; + 2 x 8 - 40/39 pompom;
1934, Glorious: - 4 x 1 - 40/39; + 3 x 8 - 40/39 pompom
1935, both: + 2 x 4 - 12.7/62
1936, both: 2 catapults fitted (3.65t plane dispersed to 104km/h). Length of flying deck increased on Glorious.
1938, Courageous: + 1 x 8 - 40/39 pompom
Naval service: Both ships are lost in the first year of war. Courageous, searching of enemy transports and submarines in Northern Atlantic, has been hit by two torpedoes from German submarine U29 17/9/1939. She has sunk in 15 minutes after attack, 518 people were lost. Glorious participated in the Norwegian campaign. She was intercepted and sunk by German battlecruisers Scharnhorst and Gneisenau 8/6/1940 after the end of cover of evacuation from Narvik. Summary losses of crew and staff of naval and army air groups are 1472 people.
Glorious 1918
Glorious 1937
Courageous 1928
© Ivan Gogin, 2008-09