Colossus 1944
| Name | No | Builder | Laid down | Launched | Comp | Fate |
| Colossus | 15 - R61 | Vickers-Armstrong, Tyne | 1/6/1942 | 30/9/1943 | 16/12/1944 | to France 8/1946 (Arromanches) |
| Glory | 62 - R62 | Harland & Wolff, Belfast | 27/8/1942 | 27/11/1943 | 2/4/1945 | stricken 1957 |
| Ocean | 68 - R68 | A. Stephens, Linthouse | 8/11/1942 | 8/7/1944 | 8/8/1945 | stricken 3/1958 |
| Venerable | 04 - R63 | Cammell Laird, Birkenhead | 3/12/1942 | 30/12/1943 | 17/1/1945 | to Netherlands 5/1948 (Karel Doorman) |
| Vengeance (11/1952 - 10/1955 RAN) | 71 - R71 | Swan Hunter, Wallsend | 16/11/1942 | 23/2/1944 | 15/1/1945 | to Australia 1952 - 1955, to Brazil 12/1956 (Minas Gerais) |
| Theseus | 64 - R64 | Fairfield, Govan | 6/1/1943 | 6/7/1944 | 9/2/1946 | stricken 3/1958 |
| Triumph | 16 - R16 | Hawthorn Leslie, Hebburn | 27/1/1943 | 2/10/1944 | 9/5/1946 | repair ship 1/1965 |
| Warrior (1/1946 - 3/1948 RCN) | 31- R31 | Harland & Wolff, Belfast | 12/12/1942 | 20/5/1944 | 14/3/1946 | to Canada 1946 - 1948, to Argentina 7/1958 (Independencia) |
| Perseus (ex - Edgar) | D51 - R51, 1952 - A197 | Vickers-Armstrong, Tyne | 1/6/1942 | 26/3/1944 | 19/10/1945 | completed as aircraft maintenance ship |
| Pioneer (ex - Mars) | D76 - R76, 1953 - A198 | Vickers-Armstrong, Barrow | 2/12/1942 | 20/5/1944 | 8/2/1945 | completed as aircraft maintenance ship |
|
Displacement standard, t |
13190 Theseus, Triumph, Warrior: 13350 |
|
Displacement full, t |
18040 Theseus, Triumph, Warrior: 18300 |
|
Length, m |
192 pp 211.2 - 211.8 oa |
|
Breadth, m |
24.4 wl |
|
Draught, m |
7.09 deep load |
|
No of shafts |
2 |
|
Machinery |
Parsons geared steam turbines, 4 Admiralty 3-drum boilers |
|
Power, h. p. |
40000 |
|
Max speed, kn |
25 |
|
Fuel, t |
oil 3196 |
|
Armament |
Colossus, Glory, Venerable, Vengeance: 6 x 4 - 40/39 pompom, 11 x 2 - 20/70 Oerlikon, 10 x 1 - 20/70 Oerlikon, 37 aircraft (Seafire, Firefly, Wildcat, Corsair, Hellcat fighters, Swordfish, Barracuda, Avenger torpedo bombers) Theseus, Triumph, Warrior: 6 x 4 - 40/39 pompom, (12 - 21) x 1 - 40/56 Bofors, 37 aircraft (Seafire, Firefly fighters, Barracuda, Firebrand torpedo bombers) Ocean: 6 x 4 - 40/39 pompom, 7 x 1 - 40/39 pompom, 10 x 2 - 20/70 Oerlikon, 32 aircraft (Hellcat fighters) |
| Sensors |
type 79B, 281B radars, type 144 sonar Ocean: SM-1, type 293 radars, type 144 sonar |
|
Complement |
1300 |
Aircraft facilities (fd - 5,131m², ha - 2,142m² / 11,355m³): Flight deck: 210.3 x 24.4m; hangar: 135.6 x 15.8 x 5.3m. Two lifts: 13.7 x 10.4m, 6.8t. 1 catapult BH-III (6.4t plane launched at 122km/h). Aircraft fuel stowage: 448,200l.
| Year | Fighters | Torpedo bombers | Helicopters |
| 8/1945 Glory | 21 Corsair | 18 Barracuda | --- |
| 5/1950 Vengeance | 12 Firefly Mk.5, 8 Sea Hornet NF.21 | --- | --- |
| 7/1950 Triumph | 12 Firefly FR.1, 12 Seafire F.47 | --- | --- |
| 5/1952 Ocean | 22 Sea Fury FB.11 | 12 Firefly AS.5 | --- |
| 11/1956 Ocean | --- | --- | 6 Whirlwind HAR.1, 6 Sycamore HAR.1 |
| 11/1956 Theseus | --- | --- | 10 Whirlwind HAR.1 |
Ship project history: The design of light aircraft carrier with 13200t displacement was ready in 1942. Special attention was given to adaptability to manufacture and cheapness: such ships were supposed to build in a large batch and in the short time. As a whole Colossus has been constructed rather rational. Protection was not provided by the design, except for the steel 10mm plating covering aviation magazines.
Hull was designed on norms of merchant shipbuilding, without built in underwater protection, however thus had rational sectioning into compartments and stored unsinkability at torpedo hit into main transverse bulkheads area. Damage tolerance raise was promoted and by arrangement of machinery en echelon, holding 4 holds (2 engine and 2 boiler rooms).
Pioneer and Perseus were completed as aircraft maintenance ships.
Protection: There were mantlets around aircraft torpedoes warheads rooms only. Their thickness was 10mm. Longitudinal watertight bulkheads covered the machinery.
Modernizations: mid-1945: Colossus, Glory, Venerable, Vengeance: - 11 x 2 - 20/70, 10 x 1 - 20/70; + (12 - 21) x 1 - 40/56 Bofors
mid-1945, Ocean: - 10 x 2 - 20/70; + 12 x 1 - 40/56 Bofors
early 1950s, all: - type 79B, 281B radars; + type 277, 293 radars.
9/1953, Warrior: enlarged bridge, lattice foremast. Artillery consisted of 4 x 2 - 40/56 Bofors, 20 x 1 - 40/56 Bofors.
8/1956, Warrior: partial angle deck, new arrester gear and catapult (9.1t plane launched at 110km/h). Full displacement was 19600t, max speed: 23kts.
Fate Note: Warrior used as HQ ship for nuclear test in 1957. Triumph converted to repair ship in 12/1957 - 1/1965. Stricken in 1980. Perseus and Pioneer completed as aircraft maintenance ships (displacement standard: 16265 t, 211.7 x 24.5 x 7m, 4 x 4 - 40/39 pompom, 2 x 1 - 20/70 Oerlikon). Oerlikons were replaced by 2 single Bofors in 1946 - 1947. Both ships were reclassified to ferry carriers in 1953. Pioneer sold for BU in 1954, Perseus scrapped in 1957.
Perseus 1952
Venerable 1946
Theseus 1946
Glory 1945
Ocean 1946
Triumph 1946
© Ivan Gogin, 2008-09