RN Aircraft Carriers: Colossus Class 1942

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jbryce1437
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RN Aircraft Carriers: Colossus Class 1942

Unread post by jbryce1437 »

The Colossus Class of aircraft carriers comprised ten ships built for the Royal Navy between 1942 and 1944 and commissioned between 1944 and 1946.
The ships in the class were Colossus, Glory, Ocean, Perseus, Pioneer, Theseus, Triumph, Venerable, Vengeance and Warrior. Most were completed as Light Fleet Carriers, except Pioneer and Perseus, which were completed as Aircraft Maintenance Ships. Triumph was later reclassified as a Heavy Repair Ship.
Most were completed near the end of the war in Europe, but saw no operational service. Some were assigned to the British Pacific Fleet but arrived there after the Japanese surrender and were used mainly for troop carrying and repatriating Prisoners of War.
Members of the Colossus Class saw their first action in the Korean War, when either Glory, Ocean, Theseus or Triumph. Ocean and Theseus were also assigned to the Suez Crisis in 1956.
Also, post war, several of the class were transferred or sold to different Navies, Colossus to France as Arromanches in 1946, Vernerable to the Royal Netherlands Navy as Karel Doorman in 1948 and later sold to Argentina as ARA Veinticinco de Mayo in 1969, Vengeance to the Royal Australian Navy as HMAS Vengeance between 1952 to 1055 and then sold to Brazil as Minas Gerais in 1960, Warrior to Royal Canadian Navy HMCS Warrior from 1946-48 and returned before being sold to Argentina as ARA Independencia in 1958,

Photos of the Class:

Colossus


colossus11-carrier.jpg

Glory


15125hmsglorycol.jpg


Ocean


hms ocean2.JPG

Perseus


perseus-(1952)-pt.side ply.jpg

Pioneer


AA EE PIONEER.jpg

Theseus


hms theseus g harbour 1952 54.jpg

Triumph


hms triumph.jpg


Venerable


hms venerable,at malta,on passage to u.k. at the end of the war,dated 31947.jpg

Vengeance


hms vengeance[11].jpg

Warrior


hms warrior off gibraltar.JPG
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HMS Raleigh 1963 , HMS Collingwood 1963 & 67 , HMS Ark Royal 1964-7, HMS Undaunted 1968-71, HMS Victory (Fleet Maintenance Group) 1971-72, HMS Exmouth 1972-74
JEM, EM, OEM, LOEM, POOEL
Then 28 years in the Fire Brigade
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ivorthediver
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Re: Royal Navy Aircraft Carriers: Colossus Class 1942

Unread post by ivorthediver »

Interesting Bow on HMS OCEAN Jim , not seen that lower appendage on any other carrier , what is it for ...or is it something in the photo that I'm misunderstanding please
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ivorthediver
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Re: Royal Navy Aircraft Carriers: Colossus Class 1942

Unread post by ivorthediver »

Ok False Alarm Jim , having looked closer at the enlarged photo I can distinguish it as small boat which causes the optical allusion , at first glance it looked like an opening in the lower Bow :oops:
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jbryce1437
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Re: Royal Navy Aircraft Carriers: Colossus Class 1942

Unread post by jbryce1437 »

ivorthediver wrote: Sat Aug 25, 2018 8:59 pm Ok False Alarm Jim , having looked closer at the enlarged photo I can distinguish it as small boat which causes the optical allusion , at first glance it looked like an opening in the lower Bow :oops:
Wish I had seen this post before the previous one as I have been trying to find an appendage and looked through them all in case you were looking at a different photo :) :D :lol:

Jim
HMS Raleigh 1963 , HMS Collingwood 1963 & 67 , HMS Ark Royal 1964-7, HMS Undaunted 1968-71, HMS Victory (Fleet Maintenance Group) 1971-72, HMS Exmouth 1972-74
JEM, EM, OEM, LOEM, POOEL
Then 28 years in the Fire Brigade
Retired since 2002
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ivorthediver
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Re: Royal Navy Aircraft Carriers: Colossus Class 1942

Unread post by ivorthediver »

Sorry to send you on a wild goose chase Jim , not intentional :oops:

When you look at the cost in both machines and manpower we as a nation committed to the last war , its easy to see why we bankrupted the nation fighting to survive !

Not wishing to sound ungrateful but the cost made some nations very poor indeed and others very rich ....but that is life .....wherever you were .....and with whom ever you fought ....sadly as a race..... its a road we continue to tread regardless...... trying to grasp that Golden Chalice .....
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designeraccd
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Re: Royal Navy Aircraft Carriers: Colossus Class 1942

Unread post by designeraccd »

Let's not forget the TRIUMPH; very useful as a repair ship. :) DFO
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ivorthediver
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Re: RN Aircraft Carriers: Colossus Class 1942

Unread post by ivorthediver »

OK I'll bite , repairing What Dennis , spring washers , bulldog clips , pencil sharpeners , paper clips :o

Seriously what did she repair and why was she diverted from her intended use please :roll:
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Brian James
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Re: Royal Navy Aircraft Carriers: Colossus Class 1942

Unread post by Brian James »

Colossus Class Light Fleet Carrier HMS Venerable pictured with Lead Ship, HMS Implacable astern, at Port Melbourne in 1946.
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ivorthediver
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Re: RN Aircraft Carriers: Colossus Class 1942

Unread post by ivorthediver »

Great shot , Brian , and the Corsairs great , no idea what the cars were thou ......
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Brian James
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Re: RN Aircraft Carriers: Colossus Class 1942

Unread post by Brian James »

De Havilland DH100 MK10 Sea Vampire pictured taking off from HMS Ocean,December 3rd 1945.The first landing and takeoff aboard an Aircraft Carrier by a jet-powered aircraft,made by Lieutenant-Commander Eric Melrose 'Winkle' Brown, MBE, DSC, RNVR, Chief Naval Test Pilot at RAE Farnborough.
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