RN Aircraft Carriers: Courageous Class 1928
Posted: Wed Aug 29, 2018 9:17 pm
The three ships of the Class, Courageous, Furious and Glorious, were laid down as battlecruisers and completed as such during the First World War. After the war they were classed as capital ships in the terms of the 1922 Washington Treaty and it was decided to convert them to Aircraft Carriers, rather than scrap them, which the Treaty allowed. All three were converted in the 1920's with Furious being the first to be completed, the other two had slight modifications after lessons were learned from the conversion of Furious.
Furious was reclassified as an Aircraft Carrier in 1925 and during the inter war years served with the Atlantic, Home and Mediterranean Fleets.
Courageous was reclassified as an Aircraft Carrier in 1928 and she served with the Mediterranean, then Atlantic and Home Fleets. During conversion her 15 inch guns were removed and later reused on the Royal Navy's last battleship - Vanguard.
Glorious was reclassified as an Aircraft Carrier in 1930 and served with the Home and Mediterranean Fleets.
All three saw service during World War II but Courageous became one of the first RN casualties of the war when she was sunk by U29, with the loss of 519 crew members on 17th September 1939.
Glorious was sunk by Scharnhorst and Gneisenau on 8th June 1940, along with the destroyers Acasta and Ardent. There were only 40 survivors from Glorious and one each from the destroyers.
Only Furious lasted the length of the war and after early service with the Home Fleet was transferred to Nova Scotia. She took part in the Norwegian Campaign in 1940. She spent much of the war on aircraft ferry duties and delivered vital aircraft for Malta in preparation for Operation Torch and Operation Pedestal. She was later involved in the attack on Tirpitz during Operation Mascot. She was placed in reserve in 1944 and paid off in 1945 and berthed at Loch Striven where she was used for experimental work with aircraft explosives on the ships structure.
Furious
Glorious
Courageous
Furious was reclassified as an Aircraft Carrier in 1925 and during the inter war years served with the Atlantic, Home and Mediterranean Fleets.
Courageous was reclassified as an Aircraft Carrier in 1928 and she served with the Mediterranean, then Atlantic and Home Fleets. During conversion her 15 inch guns were removed and later reused on the Royal Navy's last battleship - Vanguard.
Glorious was reclassified as an Aircraft Carrier in 1930 and served with the Home and Mediterranean Fleets.
All three saw service during World War II but Courageous became one of the first RN casualties of the war when she was sunk by U29, with the loss of 519 crew members on 17th September 1939.
Glorious was sunk by Scharnhorst and Gneisenau on 8th June 1940, along with the destroyers Acasta and Ardent. There were only 40 survivors from Glorious and one each from the destroyers.
Only Furious lasted the length of the war and after early service with the Home Fleet was transferred to Nova Scotia. She took part in the Norwegian Campaign in 1940. She spent much of the war on aircraft ferry duties and delivered vital aircraft for Malta in preparation for Operation Torch and Operation Pedestal. She was later involved in the attack on Tirpitz during Operation Mascot. She was placed in reserve in 1944 and paid off in 1945 and berthed at Loch Striven where she was used for experimental work with aircraft explosives on the ships structure.
Furious
Glorious
Courageous