RN Aircraft Carriers: Audacious / Eagle Class 1951

[Brian James]

An article courtesy of Jim Bavin...from 'Carriers'
HMS Ark Royal R09.
Seen at Cairnryan - her last resting place prior to being broken up here in 1980. She arrived at Cairnryan on the 28th Sept 1980 demolition completed by 1984. She was purchased from the MOD for £750,000.In 1980, Cairn Ryan ship breaking yard was owned by ‘Shipbreaking Queenborough Ltd (SQL) which had its origins in a group of Italians who came to the UK in the 1950s and started breaking ships on a small scale in Kent. SQL would lease the yard out to ship breakers (a usual practice often performed by many yards including Pounds at Portsmouth).

Mount Star Metal was the lease holders of Cairn Ryan in 1980.
The Ark arrived at Cairn Ryan on the 28th Sept 1980 having been purchased by Mount Star Metal Corporation who in turn sub contracted the breaking to H. kitson Vickers. Mount Star subsequently replaced Vickers with Northern Ship breaking but was to find these contractors progress slow going resulting in a protracted breaking process. Unsurprisingly Mount Star found the venture increasingly loss making. Finally in 1982 SQL bought the remains of the Ark from Mount Star for £50,000 and completed the demolition by 1984.

Due to a fall in scrap prices in the early 80s, efforts were initially made to remove the non valuable ferrous metals. Normally a ship under demolition is cut from top to bottom deck by deck, but in Ark’s case two shafts were dug right down into the engine room in order for the non ferrous metals to be removed. Unfortunately these shafts became something of a dumping area with 14 ft of waste material piled up making breaking the ship hazardous. By the time SQL took over demolition, the forty strong work force had to risk regular fires and spillages in dealing with these shafts. Northern Shipping had made a hash of breaking the Ark and even failed to blow the props off with explosives, early on in a bid to gain an early return.

Whereas Eagle was hauled stern first up the beach, the Ark went by the bow, gradually being hauled closer to shore as the hulk lightened. Little remained of the Ark Royal by the time the Bulwark arrived in April 1984 other then a 100 ft by 100ft section of the boiler room and a pile of cube like pieces on the dock side awaiting the coaster to Spain.

The Ark was acquired from the MOD for £750,000, which was less than the Eagle was sold for despite the fact that the latter had been stripped of spares and had no props. The total scrap value of the Ark was estimated at £2,588,364. (Incidentally the Eagle raised a scrap value of £1,891,599, it seems even back then the MOD didn’t know how to get value for money! 250 tones of the Ark’s amour plating were returned to the RN presumably for experimental use.

[Brian James]

Audacious Class Aircraft Carrier HMS Eagle...1956.

[Brian James]

Fairey AS.MK.1 Gannet of NAS 812..HMS Eagle 1955.

[Brian James]

Buccaneer Launch...HMS Ark Royal.

[Brian James]

Audacious Class, later known as Eagle Class, Carrier HMS Ark Royal...1950's.

[Brian James]

HMS Ark Royal pictured during Arctic trials,Davis Strait, West of Greenland,February 1961.

[Brian James]

Audacious Class Carrier HMS Ark Royal,June 1977.

[Brian James]

Audacious Class Carrier HMS Eagle....1965.

[Brian James]

HMS Ark Royal pictured with USS Forrestal in 1972.

[designeraccd]

A "late" picture of ARK ROYAL with ANTRIM alongside, good view of her island! DFO