Furious, Hermes, Eagle, Courageous & Ark Royal Classes.

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Furious Class
Fleet Carrier (CV) (ex Large Light Cruiser)


Final design:-
Displacement: 22,450 tons standard ; 28,500 tons full load
Dimensions: 735 pp, 786.25 oa x 88 x 27.75 feet
Propulsion: Steam Turbines (18 Yarrow small-tube boilers, 4 shafts, Brown-Curtis geared turbines), 90,000 shp.
Speed: 29.5 knots
Range: 6,000 nmiles at 20 knots
Compliment: 880 (including air group)
Aircraft: 36
Guns: 6 x twin 4 inch ; 4 octuple 2 pdr ; 22 x 20 mm AA

Furious, along with her half-sister ships Courageous and Glorious, was laid down was a large light cruiser mounting 2 18-inch guns on a shallow draught for gunfire support of amphibious operations in the Baltic. Before completion the design was changed to only 1 18-inch gun and a flying-off deck for sea planes at the bow. After completion the remaining 18-inch gun was removed and a landing-on deck added for half the length of the ship.
This short flight deck caused problems with landing and was later extended to the full length of the ship, stopping just short of the forward flying-off deck one level below. Finally a small starboard island was added in 1939.



HMS Furious
Built by Armstrong Whitworth. Laid down 8 June 1915. Launched 15 August 1916. Commissioned 26 June 1917 as a sea plane carrier. Reconstructed 1917-1918 with landing-on deck. Recommissioned 15 March 1918. Rebuilt with full length flush flight deck early 1920's. Modified 1931-1932, increased AA battery. Island added 1939. Paid off September 1944. Stricken 1948. Broken up.



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Hermes Class
Fleet Carrier (CV)


Displacement: 11,024 tons standard ; 13,208 tons full load
Dimensions: 548 pp, 600 oa x 70.25 x 21.5 feet
Propulsion: Steam Turbines (6 Yarrow small-tube boilers, 2 shafts, Parsons geared turbines), 40,000 shp.
Speed: 25 knots
Compliment: 664 (including air group)
Aircraft: 20
Guns: 6 x 5.5 inch ; 3 x 4 inch ; 2 quad 0.5 inch (added 1934)

The first purpose built aircraft carrier in the world. The design was based on that of a cruiser and the ship was intended for a similar scouting role. Stability problems were caused by the large starboard island with fuel having to be carefully distributed to balance the ship.



HMS Hermes
Built by Armstrong Whitworth. Laid down 15 January 1918. Launched 11 September 1919. Commissioned July 1923. Sunk 9 April 1942 by Japanese aircraft from the carriers Soryu, Hiryu and Akagi.



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Eagle Class
Fleet Carrier (CV)


Displacement: 22,200 tons standard ; 27,229 tons full load
Dimensions: 627 pp, 667.5 oa x 105.1 x 26.5 feet
Propulsion: Steam Turbines (32 Yarrow boilers, 4 shafts, Parsons geared turbines), 55,000 shp.
Speed: 24 knots
Range: 4,000 nmiles at 18 knots
Compliment: 834 (including air group)
Aircraft: 24
Guns: 9 x 6 inch ; 5 x 4 inch ; 4 x 3 pdr

Converted form partially built Chilean battleship Almirante Cochrane. Conversion, first to a sea-plane carrier and then to a strike carrier, was started during WWI but slowed when it became clear that the ship could not be completed before the end of the war. It was decided to continue with the conversion 24 September 1920. The ship was eventually completed with a full length flight deck and a large starboard island.



HMS Eagle
Built by Armstrong Whitworth. Laid down 20 February 1913. Launched 8 June 1918. Commissioned 26 February 1924. Sunk 11 August 1942 by 4 torpedoes from German submarine U73 while escorting a convoy to Malta (operation 'Pedestal').



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Courageous Class
Fleet Carriers (CV) (ex Large Light Cruisers)


Final design:-
Displacement: 22,352 tons standard ; 26,518 tons full load
Dimensions: 735 pp, 786.5 oa x 90.5 x 27.75 feet
Propulsion: Steam Turbines (18 Yarrow small-tube boilers, 4 shafts, Parsons geared turbines), 90,000 shp.
Speed: 30.5 knots
Range: 5,860 nmiles at 16 knots
Compliment: 1200 (including air group)
Aircraft: 48
Guns: 16 x 4.7 inch ; 4 single 2 pdr ; 3 octuple 2 pdr (Glorious)

Both ships were completed originally as Large Light Cruisers mounting 2 twin 15 inch guns. When these ships were found to be inadequate and there was a need for fast carriers, both were converted along the same lines as Furious.
The 8 15 inch guns removed from these ships were eventually mounted in the battleship Vanguard.



HMS Courageous
Built by Armstrong Whitworth. Laid down 18 March 1915. Launched 5 February 1916. Commissioned January 1917. Converted to carrier June 1924 - May 1928. Sunk 17 September 1939 by German submarine U20 in the South-West approaches.



HMS Glorious
Built by Harland & Wolff. Laid down 1 May 1915. Launched 20 April 1916. Commissioned January 1917. Converted to carrier February 1924 - March 1930. Sunk 18 June 1940 by gunfire from German battlecruisers Sharnhost and Gneisenau while covering the Allied withdrawal from Norway.



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Ark Royal Class
Fleet Carrier (CV)


Displacement: 22,352 tons standard ; 28,143 tons full load
Dimensions: 685 pp, 721.5 wl, 800 oa x 94.75 x 27.75 feet
Propulsion: Steam Turbines (6 Admiralty 3-drum boilers, 3 shafts, Parsons geared turbines), 102,000 shp.
Speed: 31 knots
Range: 7,600 nmiles at 20 knots
Compliment: 1600 (including air group)
Aircraft: 60+ (48 Swordfish, 12-24 Osprey (later Skua))
Guns: 8 x twin 4.5 inch ; 48 x 2 pdr ; 32 x 0.5 inch

First purpose built large British carrier. The large aircraft capacity was made possible by a full length two level hangar which gave the ship a distinctive tall look.



HMS Ark Royal
Built by Cammell Laird. Laid down 16 September 1935. Launched 13 April 1937. Commissioned 16 November 1938. Sunk 13 November 1941 by a torpedo from German submarine U81, off Gibraltar.