HMS Ark Royal R 09 Audacious class aircraft carrier ...

HMS Ark Royal (R 09): HMS Ark Royal was an Audacious-class aircraft carrier of the Royal Navy and, when she was decommissioned in 1979, was the Royal Navy's ... HOME | USNavy- ships | USNavy-air units | USMC-air units | International Navies | WeaponSystems | SpecialReports     RoyalNavy - AircraftCarrier R09HMSArkRoyal     Type,class:AircraftCarrier;Audaciousclass Builder: CammellLaird,Birkenhead,UK    STATUS: Awarded: 1942 Laiddown: May3,1943 Launched: May3,1950 Commissioned: February25,1955 Decommissioned: February14,1979   Fate: scrappedin1980 Homeport: - Namesake: ShipsMotto:desiredoes notrest TechnicalData: see INFO>AudaciousclassAircraftCarrier   shipimages 1960 HMSArkRoyal(R09)andUSSNimitz(CVN 68)atNorfolkNavalStation,Virginia 1977 1955      HMSArkRoyal(R09): HMSArkRoyalwasanAudacious-classaircraftcarrieroftheRoyal Navyand,whenshewasdecommissionedin1979,wastheRoyalNavy's lastremainingconventionalcatapultandarrested-landingaircraft carrier.Hersistership,HMSEagle,wastheRoyalNavy'sfirst aircraftcarriertobeequippedwithanangledflightdeck. Constructionandmodifications: ArkRoyalwasthesistershiptoHMSEagle,whichwasinitially namedHMSAudacious,hencethenameoftheclass.Four Audacious-classshipswerelaiddown,buttwo(HMSAfricaandthe originalHMSEagle)werecancelledwhenWorldWarIIended,and constructionoftheothertwowassuspendedforseveralyears.Both survivingshipswereextensivelyupgradedthroughouttheir lifetimes. TheshipwasoriginallydesignatedIrresistible,butwasrenamedArk Royalpriortolaunch.TheimmediatelypreviousArkRoyal,alsoan aircraftcarrier,wastorpedoedoffGibraltaron14November1941 withthelossofonememberoftheship'scompany. Shewaslaunchedin1950,andhercompletiontookfivemoreyears. Inthistime,sheunderwentredesignand,whencompleted,shewas markedlydifferentfromhersistership.Shortlybeforeherlaunch fromtheCammellLairdshipyard,animageoftheshippaintedwith herwhiteundercoatwascapturedbythepictorialistphotographer EdwardChambréHardman.Thishasbeenexhibitedmanytimesunderthe name'WhereGreatShipsAreBuilt'andlater'BirthoftheArk Royal'.Whencommissioned,shehada5.5°partiallyangledflight deck,twosteamcatapultscapableoflaunchingaircraftweighingup to30,000pounds(14,000kg),adeck-edgeliftontheportside(the firstBritishshiptobefittedwithsuchadevice),modified armament,andthenewmirrorlandingsystem.ArkRoyalwasthefirst shiptobeconstructedwithanangledflightdeckandsteam catapults,asopposedtohavingthemaddedafterlaunching.These innovationsallowedaircrafttolandandtakeofffromthecarrier atthesametime.Herflightdeckasbuiltwas800by112feet(244 by34m). Aboutayearaftercommissioning,herforwardport4.5inch(113mm) gunswereremovedtoimproveaircraftoperationsovertheangled deck.Fouryearslater,theportdeck-edgeliftandtheforward starboard4.5inch(113mm)gunswerealsoremoved.Afterthe1964 refitonlyonetwin4.5-inchgunmountremainedaftonportand starboardside.From1967toFebruary1970,sheunderwentarefit whichwasamajorrebuildtoherstructure,butonlyanaustere updatetoherelectronicequipment,andwasconfinedtochanges neededtooperatetheRN'sversionofthePhantom.Therefitcost around£30million;farlessthanthemodernisationofEaglebut alsoaddedseveralimprovements,whichallowedhertocomfortably operatethelargerPhantomandBuccaneerMk.2aircraft.LikeEagle hermodificationsincludedafull8.5°angledflightdeck,newand farmorepowerfulsteamcatapults,bridle-catchers,heavygrade jet-blastdeflectors(bothofwhichEagledidnotreceive),and heavy-weightarrestorcables.Twelvehundredmilesofnewcablingwas installed,buttheshipwasnotcompletelyrewiredandretainedold DCelectrics.Amodifiedisland(withadifferentarrangementfrom Eagle)andapartiallynewelectronicsuitewerealsoadded,though someofheroriginalradars,suchas983heightfinderswereretained andshedidnotreceivethe3-Dair-searchradarsetthathersister hadfitted,insteadtwodoublearray966versionsofthestandardRN 965longrangesystemwerefittedandoneofthenew986sets. Significantly,ArkRoyalwasthefirstandonlyRNcarrierfitted withUSNcarrierapproach,AN-SPN35radar,increasingnight aircraftoperationalcapabilityandsafety.Herflightdecksizewas increasedportafthowever,givingherextradeck-parkspaceforher airgroupthatEagledidnothave.ShewasalsofittedforfourSea Catmissilelaunchers,buttheywereneverinstalled,sosheemerged fromthisrefitwithnodefensivearmament.Significantly,therewas littlemorethananoverhaulofhersteamturbinesandboilers; meaningthatmechanicallyshewasverydated,howeverthestripping outofEaglemeantthatforatimeessentialspareswereavailable. ArkRoyalwasthenscheduledforatthemostonlyfiveyearsmore servicebyanewgovernmentpolicytoscrapthecarriersby1975. Intensivemaintenanceaswellasanewprogrammeofcontinuous servicingandrepair(withRNmaintenanceshipsalwaysinhertask groups),wasablekepthergoinguntillate1978,thoughincreasing mechanicalandelectricalfailuresleadtoherdecommissioningin early1979. Initiallyonentryintoservice,theshiphadacomplementofupto 50aircraftcomprisingSeaHawks,SeaVenoms,Gannets,Skyraiders andvarioushelicopters.Aslateraircrafttypesgrewinsizeand complexity,herairgroupfelltobelow40whensheleftservicein 1978. Operationalhistory: ArkRoyalparticipatedinmanyexercisesaspartoftheBritish fleetandNATOsquadrons,butsawnocombatduty.Shewasnot involvedintheSuezCrisisof1956,aboutayearafterher commissioning,becauseshewasonherwaytherewhensheranamain propellorshaftbearingandhadtoreturntoDevonportforamajor refit.EaglereplacedheratSuez.In1963,shecarriedouttrials foranewtypeofVertical/ShortTakeOffandLanding(V/STOL) aircraft,theHawkerP.1127,whichlaterdevelopedintotheHawker SiddeleyHarrier.Thesameaircraft,nowhavingbeenredesignedand developedastheBritishAerospaceSeaHarrier,waslateraccepted astheprimarystrikecapabilityofthelastArkRoyalfrom1980 onwards. ShewaspartoftheBeiraPatrolenforcingthenavalblockadeof Rhodesiain1965.The1966DefenceWhitePaperplannedtheendof Britishcarriersintheearly1970sbutshewentintodockforher refittoheadoffdockyardredundanciesandthelikelypolitical issues.Anewgovernmentre-examinedthecaseforcarriersfinding thatshore-basedaircraftcouldnotprovideadequatecoverfor Britishconcerns"EastofSuez". On9November1970whileintheMediterraneantoparticipateina NATOexerciseshecollidedwithBravyy,aSovietKotlin-class destroyerwhichwasshadowingArkRoyal(acommonpracticeduring theColdWar).ArkRoyalwasslightlydamaged,whiletheSoviet destroyersustainedminordamageandtwomissingcrew.ArkRoyal's commandingofficer,CaptainRayLygo,wasclearedofblameatthe subsequentcourt-martial. Theshipfeaturedinthe1960sBritishtelevisionseriesNotOnly... ButAlsostarringPeterCookandDudleyMoore.Inoneepisode,they usedtheship'scatapulttoshootapianointothesea.When commissionsended,itemswerefiredoffthecatapult,including pianosandonceatoiletcompletewithpaying-offpennant. By1970,ArkRoyalhadacomplementof39aircraft.Thistypically comprised12PhantomFGMK.1s,of892NavalAirSquadron,14 BuccaneerSMK.2sof809Squadron,4GannetAEWMk.3sofBFlight 849Squadron,6SeaKingHASMk.1sof824Squadron,2WessexHAR Mk.1softheShip'sFlightand1GannetCODMk.4.laterreplacedby anAEW3.TheBuccaneersdoubledastankeraircraft,usingbuddy refuellingpods,andaslong-rangereconnaissanceaircraftwithbomb bay-mountedcamerapacks.InJuly1976,sherepresentedBritainat theUnitedStatesBicentennialCelebrationinFortLauderdale, Florida. In1972,theBuccaneersaboardArkRoyaltookpartinalongrange strikemissionoverBritishHondurasshortlybeforeitsindependence todeterapossibleGuatemalaninvasion. In1977,undertheflagofAdmiralSirHenryLeachKCB Commander-in-ChiefFleet,ArkRoyalledtheRoyalNavy'stributeto andcelebrationsofQueenElizabethII'sSilverJubileeatSpithead. Inthemid-1970s,theshipmadeareturntotelevision.AmajorBBC documentaryseries,Sailorwasmade,showinglifeonboardtheship duringaFebruarytoJuly1976WesternAtlanticdeployment.Her commandingofficeratthistimewasCaptainWilfredGraham,alater FlagOfficerPortsmouthandtheship'sCommander(executiveofficer) wasCommanderDavidCowling.Thethemetunefortheprogrammewas "Sailing"byRodStewart-asongthatcametobeassociatedwith theshipandhersuccessor.ShevisitedFortLauderdale,Florida from30Mayuntil14June1978. SheenteredHMNBDevonporton4December1978anddecommissionedon 14February1979.LikehersisterEagle,shehadarelativelyshort (24-year)life,andwhentheWhiteEnsignloweredforthelasttime theRoyalNavynolongerhadfixedwingaircraftatsea.On29March 1980,theMinistryofDefence(MOD)announcedthatshewouldbesold forscrapandsoendedplanstopreserveher.SheleftDevonporton 22September1980undertowtobescrappedatCairnryannear StranraerinScotland,arrivingonthe28September.Breakingup tookuntil1983.Variouspartsoftheshipremainassouvenirsor memorials;forinstance,ananchoroutsidetheFleetAirArmMuseum atRNASYeovilton. Finalairwing1970-1978: 809NAS–14BuccaneerS2Strike 892NAS–12PhantomFG1FleetAirDefence BFlight849NAS–4GannetAEW3AirborneEarlyWarning 849NAS.–1GannetCOD4CarrierOnboardDelivery 824NAS–7SeaKingHAS2HelicopterAnti-submarinewarfare ShipsFlight–2WessexHAS1SearchandRescue Aircraft: HawkerSeaHawk deHavillandSeaVenom FaireyGannet WestlandWyvern GrummanAvenger McDonnellDouglasPhantomFG.1 BlackburnBuccaneer SupermarineScimitar deHavillandSeaVixen WestlandDragonfly WestlandSeaKing WestlandWessex source:wikipedia(2016)       patches         | seaforces.org | Royal Navystartpage |