class aircraft carrier built royal_navy world war completion initially assigned home_fleet attacked targets norway rest year subsequently assigned attacked japanese naval base targets japanese ship liberated allied prisoners war soldiers japanese surrender rest year returned home home_fleet deck landing training carrier role lasted briefly served flagship home_fleet time participated exercises number port visits western_europe placed reserve converted training ship served flagship ship considered major rejected expensive time consuming decommissioned sold scrap following year design description class origin improved version class aircraft carriers naval programme designed knots mph faster carry additional dozen aircraft expense reduced armour protection remain long tons available allowed feet inches long overall feet waterline beam feet inches waterline draught feet inches deep load class ships significantly overweight displaced long tons deep load ships metacentric heights feet light load feet deep load completed complement approximately officers enlisted men ships parsons geared steam turbines driving shaft steam supplied admiralty drum boilers turbines designed produce total shp maximum speed knots mph sea trials reached speeds knots mph shp carried maximum long tons fuel oil gave range nautical miles knots mph foot armoured flight deck maximum width feet single hydraulic aircraft catapult fitted forward flight deck class carriers equipped lifts forward measured feet served upper hangar aft lift feet served upper hangar feet long lower hangar feet long maximum width feet height feet storage fighters post war aircraft helicopters designed aircraft use permanent deck park allowed class accommodate aircraft additional crewmen maintenance personnel facilities needed support aircraft housed lower hangar ships provided imperial gallons gal aviation gasoline armament electronics protection ship main armament consisted sixteen quick firing inch dual purpose guns twin gun turrets hull unlike class ships roofs gun turrets flat flush flight deck gun maximum range yards light anti aircraft defences included mounts pounder anti aircraft guns flight deck forward island aft island port hull single quadruple pounder mount fitted port hull pounder gun maximum range yards ship fitted single twin gun mounts guns maximum range yards replaced guns ships transferred shell unlikely destroy hit ship gun maximum range yards additional quadruple mounts added joined end war single guns plus twin single mounts april reduced guns twin single guns class ships radar suite readily available fitted type surface search height finding radar bridge type target indicator radar foremast ships probably carried type type early warning radars based radars fitted aboard class carrier victorious late war addition type type gunnery radars mounted fire control directors class ships flight deck protected inches armour sides inches inches ends protected inch bulkheads armour hangar deck ranged inches thickness waterline armour belt inches thick covered central portion ship belt closed inch transverse bulkheads fore aft underwater defence system layered system air filled compartments class magazines inch guns lay outside armoured citadel protected inch roofs inch sides inch ends construction service laid shipyard february yard number construction temporarily suspended favour higher priority ships needed fight launched december captain appointed command ship november commissioned began sea trials revealed significant number problems required ship formally completed august assigned home_fleet working months flew aboard september squadron followed torpedo bombers squadrons naval torpedo bomber reconnaissance wing later month mission locate german battleship left anchorage early october departed scapa_flow october section spotted battleship near days later attack mounted carrier lacked single seat fighters aboard escort strike aircraft damage cargo ship returning home october squadrons naval fighter wing landed aboard late october participated norwegian coast aircraft sank ships damaged german submarine loss conducting royal_navy wartime torpedo attack november captain relieved assumed command ship replaced naval fighter wing consisted squadrons november provided air cover operations escort carriers november day admiral sir commander chief home_fleet hoisted flag ship set sail hunt convoy reported near operation squadrons aboard bad weather prevented aircraft launched november located convoy sank including damaged return november moore lowered flag vice admiral sir second command home_fleet hoisted flag december operation helped sink german hamilton transferred flag returned december december began refit preparatory transfer included light armament completion march squadrons total strength torpedo bombers dozen largest air group aboard british carrier far departed days later join arrived egypt march passing suez_canal strong gust wind forced ashore took escorting hours pull undamaged proceeded voyage reached sydney day arrived main operating base week later rear admiral sir hoisted flag preparation attack japanese naval base began june having flown offensive sorties days attack loss enemy action carrier escorts returned june june formed absorbing naval fighter wing control air units aboard working sailed join main body japanese coast july days later flew dozen targets north tokyo july able locate targets bad weather attacked targets near tokyo day bad weather halted flying operations july aircraft attacked targets near osaka escort carrier resumed july british sinking escort okinawa near combination bad weather requirements atomic bombing hiroshima delayed resumption air operations august day flew sorties flew targets northern southern loss attacks repeated day sinking warships numerous small destroying numerous railroad locomotives parked aircraft scheduled withdraw august prepare operation olympic invasion scheduled november bulk force including departed august aircraft flew sorties arrival previous month post war arrived sydney august refitted accommodate soldiers having left air group maximize numbers passengers carry ship arrived manila september loaded american canadian dropped americans pearl harbor october continued deliver canadian passengers vancouver days later opened public tours remained week sailing hong_kong pick continued onwards manila load passengers delivered borneo britain place carrier embarked men 7th equipment return australia arrived sydney november sailed december load returning troops arriving sydney christmas ship additional etc removed return operational status january air group flew aboard minus disbanded squadron squadron replacing squadron days flying exercises port visit melbourne sister ships flagship vice admiral sir newly appointed second command january continued relaxed schedule training port visits began refit march sydney lasted april sea fly aircraft dump overboard belonging squadron britain pay dispose end war lacked means sailed home reached devonport june struck flag deck landing training carrier home_fleet sea august september captain assumed command ship months later participated exercise home_fleet lightly damaged collided light carrier vengeance docking devonport november february joined ships home_fleet battleship vanguard serving royal yacht escort king set royal tour south_africa hosted king family february staging small air queen addressed crew leaving ports visits arriving training arriving home march began lengthy refit april completion october embarked squadron flying resumed training captain relieved february promoted june july ship participated series demonstrations students royal_navy staff college carrier landing jet powered fighter flown lieutenant commander landings prototypes short rocket firing attack motor torpedo boats completed week refit november resumed deck landing practices sailed gibraltar february squadron flew aboard march sea day arrived admiral sir commander chief home_fleet hoisted flag aboard carrier march beginning short exercise ships home_fleet port visits oslo bergen norway june hosting king vii portsmouth king jordan visited august prime minister visited days later squadron flew aboard seven sea vampires september conduct carrier new fighter jets lasted november relieved admiral days later spent february march training captain assumed command april resumed flight training western coast scotland port visit copenhagen mid july king denmark inspected ship july admiral transferred flag vanguard september days later placed reserve slowly converted training ship addition extra accommodation classrooms time considered major reconstruction combine single hangar height feet inches allow operate pound aircraft addition armament fuel supply aircraft doubled similar reconstruction progress victorious proved expensive planned took time estimated short time money project admiralty cancelled june recommissioned january flagship february arrived dover serve port guard ship state funeral king salute royalty heads state arriving sea conclusion ship sailed western mediterranean rendezvous sister exercises june sisters represented fast troop convoy attacked aircraft air defence exercise visited copenhagen month returning home sailed gibraltar september port visit lisbon portugal returning devonport refit november oil fire damaged electrical badly require extending refit january spent february march western mediterranean sister participating exercises sailing southampton brief refit elizabeth_ii june flew flag vice admiral commanding officer home fleet training squadron september rear admiral relieved stevens ship joined fleet exercises isles following month ferried response crisis british transported battalion trinidad jamaica october returning home november august relieved flagship light carrier disposal decommissioned september sold breaking october towed scrapped beginning following month squadrons embarked
HMS Implacable (R86)