ship history designed built seaplane carrier purchased royal_navy shortly keel laid ship frames allowed ship design modified totally accommodate world war participated early aircraft conducting aerial reconnaissance observation missions aircraft later supported british troops returned dardanelles act depot ship operating area january aircraft unsuccessfully attacked german battlecruiser sortied dardanelles attack allied ships area ship left area later year support conducting anti submarine patrols southern end war served aircraft transport depot ship aircraft support white russian british operations black_sea regions supported royal_air_force raf aircraft campaign mad later year ship placed reserve recommissioned ferry raf squadron dardanelles crisis reduced reserve return united_kingdom following year recommissioned serve training ship seaplane pilots evaluate aircraft catapult operations techniques renamed continued serve training ship beginning world war september assigned home_fleet beginning war took tasks aircraft transport addition training duties modified serve prototype fighter catapult ship late type ship intended defend convoys attacks german long range maritime patrol bombers launching fighters catapult provide air cover convoy served role reverted previous duties training ship lasted early barracks ship ship sold late conversion merchant ship began following year owner ran money process renamed seized creditors sold scrap broken late design description royal_navy conducted trials modified cruiser evaluate ability work fleet successful admiralty allocated naval programme purchase merchant ship thorough modification possible better accommodate steamer purchased begun construction easily modified suit new role laid november northumberland freighter probably intended coal grain trade black_sea purchased launched september ship commissioned december extensive changes ship converting seaplane tender superstructure funnel propulsion machinery moved aft working deck occupying forward half ship deck intended flying deck starting running seaplane engines recovering damaged aircraft sea ship equipped large aircraft hold feet long feet wide feet high extensive workshops long ton steam cranes sides forecastle lifted aircraft sliding hatch hangar flight deck water carried imperial gallons gal petrol aircraft standard commercial imperial gal carry regular wheeled aircraft return land launch land water alongside carrier lifted ship cranes original complement aircraft consisted type wheeled aircraft overall length feet beam feet inches draught feet inches normally displaced long tons displacement long tons deep load ship vertical triple expansion steam engine driving propeller shaft ship cylindrical boilers generated steam produce indicated horsepower engine ship designed speed knots mph speed knots mph sea trials shaft horsepower december carried tonnes long tons fuel oil range nautical miles knots mph ship armed pounder cwt guns machine guns including aviation personnel crew totalled officers men truly unique feature sail help head wind remains aircraft carrier fitted sail service world war ship proved slow work grand_fleet operations north_sea general ordered mediterranean mid january support gallipoli campaign command commander ship sailed february arrived island february attempted fly day arrival straits engine troubles despite calm water eventually managed air discovered new fortifications straits dropped single pound bomb dardanelles returned seven bullet holes skin days later ship aircraft attempted unsuccessfully spot fleet bombarded ottoman fortifications defending straits conducted aerial reconnaissance observation missions support fleet later month early march moved straits lost aircraft march propeller pieces feet aircraft crewmen recovered destroyer later month ship learned spot mines air moderately successful failed detect minefield sank french british damaged british battlecruiser march later month aircraft relieved squadron preparation squadron arrival ship crew cleared island serve airfield aircraft march march april companions fake landing attempts aircraft bombarded port little effect returned april exchanged flown ship pair single seat addition received type short type seat replacements ship room aircraft store additional workshop space aircraft resumed reconnaissance observation missions dardanelles aircraft discovered large ammunition dump april provided data direct gunfire hms lord nelson target aircraft provided support australian new_zealand troops landed april days later ship taken fire ottoman firing peninsula hurry avoid hit month later battle peninsula success german submarine sinking british forced safer anchorage end depot ship area aircraft continued support operations gallipoli occasion aircraft loaned ships reconnaissance observation missions ship left november aircraft flew aerial reconnaissance missions continued onwards arrived november based aircraft supported british troops fighting spotted british ships conducting shore conducted anti submarine patrols time operated short couple march ship transferred serve depot ship assigned wing controlled aircraft area end operated mixture short type aircraft morning january ottoman battlecruiser light cruiser german crews sortied dardanelles attack british warships based struck shortly exited mouth dardanelles switched targets sank british monitors returning dardanelles ships attacked babies pound bombs baby quickly shot forced emergency landing engine problems pilot able taxi aircraft beach recovered days later struck mines sank return whilst struck mines ran aground inside straits short attempted bomb dawn following morning bombs missed attempt attack ship short modified carry inch torpedo failed weight torpedo proved aircraft lift april ship transferred island support wing royal_air_force raf anti submarine patrols wing redesignated merged form raf transferred october armistice turkey signed october ship joined allied fleet occupied constantinople surrender interwar years world war war transported aircraft black_sea ferried british naval forces supporting white russian forces fighting russian civil war ship withdrawn black_sea late disembarked malta load dozen bombers personnel supporting force transport ship arrived december squadron support air land campaign mad served campaign solely depot repair ship raf withdrawn conclusion transferred black_sea support white russian forces began collapse ship twice ferried refugees coast second voyage constantinople outbreak passengers summer ferried raf aircraft personnel returned britain refit reserve november recommissioned september transport squadron equipped dozen dardanelles crisis aircraft ferried semi assembled transferred aircraft carrier fully erected october flew carrier airfield european straits ship remained area given brief refit malta early equipped returned dardanelles transferred united_kingdom late year arrival ship placed reserve depot ship reserve recommissioned training ship aircraft catapult installed forecastle forward cranes years ship conducted trials seaplane launch recovery equipment techniques december renamed release new carrier beginning construction ship assigned home_fleet world war began train seaplane pilots catapult launching recovery techniques squadron served aircraft transport present scapa_flow having delivered aircraft october battleship sunk german submarine closest ship able rescue survivors converted prototype fighter catapult ship november carrying fighters squadron december february replaced aircraft squadron february july fighters supposed defend convoys attacks maritime patrol bombers prevent location reports boats range land fighters ditch sea hope recovered ship convoy ship escorted convoys december july point war ship anti aircraft armament supplemented pair light anti aircraft guns mounted bow ship bridge enlarged mast replaced mast bearing type air warning radar ship seaplane training ship hosting squadron aboard april february barracks ship listed disposal june sold october renamed registered flag management ship sailed cardiff antwerp october begin conversion freighter work ceased early seized creditors auctioned dutch firm june ship purchased october later year ship broken scrap essex
HMS Ark Royal (1914)