warship built world war royal_navy originally designed class heavy cruiser laid converted aircraft carrier building renamed completed weeks end war saw active service grand_fleet following year participated british campaign baltic aircraft numerous attacks naval base returned home end year placed reserve years flight decks removed cruiser ship retained aircraft hangar conducted trials aircraft catapult sent year return placed reserve converted training ship beginning second world war converted repair ship role conversion completed early transport troops sent support british ships serving late mediterranean support ships returned home damaged german torpedo coast normandy allies invaded france reduced reserve war sold scrap background description class cruiser designed hunt enemy commerce raiders overseas required large ship provide necessary endurance sustained operations away supporting bases high speed catch raiders design given high allow maintain speed heavy weather sir director naval construction included coal oil fired boilers provide ship fuel matter supply conditions ships ordered named famous fifth ordered april named hms time threat german cruisers raiders ended construction proceeded slowly cruisers overall length feet beam feet mean draught feet inches deep load designed displace long tons complement officers enlisted men ships parsons geared steam turbines drove propeller shaft turbines designed produce total shaft horsepower speed knots mph steam turbines provided yarrow boilers oil fired remaining coal capacity long tons coal long tons fuel oil giving range nautical miles speed knots mph main armament class cruisers consisted seven calibre guns pivot mounts arranged superfiring pairs fore aft superstructure broadside abreast rear funnel quarterdeck level lower rear superfiring pair designated rear maximum elevation guns fired pound shell range yards secondary armament comprised dozen quick firing inch cwt guns low angle mounts intended use torpedo boats remaining high angle mounts anti aircraft defence mounted submerged tubes broadside water tubes broadside inch torpedoes class cruisers protected armour maximum thickness inches abreast ships magazines minimum thickness inches consisted layers high steel varying covered ships sides decks maximum thickness engine rooms boilers steering gear conning tower communication tube protected krupp cemented armour ships inches inches respectively conversion aircraft carrier january reviewed navy aircraft carrier requirements decided order ships fitted flying deck landing deck aft initial order cancelled april lack building facilities admiralty decided convert construction june inch gun inch guns conning tower removed forward superstructure feet hangar capacity reconnaissance aircraft hangar roof small extension formed foot flying deck aircraft hoisted hatch aft end flying deck feet landing deck required removal nos inch guns moving inch guns elevated platform funnels lieu inch guns intended position port feet wide connected landing flying decks allow aircraft wings folded wheeled crash barrier hung forward end landing deck increase stability addition upper portion anti torpedo enlarged overweight compared designed displacement modifications ship lighter sister ships long tons light displacement metacentric height feet completed sea trials september reached speed knots mph shaft horsepower construction career laid shipyard belfast june launched january june renamed fifth ship old protected cruiser distinguished april sunk commissioned october briefly working joined october weeks armistice november rest year conducted flying trials exercises including port victoria grain griffin reconnaissance aircraft lost accidents landing aboard ship november fleet operational experiments conducted earlier aboard larger furious similarly intact superstructure funnels demonstrated successful landings impossible high speed problem approaching landing deck angle ship slowly moving dispatched baltic dozen aircraft mix fighters short type bombers july participate british campaign baltic support newly independent baltic states july ran aground near speed stuck hard baltic fuel dumped overboard ammunition long tons stores loaded ship towed free combined efforts light cruisers days grounding westerly wind began raised water level inches pull ship free unbeknownst british entire operation taken place minefield carrier air group commanded major july airfield construction able fly reconnaissance mission major naval base july sailed copenhagen denmark load aircraft left carrier days later ordered aircraft attack night airfield finished ship flying deck extended feet better allow bombers pound bombs accurate anti aircraft fire kept aircraft high effective attack men claimed hits submarine tender reality bomb struck oil tanker setting fire killing man day arrived served depot ship aircraft continued support british operations left baltic december missions flown carrier shot filled observation balloon spotted ships conducted shore importantly attacked night august provide diversion attack ships harbour result torpedo boats damaged battleship sank subsequent attacks nearly hit drydock nearly hit killing explosion hit auxiliary ships december clear whites offensive failed british began withdrawing left embarked rest aircraft sailed home december paid reserve december received permanent repairs damage grounding cost furious proven idea cruiser carriers complete flight deck necessary successfully operate aircraft sea admiralty considered converting configuration island july building decided wait results tests conducted evaluating different designs island thought small effective carrier financial restrictions place war major reconstruction cruiser years ship reserve troop transport began cruiser chatham dockyard march flight decks removed restored designed configuration inch guns replaced inch guns mounted platform aft funnel mainmast gun positioned quarterdeck inch guns major exception inch gun installed retained hangar forward superstructure serviced hangar replaced single crane starboard hangar roof position occupied prototype compressed air carey aircraft catapult british cruiser mount catapult time october launched conducted catapult trials float equipped fighters sailed january aboard anti piracy patrols departed home march arrived catapult removed october ending career aviation ship reduced reserve making occasional training ship accordance terms london naval treaty converted training ship cadets propellers removed turbines half boilers removed compartments converted accommodations aft funnel removed aft superstructure enlarged hangar converted accommodation space armament including water torpedo tubes replaced pair inch guns forward quadruple pounder mount aft form displaced long tons capable maximum speed knots mph recommissioned september fleet repair ship second world war began august transferred devonport like sister inch guns twin gun inch mounts catapult low priority little work early october complex considered proposal inch guns inch guns aft boiler room converted laundry oil tank extend range rejected favour conversion fleet repair ship armament removed forward superstructure extended hangar roof aft superstructure extended flush sides slightly lengthened large built quarterdeck armament consisted single inch guns quadruple mounts depth charges role standard displacement long tons long tons load draught increased feet inches conversion completed march time ship home_fleet troop transport ferried british troops late april escorted evacuation convoy june transferred later year remained late ordered north night november attacked west gibraltar german submarine managed evade torpedoes sank accompanying destroyer tender blew stern escorting destroyers remained mediterranean_fleet recalled support ships participating operation overlord time received radars august mounted type target indication set type anti aircraft gunnery radar january received type air warning radar light armament augmented roof large workshop funnel converted destroyer depot ship armament reinforced addition later year inch guns removed additional added received additional early august ship damaged long range torpedo dropped luftwaffe coast normandy paid reserve september sold scrap january subsequently broken
HMS Vindictive (1918)