History of the aircraft carrier of the Royal Navy from the seaplane carrier HMS Pegasus to HMS Furious, to the classic aircraft carriers of world war II and beyond with the latest helicopter carrier HMS Ocean. Each aircraft carrier has a dedicated page to its history and details including displacement, armament, complement, squadrons and is shown in photographs supplied by ex-crew and family and by fine naval art supplied courtesy of the Naval Art Company.

[ Ark Royal 1914 ] [ Sea Plane Carriers ] [ HMS Argus ] [ Courageous Class ] [ HMS Furious ] [ HMS Hermes ] [ HMS Ark Royal ] [ HMS Eagle ] [ Illustrious Class ] [ Eagle Class ] [ HMS Unicorn ] [ Colossus Class ] [ Majestic Class ] [ Hermes Class ] [ Archer Class ] [ Attacker Class ] [ Ruler Class ] [ Invincible Class ] [ Fleet Air Arm ] [ Unidentified Photos ] [ Implacable Class ] [ Invincible Class ]

HMS Unicorn, HMS Ocean and Transport HMS Empire Halladale at Kure, during the Korean War, 1953.  

Implacable Class          View Class

October 1995

HMS Audacity, 1942.

A large image size 10" x 7" approx, is available.  Reproduced from the original negative / photo under license from MPL, the copyright holder.  A signed numbered certificate is supplied. Price £25.   Order photograph here   Order Code  XMP855

HMS Activity, 1943 - 810 Sqn Barracuda.

A reproduction of this original photo / photo-postcard size 10" x 7" approx available.  Order photograph here  © Walker Archive. Order Code PHA099

HMS Vindex, September 1946.

A large image size 10" x 7" approx, is available.  Reproduced from the original negative / photo under license from MPL, the copyright holder.  A signed numbered certificate is supplied. Price £25.   Order photograph here   Order Code  XMP856

Converted Merchant Carriers

HMS Empire MacAlpine.

A large image size 10" x 7" approx, is available.  Reproduced from the original negative / photo under license from MPL, the copyright holder.  A signed numbered certificate is supplied. Price £25.   Order photograph here   Order Code  XMP864

Naval Historians and Enthusiasts Noticeboard

MESSAGES

HMS ALBATROSS

Order code BK1998

Post: UK- £5.00 (max post for multiple books £6.00).

For Europe £7.00 (each plus one charge of £3.00 recorded fee per total shipment)

Rest of World £9.00 (each plus one charge of £3.00 recorded fee per total shipment)

Royal Navy Escort Carriers by Cdr David Hobbs MBE Royal Navy.

In the autumn of 1940 the British Prime Minister, Winston Churchill announced his Battle of the Atlantic Directive.  In this he gave top priority to the defeat of the U-Boats and a series of important developments resulted.  The need to fill the mid-Atlantic gap with aircraft was imperative and so the Escort Carrier was conceived, a merchant hull fitted with the simplest of flight decks and arrestor wires.  The arrival of the first vessel in service led Admiral Donitz, the German Flag Officer U-Boats, to record in his war diary that "Small fast aircraft circled the convoy continuously, so that when they were sighted, U-Boats were repeatedly forced to submerge or withdraw.  The presence of enemy aircraft prevented any protracted shadowing or homing by German aircraft.  The sinking of the aircraft carrier is therefore, of particular importance in every future convoy action."  This book looks at the background to the Escort Carrier concept and details the service history of each of the 44 Escort Carriers that served with the Royal Navy.

Illustrated Hardback book with 232 pages.