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.
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HMS Unicorn, HMS Ocean and Transport HMS Empire Halladale at Kure,
during the Korean War, 1953.
Click here for photo purchasing options
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LIST
OF ROYAL NAVAL AIRCRAFT CARRIERS BUILT FROM 1914 TO THE PRESENT DAY.
To see details of the ships class click the
'view class' link. To see details on a specific ship click the ships
name. |
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HMS Ark Royal |
5th September 1914 |
Became depot ship 1923.
Renamed Pegasus 21st December 1931. Became catapult ship April 1941
and accommodation ship 1944. Sold 18th October 1946 and scrapped
1950. |
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HMS Empress |
Acquired 11th
August 1914 |
Returned to owners 1919. |
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HMS Riviera |
Acquired 11th
August 1914 |
Returned to owners 1919. |
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HMS Engadine |
Acquired 11th
August 1914 |
Returned to owners 1919 |
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HMS Campania |
Acquired 27th
November 1914 |
Sunk in collision with HMS
Royal Oak and HMS Glorious, 5th November 1918, in the Firth of Forth. |
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HMS Anne |
Acquired 1914 |
Became collier January
1918. Sold 1919. |
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HMS Raven II |
Acquired 1914 |
Became collier January 1918.
Sold 1922. |
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HMS Pegasus |
9th June 1917 |
Sold for scrapping 22nd August
1931. |
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HMS Argus |
2nd December 1917 |
Used for harbour service from
December 1944. Sold for scrapping 5th December 1946. |
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HMS Vindex |
Acquired September
1915 |
Sold 12th February 1920 |
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HMS Manxman |
Acquired 1915 |
Commissioned 17th April 1916,
Sold February 1920. |
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Courageous
Class
View
Class |
HMS
Glorious |
20th April 1916 |
Converted to
carrier 1924-30. Sunk by Scharnhorst and Gneisenau on 8th June 1940. |
HMS
Courageous |
5th February 1916 |
Converted to
carrier 1924-28. Sunk by U-29 on 17th September 1939. |
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HMS
Furious |
15th
August 1916 |
Converted to
carrier 1922-25. Broken up 1948. |
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HMS
Hermes |
11th September
1919 |
Sunk by Japanese
aircraft 9th April 1942. |
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HMS Albatross |
23rd
February 1928 |
Transferred from
Australian Navy, commissioned 29th September 1938. Became a repair
ship 1943. Damaged by torpedo 11th August 1944 and not
repaired. Sold 1946. |
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HMS
Eagle |
8th June 1918 |
Sunk by U-73 on
11th August 1942. |
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Illustrious
Class
View
Class |
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Implacable
Class View
Class
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Eagle
Class
View
Class |
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Colossus
Class
View
Class |
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Majestic
Class
View
Class |
HMS Hercules |
22nd September
1945 |
Sold to India
1957, becoming Vikrant. |
HMS
Leviathan |
7th
June 1945 |
Broken up
incomplete 1968. |
HMS Magnificent |
16th November
1944 |
Broken up 1965. |
HMS Majestic |
28th February
1945 |
Sold to Australia
1955, becoming HMAC Melbourne |
HMS Powerful |
27th February
1945 |
Sold to Canada
1952, becoming HMCS Bonaventure |
HMS Terrible |
30th September
1944 |
Sold to Australia
1948, becoming HMAC Sydney |
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Hermes
Class
View
Class |
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Invincible
Class
View Class |
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HMS
Ocean Helicopter Carrier |
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Escort
Carriers |
HMS Audacity |
29th March 1939 |
Torpedoed and sunk by U751 on
21st December 1941. |
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HMS Audacity, 1942.
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HMS Activity |
30th May 1942 |
Sold for breaking in April
1946. |
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HMS Pretoria Castle |
Acquired July 1942 |
Sold 26th January 1946 |
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Vindex
Class |
HMS Vindex |
4th May 1943 |
Sold 2nd October 1947 |
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HMS Vindex, September 1946.
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HMS Nairana |
20th May 1943 |
Lent to Dutch Navy as Karel
Doorman March 1946 - 1948. Sold 1948. |
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HMS Campania |
17th June 1943 |
For scrapping 11th November
1955. |
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HMS Archer |
14th December
1939 |
Used in the
Mercantile service 1945. |
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Avenger
Class
View
Class |
HMS Avenger |
27th November
1940 |
Sunk 15th
November 1942. |
HMS Biter |
18th December
1940 |
Sold to France
9th April 1945. |
HMS Dasher |
12th April 1942 |
Sunk 27th March
1943. |
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Attacker
Class
View
Class |
HMS Attacker |
27th September
1941 |
Sold to USA 5th
January 1946. |
HMS Battler |
4th April 1942 |
Sold to USA 12th
February 1946. |
HMS Chaser |
15th January 1942 |
Sold to USA 12th
May 1946. |
HMS Fencer |
4th April 1942 |
Sold to USA 21st
December 1946. |
HMS Hunter |
22nd May 1942 |
Sold to USA 29th
December 1945 |
HMS Pursuer |
18th July 1942 |
Sold to USA 12th
February 1946. |
HMS Ravager |
16th July 1942 |
Sold to USA 27th
February 1946 |
HMS Searcher |
20th June 1942 |
Sold to USA 29th
November 1945 |
HMS Stalker |
5th March 1942 |
Sold to USA 29th
December 1945. |
HMS Striker |
7th May 1942 |
Sold to USA 12th
February 1946. |
HMS Tracker |
7th March 1942 |
Sold to USA 29th
November 1945. |
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Ruler
Class
View
Class |
HMS Ameer |
18th October 1942 |
Sold to USA on
17th January 1946. |
HMS Arbiter |
9th September
1943 |
Sold to USA on
3rd March 1946. |
HMS Atheling |
7th September
1942 |
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HMS Begum |
11th November
1942 |
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HMS Emperor |
7th October 1942 |
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HMS Empress |
30th December
1942 |
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HMS Khedive |
27th December
1942 |
Sold to USA on 26th
January 1946. |
HMS Nabob |
9th March 1943 |
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HMS Patroller |
6th May 1943 |
Sold to USA on
13th December 1946. |
HMS Premier |
22nd March 1943 |
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HMS Puncher |
8th November 1943 |
Sold to USA on
16th January 1946. |
HMS Queen |
31st July 1943 |
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HMS Rajah |
18th May 1943 |
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HMS Ranee |
2nd June 1943 |
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HMS Reaper |
22nd November
1943 |
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HMS Ruler |
21st August 1943 |
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HMS Shah |
21st April 1943 |
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HMS Slinger |
15th December
1942 |
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HMS Smiter |
27th September
1943 |
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HMS Speaker |
20th February
1943 |
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HMS Thane |
15th July 1943 |
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HMS Trouncer |
16th June 1943 |
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HMS Trumpeter |
15th December
1942 |
Sold to USA on
6th April 1946. |
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Converted
Merchant Carriers
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HMS Empire
MacAlpine |
December 1942 -
January 1944 |
Returned to
Merchant service after the war |
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HMS Empire MacAlpine.
Click here for photo purchasing options
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HMS Empire
MacKendrick |
December 1942 -
January 1944 |
Returned to
Merchant service after the war |
HMS Empire
MacAndrew |
December 1942 -
January 1944 |
Returned to
Merchant service after the war |
HMS Empire
MacDermott |
December 1942 -
January 1944 |
Returned to
Merchant service after the war |
HMS Empire MacRae |
December 1942 -
January 1944 |
Returned to
Merchant service after the war |
HMS Empire
MacCallum |
December 1942 -
January 1944 |
Returned to
Merchant service after the war |
HMS Empire Mackay |
May 1943 - July
1943 |
Returned to
Merchant service after the war |
HMS Empire MacColl |
May 1943 - July
1943 |
Returned to
Merchant service after the war |
HMS Empire
MacMahon |
May 1943 - July
1943 |
Returned to
Merchant service after the war |
HMS Empire MacCabe |
May 1943 - July
1943 |
Returned to
Merchant service after the war |
HMS Acavus |
Converted 1942 -
1944 |
Returned to
Merchant service after the war |
HMS Adula |
Converted 1942 -
1944 |
Returned to
Merchant service after the war |
HMS Alexia |
Converted 1942 -
1944 |
Returned to
Merchant service after the war |
HMS Amastra |
Converted 1942 -
1944 |
Returned to
Merchant service after the war |
HMS Ancylus |
Converted 1942 -
1944 |
Returned to
Merchant service after the war |
HMS Gadila |
Converted 1942 -
1944 |
Returned to
Merchant service after the war |
HMS Macoma |
Converted 1942 -
1944 |
Returned to
Merchant service after the war |
HMS Miralda |
Converted 1942 -
1944 |
Returned to
Merchant service after the war |
HMS Rapana |
Converted 1942 -
1944 |
Returned to
Merchant service after the war |
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