Centaur class aircraft carrier
Encyclopedia
The Centaur class of aircraft carrier
s of the British Royal Navy
was the last of the light fleet carrier
designs started during the closing years of World War II
.
(R06) (Commissioned September 1953)
HMS Albion
(R07) (Commissioned May 1954)
HMS Bulwark
(R08) (Commissioned November 1954)
HMS Hermes
(R12) (Commissioned November 1959) (Ex-HMS Elephant)
HMS Monmouth (Cancelled)
HMS Polyphemus (Cancelled)
HMS Arrogant (Cancelled)
HMS Hermes (Cancelled)
and Majestic classes were completed before work resumed on the larger ships. With the extended completion periods of the units, and the rapid advances in aircraft carrier design at the time of their building, it was almost inevitable that large differences should be seen between the various members of the class.
HMS Centaur
, the first to be completed, was commissioned in 1954. The ship had an axial flight deck
and was thus unsuitable for operating the jets then rapidly supplanting piston engine aircraft in the Fleet Air Arm
. Centaur was commissioned in Belfast and after completing her sea trials, she then steamed into Portsmouth Dockyard and for the next six months in 1954 the ship underwent a substantial reconstruction to provide for an angled flight deck, However, service in this new configuration did not last long and the ship was decommissioned in 1964. Conversion to a "commando carrier" configuration was cancelled in 1965.
and , the next two members of the class completed spent their lives inextricably linked. They both took part in Operation Musketeer
, during the Suez Crisis
, and they were both later converted into commando carriers. In this role, instead of carrying fast jets, they carried helicopters and marines. They were worked hard in the 1960s, with each taking turns deploying 'east of Suez' to the Far East Fleet. The link was broken when Albion was decommissioned in 1973. Bulwark lingered on a few years longer until 1976. However, in 1979, Bulwark was recommissioned in the anti-submarine role. It was only a short change though as an engine room fire in 1980 finally saw the old ship withdrawn from service.
The final ship of the class started as Elephant, but renamed as , she had a longer service life than any of the others in British hands. Not completed until 1959, some 15 years after being started, Hermes incorporated a full angled flight deck and other changes compared to Centaur, Albion and Bulwark.
After fulfilling the role of a light attack carrier for a number of years, Hermes was converted to a commando carrier to replace Albion in the early 1970s. However, a return to operating fixed-wing aircraft beckoned at the end of the decade. Hermes was fitted with a ski-jump to enable the ship to operate the new Sea Harrier
aircraft then coming into service. In this role, the ship saw considerable action in the Falklands War
, acting as the flagship of the aircraft carrier task force. Hermes finally left Royal Navy service in 1984, and was sold to India
. As INS Viraat
, the ship continues in active service as of 2010.
and Majestic class light carriers and the Audacious class
fleet carriers. At first this did not prove to be a hindrance. However, as the 1960s progressed, and jets continued to get larger and heavier, the point was eventually reached where the Centaurs could not sustain a balanced air wing of conventional aircraft. Hermes survived the longest as a conventional carrier, even operating the Blackburn Buccaneer
. However, Hermes was not large enough to operate the Phantom FG.1.
In roles they were not originally designed for, the class also proved successful. The loss of Albion and Bulwark's helicopter capability was keenly felt in the Royal Navy for many years, until an effective replacement, in the form of was commissioned in 1998. Hermes also performed sterling service as a platform for the Sea Harrier and made a vital contribution to the winning of the Falklands War
, the largest naval conflict since 1945.
Aircraft carrier
An aircraft carrier is a warship designed with a primary mission of deploying and recovering aircraft, acting as a seagoing airbase. Aircraft carriers thus allow a naval force to project air power worldwide without having to depend on local bases for staging aircraft operations...
s of the British Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
was the last of the light fleet carrier
Light aircraft carrier
A light aircraft carrier is an aircraft carrier that is smaller than the standard carriers of a navy. The precise definition of the type varies by country; light carriers typically have a complement of aircraft only ½ to ⅔ the size of a full-sized or "fleet" carrier.-History:In World War II, the...
designs started during the closing years of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
Ships In Class
HMS CentaurHMS Centaur (R06)
HMS Centaur was the first of the four Centaur-class light fleet carriers of the Royal Navy. She was the only ship of her class to retain the original configuration with a straight axial flight deck rather than the angled flight decks of her three sister ships...
(R06) (Commissioned September 1953)
HMS Albion
HMS Albion (R07)
HMS Albion was a 22,000 ton Centaur-class light fleet carrier of the Royal Navy.-Construction and modifications:She was built by Swan Hunter & Wigham Richardson Ltd. Her keel was laid down in March 1944 and she was launched in May 1947...
(R07) (Commissioned May 1954)
HMS Bulwark
HMS Bulwark (R08)
The sixth HMS Bulwark of the Royal Navy was a 22,000 tonne Centaur-class light fleet aircraft carrier.-Construction:Bulwark was laid down by the Harland & Wolff shipyard in Belfast on 10 May 1945...
(R08) (Commissioned November 1954)
HMS Hermes
HMS Hermes (R12)
HMS Hermes was a Centaur-class British aircraft carrier, the last of the postwar conventional aircraft carriers commissioned into the Royal Navy.-Construction and modifications:...
(R12) (Commissioned November 1959) (Ex-HMS Elephant)
HMS Monmouth (Cancelled)
HMS Polyphemus (Cancelled)
HMS Arrogant (Cancelled)
HMS Hermes (Cancelled)
History
Originally conceived as a class of eight vessels, with the end of hostilities, work on all the ships was suspended and four units Monmouth, Polyphemus, Arrogant and Hermes were cancelled outright. The four remaining vessels remained uncompleted for the best part of a decade. The earlier light fleet carriers of the ColossusColossus class aircraft carrier
The 1942 Design Light Fleet Carrier, commonly referred to as the British Light Fleet Carrier, was a light aircraft carrier design created by the Royal Navy during World War II, and used by eight naval forces between 1944 and 2001...
and Majestic classes were completed before work resumed on the larger ships. With the extended completion periods of the units, and the rapid advances in aircraft carrier design at the time of their building, it was almost inevitable that large differences should be seen between the various members of the class.
HMS Centaur
HMS Centaur (R06)
HMS Centaur was the first of the four Centaur-class light fleet carriers of the Royal Navy. She was the only ship of her class to retain the original configuration with a straight axial flight deck rather than the angled flight decks of her three sister ships...
, the first to be completed, was commissioned in 1954. The ship had an axial flight deck
Flight deck
The flight deck of an aircraft carrier is the surface from which its aircraft take off and land, essentially a miniature airfield at sea. On smaller naval ships which do not have aviation as a primary mission, the landing area for helicopters and other VTOL aircraft is also referred to as the...
and was thus unsuitable for operating the jets then rapidly supplanting piston engine aircraft in the Fleet Air Arm
Fleet Air Arm
The Fleet Air Arm is the branch of the British Royal Navy responsible for the operation of naval aircraft. The Fleet Air Arm currently operates the AgustaWestland Merlin, Westland Sea King and Westland Lynx helicopters...
. Centaur was commissioned in Belfast and after completing her sea trials, she then steamed into Portsmouth Dockyard and for the next six months in 1954 the ship underwent a substantial reconstruction to provide for an angled flight deck, However, service in this new configuration did not last long and the ship was decommissioned in 1964. Conversion to a "commando carrier" configuration was cancelled in 1965.
and , the next two members of the class completed spent their lives inextricably linked. They both took part in Operation Musketeer
Operation Musketeer
Operation Musketeer may refer to:* US military plans for the Philippines Campaign * Operation Musketeer , the Anglo-French invasion of Egypt to capture the Suez Canal in 1956....
, during the Suez Crisis
Suez Crisis
The Suez Crisis, also referred to as the Tripartite Aggression, Suez War was an offensive war fought by France, the United Kingdom, and Israel against Egypt beginning on 29 October 1956. Less than a day after Israel invaded Egypt, Britain and France issued a joint ultimatum to Egypt and Israel,...
, and they were both later converted into commando carriers. In this role, instead of carrying fast jets, they carried helicopters and marines. They were worked hard in the 1960s, with each taking turns deploying 'east of Suez' to the Far East Fleet. The link was broken when Albion was decommissioned in 1973. Bulwark lingered on a few years longer until 1976. However, in 1979, Bulwark was recommissioned in the anti-submarine role. It was only a short change though as an engine room fire in 1980 finally saw the old ship withdrawn from service.
The final ship of the class started as Elephant, but renamed as , she had a longer service life than any of the others in British hands. Not completed until 1959, some 15 years after being started, Hermes incorporated a full angled flight deck and other changes compared to Centaur, Albion and Bulwark.
After fulfilling the role of a light attack carrier for a number of years, Hermes was converted to a commando carrier to replace Albion in the early 1970s. However, a return to operating fixed-wing aircraft beckoned at the end of the decade. Hermes was fitted with a ski-jump to enable the ship to operate the new Sea Harrier
BAE Sea Harrier
The British Aerospace Sea Harrier is a naval VTOL/STOVL jet fighter, reconnaissance and attack aircraft, a development of the Hawker Siddeley Harrier. It first entered service with the Royal Navy in April 1980 as the Sea Harrier FRS1 and became informally known as the "Shar"...
aircraft then coming into service. In this role, the ship saw considerable action in the Falklands War
Falklands War
The Falklands War , also called the Falklands Conflict or Falklands Crisis, was fought in 1982 between Argentina and the United Kingdom over the disputed Falkland Islands and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands...
, acting as the flagship of the aircraft carrier task force. Hermes finally left Royal Navy service in 1984, and was sold to India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. As INS Viraat
INS Viraat
INS Viraat is a Centaur class aircraft carrier currently in service with the Indian Navy. INS Viraat is the flagship of the Indian Navy, the oldest carrier in service and one of two aircraft carriers in the Indian Ocean Region.The Viraat was completed and commissioned in 1959 as the Royal Navy's...
, the ship continues in active service as of 2010.
Design
The Centaur class were intermediate in size between the ColossusColossus class aircraft carrier
The 1942 Design Light Fleet Carrier, commonly referred to as the British Light Fleet Carrier, was a light aircraft carrier design created by the Royal Navy during World War II, and used by eight naval forces between 1944 and 2001...
and Majestic class light carriers and the Audacious class
Audacious class aircraft carrier
The Audacious class aircraft carriers were a class of ship proposed by the British government in the 1930s - 1940s.- History :The Audacious class was originally designed as an expansion of the Implacable class with double storied hangars...
fleet carriers. At first this did not prove to be a hindrance. However, as the 1960s progressed, and jets continued to get larger and heavier, the point was eventually reached where the Centaurs could not sustain a balanced air wing of conventional aircraft. Hermes survived the longest as a conventional carrier, even operating the Blackburn Buccaneer
Blackburn Buccaneer
The Blackburn Buccaneer was a British low-level subsonic strike aircraft with nuclear weapon delivery capability serving with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force between 1962 and 1994, including service in the 1991 Gulf War...
. However, Hermes was not large enough to operate the Phantom FG.1.
In roles they were not originally designed for, the class also proved successful. The loss of Albion and Bulwark's helicopter capability was keenly felt in the Royal Navy for many years, until an effective replacement, in the form of was commissioned in 1998. Hermes also performed sterling service as a platform for the Sea Harrier and made a vital contribution to the winning of the Falklands War
Falklands War
The Falklands War , also called the Falklands Conflict or Falklands Crisis, was fought in 1982 between Argentina and the United Kingdom over the disputed Falkland Islands and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands...
, the largest naval conflict since 1945.