Arromanches 1946
Arromanches 1963
Arromanches 1970
Arromanches 1971
| Name | No | Yard No | Builder | Laid down | Launched | Comp | Fate |
| Arromanches (ex-Colossus) | 1950- R95 | 55 | Vickers-Armstrong, Elswick, UK | 1.6.1942 | 30.9.1943 | 16.12.1944 // 6.8.1946 | stricken 1974 |
|
Displacement standard, t |
14000 |
|
Displacement full, t |
17900 |
|
Length, m |
192.0 pp 211.3 oa |
|
Breadth, m |
24.4 wl 34.2 fd |
|
Draught, m |
7.09 deep load |
|
No of shafts |
2 |
|
Machinery |
2 sets Parsons geared steam turbines, 4 Admiralty 3-drum boilers |
|
Power, h. p. |
40000 |
|
Max speed, kts |
25 |
|
Fuel, t |
oil 3196 |
| Endurance, nm(kts) | 12000(14) |
|
Armament |
6 x 4 - 40/39 Mk VII, 19 x 1 - 40/60 Mk III, 37 aircraft (Seafire fighters) |
| Electronic equipment |
type 79B, type 281B, 6x type 282 radars, type 144 sonar |
|
Complement |
1400 |
Aircraft facilities (fd - 5,131m², ha - 2,142m² / 11,355m³): Flight deck: 210.3x24.4m; hangar: 135.6x15.8x5.3m. Two lifts: 13.7x10.4m, 6.8t. 1 catapult BH-III (6.4t plane launched at 122km/h). Aircraft fuel stowage: 448 200l.
| Year | Fighters | Diving bombers | Helicopters |
| 8.1946 | 37 Seafire | --- | --- |
| 1949 | 12 Seafire | 12 SBD Dauntless | --- |
| 1953 | 12 F6F Hellcat | 12 SB2C Helldiver | --- |
| 1956 | 16 F4U Corsair | 8 TBM Avenger | --- |
| 1962 | --- | --- | 24 HSS-1 |
Project history: Former British lead-class carrier Colossus.
The design of light aircraft carrier with 13200t displacement was ready in 1942. Special attention was given to adaptability to manufacture and cheapness: such ships were supposed to build in a large batch and in the short time. As a whole Colossus has been constructed rather rational. Protection was not provided by the design, except for the steel 10mm plating covering aviation magazines.
Hull was designed on norms of merchant shipbuilding, without built in underwater protection, however thus had rational sectioning into compartments and stored unsinkability at torpedo hit into main transverse bulkheads area. Damage tolerance raise was promoted and by arrangement of machinery en echelon, holding 4 holds (2 engine and 2 boiler rooms).
Ship protection: There were mantlets around aircraft torpedoes warheads rooms only. Their thickness was 10mm. Longitudinal watertight bulkheads covered the machinery.
Modernizations: 1958: 4°-angled flight deck was installed (maximal beam rose to 36.0m), all armament and catapult were removed, DRBV-22A radar was installed. Airgroup consisted of Alizé ASW and Zéphyr training planes. Carrier was intended to training role.
1968: ship was converted to multirole helicopter carrier able for training, ASW, assault and transport roles.
Naval service: Arromanches was transferred in 1946 on loan and purchased outright in 1951. She was deployed in Indo-China in 1950s, in Suez operation in 1956. After major refit in 1957-1958 she became a training carrier, intended to training of pilots for modern carriers Clemenceau and Foch. In 1962 Arromanche received a squadron of HSS-1 helicopters and took on also assaulting role. She was re-rated as helicopter carrier in 1968 after major refit able to be used in many roles: for training, ASW, assault, fast operational transport.
Arromanches 1965
Many thanks to Wolfgang Stöhr for additional information on this page.
© Ivan Gogin, 2008-15