Colossus 1944
Perseus 1950
Triumph 1979
| Name | No | Yard No | Builder | Laid down | Launched | Comp | Fate |
| Colossus | 15 | 55 | Vickers-Armstrong, Tyne | 1.6.1942 | 30.9.1943 | 16.12.1944 | to France 8.1946 (Arromanches) |
| Glory | 62, 1948- R62 | 1191 | Harland & Wolff, Belfast | 27.8.1942 | 27.11.1943 | 2.4.1945 | stricken 1957 |
| Venerable | 04 | 1126 | Cammell Laird, Birkenhead | 3.12.1942 | 30.12.1943 | 17.1.1945 | to Netherlands 5.1948 (Karel Doorman) |
| Vengeance (RAN 11.1952-10/1955) | 71, 1948- R71 | 1699 | Swan Hunter, Wallsend | 16.11.1942 | 23.2.1944 | 15.1.1945 | to Australia 1952 - 1955, to Brazil 12.1956 (Minas Gerais) |
| Warrior (RCN 1.1946-3/1948) | 31, 1948- R31 | 1224 | Harland & Wolff, Belfast | 12.12.1942 | 20.5.1944 | 14.3.1946 // 1948 | to Canada before completion 1946 - 1948, to Argentina 7.1958 (Independencia) |
| Theseus | 64, 1948- R64 | 709 | Fairfield, Govan | 6.1.1943 | 6.7.1944 | 9.2.1946 | stricken 3.1958 |
| Ocean | 68, 1948- R68 | 598 | A. Stephens, Linthouse | 8.11.1942 | 8.7.1944 | 8.8.1945 | stricken 3.1958 |
| Triumph | 16, 1948- R16 | 662 | Hawthorn Leslie, Hebburn | 27.1.1943 | 2.10.1944 | 9.5.1946 | repair ship 1.1965 |
| Perseus (ex-Edgar) | D51, 1948- R51, 1953- A197 | 56 | Vickers-Armstrong, Tyne | 1.6.1942 | 26.3.1944 | 19.10.1945 // --- | completed as aircraft maintenance ship, stricken 1958 |
| Pioneer (ex-Mars) | D76, 1948- R76, 1953- A198 | 884 | Vickers-Armstrong, Barrow | 2.12.1942 | 20.5.1944 | 8.2.1945 // --- | completed as aircraft maintenance ship, stricken 1954 |
|
Displacement standard, t |
13190 Theseus, Triumph, Warrior: 13350 |
|
Displacement full, t |
18040 Theseus, Triumph, Warrior: 18300 |
|
Length, m |
192 pp 211.2 - 211.8 oa |
|
Breadth, m |
24.4 wl |
|
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 |
Colossus, Glory, Venerable, Vengeance: 6 x 4 - 40/39 2pdr QF Mk VIII, 11 x 2 - 20/70 Oerlikon Mk II/IV, 10 x 1 - 20/70 Oerlikon Mk II/IV, 37 aircraft (Seafire, Firefly, Wildcat, Corsair, Hellcat fighters, Swordfish, Barracuda, Avenger torpedo bombers) Theseus, Warrior: 19 x 1 - 40/60 Mk III, 6 x 4 - 40/39 Mk VII, 37 aircraft (Seafire, Firefly fighters, Barracuda, Firebrand torpedo bombers) Triumph: 12 x 1 - 40/60 Mk III, 6 x 4 - 40/39 Mk VII, 3 x 1 - 40/39 Mk VIII, 37 aircraft (Seafire, Firefly fighters, Barracuda, Firebrand torpedo bombers) Ocean: 6 x 4 - 40/39 2pdr QF Mk VIII, 7 x 1 - 40/39 2pdr QF Mk VIII, 10 x 2 - 20/70 Oerlikon Mk II/IV, 32 aircraft (Hellcat fighters) |
| Electronic equipment |
type 79B, type 281B, 6x type 282 radars, type 144 sonar Ocean: SM-1, 6x type 282, type 293 radars, type 144 sonar |
|
Complement |
1300 |
Aircraft facilities (fd - 5,131m², ha - 2,142m² / 11,355m³): Flight deck: 210.3x24.4m; hangar: 135.6x15.8x 5.3m. Two lifts: 13.7x10.4m, 6.8t. 1 catapult BH-III (6.4t plane was launched at 122km/h). Aircraft fuel stowage: 448,200l.
| Year | Fighters | Torpedo bombers | Helicopters |
| 8.1945 Glory | 21 Corsair | 18 Barracuda | --- |
| 5.1950 Vengeance | 12 Firefly Mk.5, 8 Sea Hornet NF.21 | --- | --- |
| 7.1950 Triumph | 12 Firefly FR.1, 12 Seafire F.47 | --- | --- |
| 5.1952 Ocean | 22 Sea Fury FB.11 | 12 Firefly AS.5 | --- |
| 11.1956 Ocean | --- | --- | 6 Whirlwind HAR.1, 6 Sycamore HAR.1 |
| 11.1956 Theseus | --- | --- | 10 Whirlwind HAR.1 |
Project history: The design of 13200t light aircraft carrier was ready in 1942. Special attention was given to construction simplicity and cheapness: such ships were supposed to be built 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 merchant shipbuilding standards, without special underwater protection, however ships had rational sectioning into compartments and kept unsinkability at torpedo hit into main transverse bulkheads area. Damage tolerance raise was promoted and by arrangement of machinery en echelon, placed in 4 compartments (2 engine and 2 boiler rooms).
Pioneer and Perseus were completed as aircraft maintenance ships.
Protection: There were mantlets around aircraft torpedoes warheads rooms only. Their thickness was 10mm. Longitudinal watertight bulkheads covered the machinery.
Modernizations: mid-1945: Colossus: - 11 x 2 - 20/70, 10 x 1 - 20/70; + 19 x 1 - 40/56 Bofors Mk I/III
mid-1945: Glory: - 11 x 2 - 20/70, 10 x 1 - 20/70; + 17 x 1 - 40/56 Bofors Mk I/III
mid-1945: Venerable: - 11 x 2 - 20/70, 10 x 1 - 20/70; + 21 x 1 - 40/56 Bofors Mk III
mid-1945: Vengeance: - 11 x 2 - 20/70, 10 x 1 - 20/70; + 12 x 1 - 40/56 Bofors Mk I/III
mid-1945, Ocean: - 11 x 2 - 20/70, 10 x 1 - 20/70; + 28 x 1 - 40/56 Bofors Mk I/III
1/1946, Colossus: 19 x 1 - 40/60 Mk III, 6 x 4 - 40/39 Mk VII, 37 aircraft, type 79B, type 281B, 6x type 282 radars, type 144 sonar
1/1946, Glory: 17 x 1 - 40/60 Mk III, 6 x 4 - 40/39 Mk VII, 37 aircraft, type 79B, type 281B, 6x type 282 radars, type 144 sonar
1/1946, Venerable: 21 x 1 - 40/60 Mk III, 6 x 4 - 40/39 Mk VII, 37 aircraft, type 79B, type 281B, 6x type 282 radars, type 144 sonar
1/1946, Vengeance: 12 x 1 - 40/60 Mk III, 6 x 4 - 40/39 Mk VII, 37 aircraft, type 79B, type 281B, 6x type 282 radars, type 144 sonar
1/1946, Ocean: 28 x 1 - 40/60 Mk III, 6 x 4 - 40/39 Mk VII, 37 aircraft, 6x type 282, type 293, SM-1 radars, type 144 sonar
early 1950s, all survived: - type 79B, 281B radars; + type 277, type 293 radars.
9/1953, Warrior: enlarged bridge, lattice foremast. - 6 x 4 - 40/39, 6x type 282 radars; + 4 x 2 - 40/60 Mk 5, 1 x 1 - 40/60 Mk 3, 4x type 262 radars
8/1956, Warrior: partial angle deck, new arrester gear and catapult (9.1t plane was launched at 110km/h). Full displacement was 19600t, max speed: 23kts.
Naval service: Warrior was used as HQ ship for nuclear test in 1957. Triumph was converted to repair ship in 12.1957 - 1.1965 and stricken in 1980. Perseus and Pioneer were completed as aircraft maintenance ships (displacement standard: 16265 t, 211.7x24.5x7m, 4 x 4 - 40/39 2pdr QF Mk VIII, 2 x 1 - 20/70 Oerlikon Mk II/IV). Oerlikons were replaced by 2 single Bofors in 1946 - 1947. Both ships were reclassified to ferry carriers in 1953. Pioneer was sold for BU in 1954, Perseus was scrapped in 1957.
Many thanks to Wolfgang Stöhr for additional information on this page.
Perseus 1952
Venerable 1946
Ocean 1946
© Ivan Gogin, 2008-15