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AIRCRAFT CARRYING SHIPS
ARROMANCHES light aircraft carrier (1944 / 1946)


Photo



Arromanches 1965 Many thanks to Wolfgang Stöhr for additional information on this page.

Ships


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


Technical data


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

Complement1400


Air group


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


Standard scale images


<i>Arromanches</i> 1946
Arromanches 1946
<i>Arromanches</i> 1971
Arromanches 1971
<i>Arromanches </i>1963
Arromanches 1963
<i>Arromanches </i>1970
Arromanches 1970


Graphics


<i>Arromanches</i> 1965 <i>Many thanks to Wolfgang Stöhr for additional information on this page.</i>
Arromanches 1965 Many thanks to Wolfgang Stöhr for additional information on this page.


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.  

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.

Many thanks to Wolfgang Stöhr for additional information on this page.