NAVYPEDIA

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Bulwark & Albion 1962

Ships

Name	No	Yard No	Builder	Laid down	Launched	Comp	Fate
Centaur	R06	1280	Harland & Wolff, Belfast	30.5.1944	22.4.1947	1.9.1953	stricken 1971
Albion	R07	1721	Swan Hunter, Wallsend	23.3.1944	6.5.1947	26.5.1954	amphibious helicopter carrier 8.1962, sold 10.1973
Bulwark	R08	1281	Harland & Wolff, Belfast	10.5.1945	22.6.1948	4.11.1954	amphibious helicopter carrier 1.1960, anti-submarine aircraft carrier 2.1979, stricken 3.1981
Hermes (ex-Leviathan)	R12	928	Vickers-Armstrong, Barrow	21.6.1944	16.2.1953	18.11.1959	amphibious helicopter carrier 8.1973, anti-submarine aircraft carrier12/1976, aircraft carrier 5.1981, to India 4.1986 (Viraat)
Arrogant		1723	Swan Hunter, Wallsend	---	---	---	cancelled 10.1945
Hermes		1158	Cammell Laird, Birkenhead	---	---	---	cancelled 10.1945
Monmouth		721	Fairfield, Govan	---	---	---	cancelled 10.1945
Polyphemus			Devonport DYd	---	---	---	cancelled 10.1945

Technical data

Data variant	original design	Centaur, Albion, Bulwark as completed	Hermes as completed
Displacement standard, t	18310	22000	23900
Displacement full, t	24000	27000	28700
Length, m	198.1 pp 224.6 oa	198.1 pp 224.8 oa	198.1 pp 226.9 oa
Breadth, m	27.4 wl	27.4 wl 37.5 oa	27.4 wl 44.1 oa (48.8 oa since 1966)
Draught, m	7.52 deep load	8.20 deep load	8.80 mean
No of shafts	2	2	2
Machinery	2 sets Parsons geared steam turbines, 4 Admiralty 3-drum boilers	2 sets Parsons geared steam turbines, 4 Admiralty 3-drum boilers	2 sets Parsons geared steam turbines, 4 Admiralty 3-drum boilers
Power, h. p.	76000	78000	76000
Max speed, kts	29.5	28	28
Fuel, t	oil 4000	oil 3880	oil 4200
Endurance, nm(kts)	6000(20)	10000(20)	10000(20)
Armour, mm	inner belt: 25, flight deck: 19, box-shaped protection of magazines: 51, machinery glacis: 25	inner belt: 25, flight deck: 19, box-shaped protection of magazines: 51, machinery glacis: 25	inner belt: 25, flight deck: 19, box-shaped protection of magazines: 51, machinery glacis: 25
Armament	4 x 2 - 114/45 RP.10 Mk IIBD, 2 x 6 - 40/56 RP.10 Mk I, 11 x 2 - 40/56 STAAG, 42 aircraft (Seafire, Firefly, Sea Hornet, Sea Fury fighters, Firebrand torpedo bombers)	R06: 2 x 6 - 40/60 Mk 6, 8 x 2 - 40/60 Mk 5, 4 x 1 - 40/60 Mk 7, 26 aircraft (Firefly, Sea Fury, Attacker, Sea Hawk fighters, Wyvern attackers, Firefly, Avenger ASW planes, Skyraider early warning planes, Dragonfly helicopters) R07: 2 x 6 - 40/60 Mk 6, 8 x 2 - 40/60 Mk 5, 4 x 1 - 40/60 Mk 7, 26 aircraft (Firefly, Sea Fury, Attacker, Sea Hawk, Sea Venom fighters, Wyvern attackers, Firefly, Avenger ASW planes, Skyraider early warning planes, Dragonfly helicopters) R08: 2 x 6 - 40/60 Mk 6, 8 x 2 - 40/60 Mk 5, 4 x 1 - 40/60 Mk 7, 26 aircraft (Firefly, Sea Fury, Sea Hawk, Sea Venom fighters, Wyvern attackers, Firefly, Avenger ASW planes, Skyraider EW planes, Dragonfly helicopters)	5 x 2 - 40/60 Mk 5, 28 aircraft (Sea Hawk, Sea Vixen, Scimitar fighters, Gannet ASW planes, Sea Venom, Gannet ECM planes, Skyraider, Gannet EW planes, Dragonfly helicopters)
Electronic equipment	radars	10x type 262, type 982, type 983, type 275, type 974 radars	type 984, type 982, 5x type 262, type 974 radars
Complement	1390	1400	2100

Air group

Year	Fighters	Attackers	ASW planes	EW planes	Cargo planes	Helicopters
1954 Centaur	9 Sea Hawk FGA.6, 9 Sea Fury FB.11	---	6 Avenger AS.4	---	---	1 Dragonfly HR.5
1956 Albion	12 Sea Venom FAW.21, 16 Sea Hawk FGA.6	---	---	4 Skyraider AEW.1	---	1 Dragonfly HR.5
1961 Centaur	8 Scimitar F.1, 9 Sea Vixen FAW.1	---	---	4 Gannet AEW.3	---	6 Whirlwind HAS.7
1966 Bulwark	---	---	---	---	---	16 Wessex HU.5, 1 Wasp HAS.1
1966 Hermes	12 Sea Vixen FAW.2	7 Buccaneer S.1	---	4 Gannet AEW.3	1 Gannet COD.4	5 Wessex HAS.3
1977 Hermes	---	---	---	---	---	9 Sea King HAS.1, 4 Wessex HU.5
1982 Hermes	16 Sea Harrier FRS.1	---	---	---	---	18 Sea King HAS.5

Standard scale images

Graphics

Aircraft facilities

, original design: Hangar was 5.3m in height. Two lifts: 16.5x13.4m, 15.9t. 1 catapult BH-V (13.6t plane was launched at 139km/h).   

Aircraft facilities, Centaur, Albion and Bulwark: Hangar was 5.3m in height. Two elevators: 16.5x13.4m, 15.9t. 2 BH-V catapults (13.6t plane was launched at 139km/h). Centaur had 5.5°-angled flight deck, Bulwark and Albion had 5.75°. Catapults were replaced by steam B5-4 in 1956.

Aircraft facilities, Hermes: Hangar was 5.3m in height. Two lifts: fore deck edge lift (16.5x10.7m, 15.9t) and aft centerline lift (16.5x13.4m, 15.9t). 2 catapults B5-4. There was 6.5°-angled flight deck.

Ship project history

, original design: Enlarged Majestics with higher speed and able to operate 13.6t planes.

Protection

, original design:  Inner belt covered machinery only. Underwater protection was very poor. Machinery was additionally protected by glacises.

Protection, Centaur, Albion and Bulwark:Inner belt covered machinery only. Underwater protection was very poor. Machinery was additionally protected by glacises.

Protection, Hermes:Inner belt covered machinery only. Underwater protection was very poor. Machinery was additionally protected by glacises.

Modernizations

1956, Centaur, Albion, Bulwark: new catapults fitted; - 1 x 6 - 40/60.

(1/1959 - 1.1960, Devonport DYd), Bulwark: was converted to "commando carrier" (LPH). Catapults and arrester gears were removed. Accommodation for 733 marines fitted, 4 LCA on davits were carried. - 2 x 6 - 40/60, 4 x 2 - 40/60, 4 x 1 - 40/60, 6x type 262 radars; air group consisted of 8 Whirlwind helicopters (later 16).

(2/1961 - 8.1962, Devonport DYd), Albion: was converted to "commando carrier" (LPH). Catapults and arrester gears were removed. Accommodation for 900 marines fitted, 4 LCA on davits were carried. - 2 x 6 - 40/60, 4 x 2 - 40/60, 4 x 1 - 40/60, 6x type 262 radars; air group consisted of 8 Wessex helicopters (later 16)

(2/1964 - 5.1966), Hermes: - 5 x 2 - 40/60, 5x type 262 radars; + 2 x 4 Sea Cat GWS22 SAM, 2x type 903 radars.

(3/1971 - 8.1973, Devonport DYd), Hermes: converted to "commando carrier" (LPH) - type 984 radar, catapults, arrester gears; + type 965 radar. Fitted to carry Wessex helicoperts.

(5 - 12.1976), Hermes: converted to ASW carrier: fitted to carry Sea King ASW helicopters

(5/1980 - 5.1981), Hermes: converted to VSTOL carrier: 7°-ski-jump ramp fitted, Sea Harriers FRS.1 VSTOL attackers can be carried

Naval service

Bulwark was paid off 3.1980 after fire in engine rooms. Hermes: was stricken 7.1985 and sold to India 4.1986.

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

Many thanks for Borys Estrin for additional information.

Albion 1962