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Implacable 1944

Ships

Name	No	Yard No	Builder	Laid down	Launched	Comp	Fate
Indefatigable	10, 1948- R7, 1949- R10	565	John Brown, Clydebank	3.11.1939	8.12.1942	3.5.1944	stricken 11.1956
Implacable	86, 1948- R5, 1949- R86	672	Fairfield, Govan	21.2.1939	10.12.1942	28.8.1944	stricken 9.1954

Technical data

Displacement standard, t	23450
Displacement full, t	32110
Length, m	205.1 pp 233.6 oa
Breadth, m	29.2 wl 34.9 fd
Draught, m	8.81 deep load
No of shafts	4
Machinery	4 sets Parsons geared steam turbines, 8 Admiralty 3-drum boilers
Power, h. p.	148000
Max speed, kts	32
Fuel, t	Implacable: 4690 oil Indefatigable: 4810 oil
Endurance, nm(kts)	11000(14)
Armour, mm	belt: 114, hangar sides: 51,  bulkheads: 76 - 51, flight deck: 76
Armament	8 x 2 - 114/45 QF Mk III, 5 x 8 - 40/39 2pdr QF Mk VIII, 1 x 4 - 40/39 2pdr QF Mk VIII, 14 x 2 - 20/70 Oerlikon Mk II/IV, 9 x 1 - 20/70 Oerlikon Mk II/IV, 60 aircraft (Seafire, Firefly, Wildcat, Hellcat fighters, Barracuda, Avenger torpedo bombers, Sea Otter recon / SAR planes)
Electronic equipment	type 279, type 272, type 277, 6x type 282 radars
Complement	1585, up to 2300 later

Air group

Year	Fighters	torpedo bombers
6.1944 Indefatigable	12 Seafire, 12 Firefly	24 Barracuda
8.1944 Indefatigable	24 Seafire, 12 Firefly, 12 Hellcat	12 Barracuda
10/1944 Implacable	44 Seafire, 12 Firefly	24 Barracuda
1.1945 Indefatigable	6 Hellcat, 32 Seafire	21 Avenger
2.1945 Indefatigable	40 Seafire, 12 Firefly	21 Avenger
3.1945 Indefatigable	29 Hellcat	15 Avenger
6.1945 Implacable	48 Seafire, 11 Firefly	21 Avenger
7.1945 Indefatigable	40 Seafire, 12 Firefly	21 Avenger
3/1949 Implacable	13 Sea Hornet	12 Firebrand

Standard scale images

Graphics

Aircraft facilities(fd - 6,716m², ha - 3,837m² / 16,498m³)

 (fd - 6,716m², ha - 3,837m² / 16,498m³): Flight deck: 231.6(useful length)x29.0m. Upper hangar: 139.6x18.9x4.3m, lower hangar: 63.4x18.9x4.3m. 3 lifts (9.1t, 13.7x10.1m for two fwd and 13.7x6.7m aft). 1 catapult BH-III (7.3t plane was launched at 122km/h). Aircraft fuel stowage: 430,000l.

Project history

Six ships of Illustrious class became the biggest class of fleet aircraft carriers of Royal Navy. They were sectioned into 3 groups and had significant differences. Enhanced, 3rd group of Illustrious class (Implacable group) had two-level hangar, increased number of carried planes and 4 shafts.

The "aerodynamic" form of island and funnel in the form of a profile of a plane wing, and also the round-downs of the deck became feature of architecture of Illustrious: it was supposed, that it will decrease the turbulence of air and will improve conditions of take-off and boarding of aircrafts. At the same time round-downs shrank deck effective length to 189m, therefore on the subsequent aircraft carriers, since Victorious, round-downs began to fulfil not such big, that has allowed to extend its deck to 204.2m. The AA armament repeated accepted on Ark Royal, but with new 114mm so-called "inter-decks" mounts.

Protection

  Main belt protected about 30% of length by waterline. Main belt was taken to the upper deck abreast island and to the main deck for much of its length. Hangar sides were protected on full hangar length. 62%of flight deck (over hangar) had 76mm armour, another part of flight deck was 38mm. Magazines taken separate horizontal 76 - 51mm protection. Lower hangar deck was 64 - 38mm over machinery. Lifts were not armoured. There were 38mm anti-torpedo bulkheads. 4.1m deep underwater protection can resist exploding of 340kg TNT.

Modernizations

1945, Implacable: + 2 x 4 - 40/39 2pdr QF Mk VIII, 4 x 1 - 40/56 Bofors Mk I/III, 3 x 2 - 20/70 Oerlikon Mk II/IV, 8 x 1 - 20/70 Oerlikon Mk II/IV, type 281B, type 293 radars

1945, Indefatigable: + 10 x 1 - 40/56 Bofors Mk I/III, 3 x 1 - 20/70 Oerlikon Mk II/IV, type 281B, type 293 radars

1.1946, Implacable: 8 x 2 - 114/45 RP.10 Mk IIBD, 4 x 1 - 40/60 Mk III, 5 x 8 - 40/39 Mk VIA, 3 x 4 - 40/39 Mk VII, 17 x 2 - 20/70 Mk V, 17 x 1 - 20/70 Mk III, 60 aircraft, type 279, type 272, type 277, type 281B, 6x type 282, type 293 radars

1.1946, Indefatigable: 8 x 2 - 114/45 RP.10 Mk IIBD, 10 x 1 - 40/60 Mk III, 5 x 8 - 40/39 Mk VIA, 1 x 4 - 40/39 Mk VII, 14 x 2 - 20/70 Mk V, 12 x 1 - 20/70 Mk III, 60 aircraft, type 279, type 272, type 277, type 281B, 6x type 282, type 293 radars

1946, Implacable: - 17 x 2 - 20/70, 17 x 1 - 20/70

1946, Indefatigable: - 12 x 1 - 20/70

1950, Indefatigable; 1952, Implacable: - 5 x 8 - 40/39, 5x type 282 radars

Naval service

Indefatigable was hit once by kamikaze and 250kg bomb without serious damage. Implacable served as training carrier 1952 - 1954, Indefatigable used for training 1950 - 8.1954.

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