HMS Victorious (R38) ( eng.His Majesty the ship "Victories" , from eng. victorious - "Victorious" ) - aircraft carrier of the type "Illastries" of the Royal Navy of Great Britain . Built according to the shipbuilding program of 1936, the Victories became one of the most famous ships of the Second World War .
| Victories | |
|---|---|
| HMS Victorious | |
 "Victories" October 28, 1941. A jet of steam from the catapult is visible on deck. | |
| Service | |
 United Kingdom | |
| Class and type of vessel | Aircraft carrier type " Illastries " |
| Manufacturer | Vickers-Armstrong ( Newcastle upon Tyne ) |
| Ordered to build | January 13, 1937 |
| Construction started | May 4, 1937 |
| Launched | September 14, 1939 |
| Commissioned | May 15, 1941 |
| Status | Cut to metal |
| Main characteristics | |
| Displacement | 23,207 English tons standard 28,620 English tons full |
| Length | 226.7 m |
| Width | 29.1 m |
| Draft | 7.32 m (average) |
| Reservation | Belt : 114 mm on a 12.7 mm lining; Citadel Traverses : 65 mm; Hangar : 114 mm; Hangar traverses : 114–63 mm; Flight deck : 76 mm of NC armor over the hangar, outside - 37 mm; Hangar deck : 76 mm of NC armor outside the hangar, in the hangar itself and at the extremities - 25 mm; Steering gear : walls - 76 mm, roof - 76 mm; Longitudinal bulkhead : 37 mm |
| Engines | 6 admiralty three-collector boilers, 3 steam turbines of the Parsons system. |
| Mover | 3 three-blade propellers |
| Speed | 30.5 knots |
| Sailing range | 9,000 nautical miles at 18 knots |
| Crew | 817 people + 394 aviation warheads; 1750 people in 1943; 1997 people in 1945 |
| Armament | |
| Artillery | 8 × 2 - 114 mm universal cannons Mk.III |
| Flak | 6 × 8 - 40 mm Pom-pom anti-aircraft guns, 8 × 1 - 20 mm Oerlikon submachine gun |
| Aviation group | 36 aircraft (when using deck parking - 48) |
Content
- 1 History of creation
- 2 Design
- 3 General assessment of the project
- 4 Service History
- 4.1 The Hunt for the Bismarck
- 4.2 Convoys
- 4.3 "Torch" over North Africa
- 4.4 To help an ally
- 4.5 The Hunt for Tirpitz
- 4.6 Return to the Pacific
- 4.7 Post-war service
Creation History
In the early 30s of the 20th century, the coming to power in Germany of the National Socialist Party, led by Adolf Hitler and the ensuing increase in military power, caused suspicion in the political, military and public circles of Great Britain. With the launch of the Ark Royal aircraft carrier, the UK received a new modern aircraft carrier, and the fleet also included several more older ships.
Design
Overall Project Assessment
Service History
The construction of the Victorious aircraft carrier began on May 4, 1937 at the Vickers-Armstrong shipyard in Newcastle. The ship was launched on September 16, 1939, and on May 15, 1941, construction was completed. Victorious's first operation was his participation in Bismarck Hunt at the end of May 1941. It is worth noting that it was from this aircraft carrier that the Swordfish took off, firing a torpedo that hit the Bismarck. From July 1941 to March 1942, aircraft carrier aircraft participated in raids on German transports and bases in Norway. From April to July 1942, the aircraft carrier carries out escort of convoys, and then in August 1942 sent to the Mediterranean Sea. There Victorious took part in Operation Pedestal in August 1942, and in November of that year supported a landing in North Africa. Then the aircraft carrier is sent for repair in the United States. The ship returned to England in January 1944.
After that, in February 1944, Victorious took part in Operation Tangsten (Wolfram) - the hunt for Tirpitz. Then the ship heads to the Indian Ocean. From July 1944 to January 1945, his planes conducted operations against the Japanese. In March 1945 it became part of the 5th American Navy. In its composition, the aircraft carrier participates in the landing operation in Okinawa. In May 1945, he received two heavy injuries from kamikaze attacks, the damage was repaired only in July 1945. In mid-July and August, aircraft carrier aircraft participate in raids on Tokyo and Yokohama. Victorious returned to England in October 1945.
In October 1950, the modernization of the aircraft carrier began. It cost 20 million pounds and ended in January 1958. During modernization, part of the take-off deck above the hangar was replaced. The thickness of the armor was reduced, but due to new design solutions, the strength of the take-off deck was increased and a “slanting deck” was added, placed at an angle to the axis of symmetry of the ship. Aircraft took off from it, and the old “straight” deck was used for landing. Boules were installed on the sides of the aircraft carrier, increasing its stability. The propulsion system was completely replaced and the “island” was rebuilt, on which the 984 type three-coordinate radar appeared. Changes were also made to the armament - 114 mm anti-aircraft guns were replaced with twelve 76-mm American guns. Catapults were also replaced. As a result, Victorious turned into a modern aircraft carrier, suitable for basing jet aircraft, including those with nuclear weapons on board. The remaining ships of this class were not modernized.
After repair, the aircraft carrier was located in the Mediterranean Sea from 1958 to 1960. At the beginning of 1961 he was sent on a campaign around Africa to the Indian Ocean. There he was in the Singapore region, and then was sent to the Gulf region, where he defended the "British interests" from Iraq. At the end of 1964, the aircraft carrier returned to England for a year and a half repair, after which in mid-1966 it was again sent to the Far East and Australia. After returning in 1967, the ship is put into reserve, and in 1968 it is sold for scrap.
The Hunt for the Bismarck
Convoys
Torch Over North Africa
On his return to England , the Victories won another victory. On November 11, 1942, an "Albacore" of 817 squadrons noticed and sunk an enemy submarine. She turned out to be U-517 .