HMS HERMES (R12)

The second 'HMS ''Hermes'' (R12)' was a ''Centaur''-class aircraft carrier, the last of the postwar conventional aircraft carriers commissioned into the Royal Navy.

Contents

Construction and modifications

Operations

Proposed International Fleet

Falklands War

INS Viraat

Complement

References

External links

Construction and modifications

She was laid down by Vickers-Armstrong at Barrow-in-Furness during WW II as ''Elephant''. Construction was suspended in 1945 but work was resumed in 1952 to clear the slipway and the hull was launched on 16 February 1953. The vessel remained unfinished until 1957, when she entered service on 18 November 1959 as ''Hermes'' after extensive modifications which included installation of a massive Type 984 'searchlight' 3D radar.

Operations

Proposed International Fleet

''Hermes'' served as one of four Royal Navy strike carriers mainly in the Indian Ocean area until 1970. She could have seen action against the Egyptians when Egypt closed off the Strait of Tiran to Israeli shipping in May 1967. The UK and US contemplated forming an international fleet to open the strait with force if necessary,^[1] but the idea never materialized.

Falklands War

''Hermes'' was due to be decommissioned in 1982 after a defence review by the British government, but when the Falklands War broke out, she was made the flagship of the British forces, setting sail for the South Atlantic just three days after the Argentine invasion of the Falkland Islands. ''Hermes'' carried BAe Sea Harrier FRS.Mk.1 jets of the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm, Harrier GR.Mk.3 jets of the Royal Air Force, Sea King MK4s & MK5s as well as a troop of Special Air Service (SAS) and Royal Marines.

INS Viraat

She served with the Royal Navy until 12 April 1984. She was paid off in 1985 and in April 1986 she was refitted and sold to India and recommissioned as the INS ''Viraat'' in 1989.

Complement

Her typical aircraft complement in the late 1960s consisted of 12 Sea Vixen FAW2s, 7 Buccaneer S2s, 4 Gannet AEW3s, 1 Gannet COD4, 5 Wessex HAS3s and 1 Wessex HAS1. She was recommissioned as a commando carrier in 1973, as an ASW carrier in 1976, and then as a V/STOL carrier.
Between 1983 and 1992, ''Hermes'' was featured in the opening titles of the ITV/TV-AM programme ''Good Morning Britain''.
See HMS ''Hermes'' for other Navy ships of the same name.

References

1. http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ho/frus/johnsonlb/xix/28055.htm The international naval task force proposal in May 1967

External links

★ Maritimequest HMS Hermes photo gallery

★ The international naval task force proposal in May 1967