HMS Ark Royal (91)

HMS Royal Ark (91) History

The 1920s and 1930s are dotted with many naval battleships designed under the terms of the Washington Naval Treaty signed in 1922. 1918), while the gross tonnage of the new generation ships was the main concern.

The Royal Navy's straight-deck aircraft carrier HMS Ark Royal (91) was one such product from this period. Her arrival was the first truly "modern" aircraft carrier to serve with the Royal Navy, the last notable being the HMS Glorious converted in 1930, originally built as a battlecruiser in 1915 and converted to aircraft carrier form in 1924 . p]

The HMS Ark Royal was ordered in 1934 during the military build-up of many major European players and commissioned by Cammell Laird & Company Ltd on 16 September 1935. on the keel. She was launched on April 13, 1937, and officially commissioned on December 16, 1938.

While at sea, the ship was nicknamed the "Lucky Ship" and fought under the motto "Passion never rests".

The Ark Royal was then used in the Norwegian campaign, her planes could provide air cover for other warships, and her facilities could also be used to engage submarines. His planes were also used to bombard enemy targets on land as much as possible. The ship's "range" is basically limited by the range of these aircraft, so their effectiveness in the campaign is somewhat limited.

She supported the Allied landings at Narvik, although Norway eventually fell, forcing the withdrawal of all remaining troops. Ark Royal continued to support the operation with its air force and later (unsuccessfully) pursued the battlecruisers Gneisenau and Scharnhorst for their work in sinking HMS Glorious, HMS Acasta and HMS Ardent . On 13 June, a coordinated response to Scharnhorst failed, with 53 percent of takeoff aircraft shot down and Scharnhorst undamaged.

HMS Ark Royal was transferred to the Mediterranean on 23 June to continue fighting the Italians. In November, she took part in the Battle of Cape Spartevento, with rather inconclusive results for both sides (one ship was damaged on each side).

In early 1941, Ark Royal was dispatched with Force H to find Gneisenau and Scharnhorst, who were on their way to combat Allied shipping in Atlantic waters. The operation was again futile for the fleet. In April, the airline was deployed to transport planes for Malta's beleaguered troops and took on some escort duties.

Their planes successfully repelled attacks from Italian and German fighter jets during an escort operation to North Africa.

The Ark Royal was then pushed into the search for the German battleship Bismarck, which had eluded Allied war planners for some time and was now threatening Atlantic trade with the heavy cruiser Prinz Eugen. A Fairey Swordfish aircraft from Ark Royal spotted the massive warship, and the Royal Navy quickly pursued it.

Her torpedo fighter eventually dropped three torpedoes on the enemy warship, causing it to circle and eventually sink on May 27.

Further escort operations and aircraft deliveries in the Mediterranean followed - especially to Malta. This would mark the final chapter for the British ship, as HMS Ark Royal intercepted a torpedo amidships on 10 November 1941, causing considerable damage before flooding.

The flooding then created an obvious list on the starboard side, which only made things worse for the survivors. An abandon ship order was issued to retain emergency personnel to limit damage and possibly rescue the wrecked vessel.

However, as the battleship continued to surface and enter the water, everything was considered lost. After being rescued, all but one of the crew survived.

The aircraft carrier capsized, snapped in two, and sank to the seabed some 30 miles from Gibraltar. The damage was extensively investigated and measures for flood protection and backup power for future British ships were improved.

In December 2002, the wreck of the ship was discovered by a documentary crew.

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