HMS Furious was
built by Armstrong Whitworth, laid down on 8 June 1915 and launched 15 August
1916. She was commissioned on 26 June 1917 as a sea plane carrier. Between
1917-1918 she was reconstructed with landing-on deck, and recommissioned 15
March 1918. In the early 1920s she was rebuilt with full length flush flight
deck, modified between 1931-1932 to increase the AA battery, and an island
added in 1939.
HMS Furious, along
with her half-sister ships Courageous and Glorious, was laid down as a large
light cruiser, mounting two 18-inch guns on a shallow draught for gunfire
support of amphibious operations in the Baltic. Before completion the design
was changed to only one 18-inch gun and a flying-off deck for sea planes at the
bow. After completion the remaining 18-inch gun was removed and a landing-on
deck added for half the length of the ship, with it causing problems for landing aircraft it was later
extended to the full length of the ship. A small starboard island was added in
1939.
HMS Furious had a long an honourable service
history and remained a Fleet Carrier 1925 - 1944. Her wartime naval aviation
career started in World War I. HMS Furious had the distinction of mounting the
first real carrier-based air strike when, on 19 July 1918, seven of her Sopwith
Camels destroyed two Zeppelins and their sheds at Tondern.
Carrier name
|
HMS
Furious
|
Class
|
Furious
Class Fleet Carrier (CV) (ex Large Light Cruiser)
|
Type
|
Fleet
Aircraft Carrier
|
Ships in Class
|
Furious
(half-sisters Courageous and Glorious)
|
Launched
|
Laid down
8 June 1915. Launched 15 August 1916. Commissioned 26 June 1917
|
Tonnage
|
Displacement:
22,450 tons standard ; 28,500 tons full load
|
Engines
|
Propulsion:
Steam Turbines (18 Yarrow small-tube boilers, 4 shafts, Brown-Curtis geared
turbines), 90,000 hp.
|
Speed in Knots
|
Speed:
29.5 knots (35 mph)
|
Armament
|
10 × 1 – BL 5.5-inch Mk I guns
6 × 1 – QF 4-inch Mark V AA guns
|
Crew Complement
|
748
Officers & Ratings, 350 Air Group
|
Range
|
Range:
6,000 miles at 20 knots
|
Length (ft/inches)
|
Dimensions:
735 pp, 786.25 x 88 x 27.75 feet
|
Flight Deck length (ft/inches)
|
Reconstructed
1917-1918 with landing-on deck. After completion the remaining 18-inch
gun was removed and a landing-on deck added for half the length of the
ship.
|
Armour
|
Belt:
2–3 in (51–76 mm)
Decks:
.75–1 in (19–25 mm)
Bulkhead:
2–3 in (51–76 mm)
Torpedo
bulkheads: 1–1.5 in (25–38 mm)
|
Number of aircraft carried
|
Aircraft:
36
|
Acc/Ts Toughness Crew Notes
15/45
20 (Heavy)
748+350 Heavy RHA
Armour
Type Range AP Rounds HE Rounds RoF Notes
5.5mm Cannon 50/100/200 2d12, AP 4 1 Heavy Weapon
QF Mk V AT Gun 50/100/200 4d6, AP 3 MBT 1 Heavy Weapon
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