Majestic class aircraft carrier

The "Majestic" class was a ship class of six light fleet aircraft carriers constructed for the Royal Navy, but serving in the Royal Australian Navy, Royal Canadian Navy, and Indian Navy.

Design

The "Majestic" class was conceived as a modified version of the "Colossus" class carrier, incorporating improvements in flight deck design and habitability. "Majestic" and "Colossus" carriers were almost identical in hull design and both were considered subclasses of the '1942 design' light aircraft carrier program. [cite book |author= |coauthors= |editor=Stevens, David & Reeve, John |title=The Navy and the Nation: the influence of the Navy on modern Australia |year=2005 |publisher=Allen & Unwin |location=Corws Nest, NSW |page=pg 211 |isbn=1-74114-200-8 | oclc = 67872922 ] These carriers were intended to be 'disposable warships': they were to be operated during World War II and scrapped at the end of hostilities or within three years of entering service. [Stevens, David & Reeve, John (eds.)(2005). "The Navy and the Nation, pg 217]

Six ships were ordered: HMS|Hercules|R49|2, HMS|Leviathan|R97|2, HMCS|Magnificent|CVL 21|2, HMS|Majestic|R77|2, HMS|Powerful|R95|2, and HMS|Terrible|R93|2. These six ships replaced the cancelled final six "Colossus" class carriers.

Construction and acquisition

The six carriers were built by four shipyards: Harland and Wolff, HM Dockyard Devonport, Swan Hunter, and Vickers-Armstrongs. Construction of the ships began in 1942 or 1943, and they were launched during 1944 and 1945, but following the end of World War II, the Admiralty ordered the suspension of many British shipbuilding projects, including the fitting out of the six "Majestic"s.cite journal |last=Hobbs |first=Commander David |year=2007 |month=October |title=HMAS "Melbourne" (II) - 25 Years On |journal=The Navy |volume=69 |issue=4 |pages=pg 5 |id=ISSN|1332-6231]

"Majestic" and "Terrible" were purchased by the Royal Australian Navy in June 1947 for the combined cost of AU£2.75 million, plus stores, fuel, and ammunition. [cite book |last=Donohue |first=Hector |title=From Empire Defence to the Long Haul: post-war defence policy and its impact on naval force structure planning 1945-1955 |series=Papers in Australian Maritime Affairs (No. 1) |year=1996 |month=October |publisher=Sea Power Centre |location=Canberra |page=pgs 38, 45-47 |isbn=0-642-25907-0 |id=ISSN|1327-5658 | oclc = 36817771 ] As "Terrible" was the closer of the two ships to completion, construction was finished without modification, and she was commissioned into the RAN on December 16 1948 as HMAS|Sydney|R17|6. Work progressed on "Majestic" at a slower rate, as she was to be upgraded with the latest technology and equipment, including an angled flight deck, steam catapult, and mirror landing aid. [Donohue, Hector (1996). "From Empire Defence to the Long Haul", pg 94] "Majestic" was completed and commissioned into the RAN as HMAS "Melbourne" on 28 October 1955.cite book |last=Hall |first=Timothy |title=HMAS Melbourne |year=1982 |publisher=George Allen & Unwin |location=North Sydney, NSW |page=pp 72-73|isbn=0-86861-284-7 | oclc = 9753221 ]

The Royal Canadian Navy acquired HMCS|Magnificent|CVL 21|2 (which was the only ship to retain her original name) after the war, and commissioned her in 1946. In 1952, the RCN purchased "Powerful", which was upgraded along similar lines to "Majestic"/"Melbourne". "Powerful" was renamed HMCS|Bonaventure|CVL 22|6 and commissioned into the RCN in 1957, replacing her sister ship.

"Hercules" was also upgraded along the lines of "Majestic"/"Melbourne". She was sold to the Indian Navy in 1957, who commissioned her as INS "Vikrant" in 1961.

"Leviathan" was the only ship of the class not to be completed. In 1968, her boilers were removed and used to repair those destroyed in a fire aboard ARA "Veinticinco de Mayo", a "Colossus" class carrier acquired by the Armada of the Argentine Republic, and she was scrapped without ever being commissioned later in the year.

hips

;HMS|Hercules|R49|2:She was launched in 1945, but was neglected for 10 years until bought by India. She was commissioned into the Indian Navy in 1961, being named INS "Vikrant". Decommissioned in 1997 and converted into a museum ship, "Vikrant" is the only World War II-era British-built carrier to be preserved after decommissioning.

;HMS|Leviathan|R97|2:She was launched in 1945, though never completed or commissioned. Her boilers were removed to repair ARA "Veinticinco de Mayo" in 1968, and she was scrapped later that year.

;HMCS|Magnificent|CVL 21|2:She was launched in 1944 and commissioned into the Royal Canadian Navy in 1946. She was decommissioned in 1956 and returned to the Royal Navy, who held her in reserve until 1965, when she was struck from records and broken up for scrap.

;HMS|Majestic|R77|2:She was launched in 1945, and sold to Australia in 1947. "Majestic" was heavily upgraded, and became the third ship in the world to be constructed with an angled flight deck and steam catapult. [Hobbs, David (2007). "HMAS Melbourne - 25 Years On", pg 6] The ship was renamed HMAS|Melbourne|R21|6 and commissioned into service in 1955. During her career, "Melbourne" had minimal, non-combat roles in the major conflicts of the era, but was involved in two major peacetime accidents: colliding with and sinking HMAS "Voyager" in 1964 and USS "Frank E. Evans" in 1969. She was decommissioned in 1982, and sold to China for scrap in 1985. Instead of scrapping "Melbourne", the People's Liberation Army Navy studied the carrier and used her to train pilots.

;HMS|Powerful|R95|2:She was launched in 1945, and was purchased by Canada in 1952 to be upgraded to a similar standard to "Majestic". She was renamed HMCS|Bonaventure|CVL 22|6 and commissioned into service in 1951, to replace sister ship HMCS|Magnificent|CVL 21|6 and "Colossus" class carrier HMCS|Warrior. She was decommissioned in 1970, and was scrapped in Taiwan in 1971.

;HMS|Terrible|R93|2:She was launched in 1944, and was transferred to the Royal Australian Navy, under the name of HMAS|Sydney|R17|6 in 1948. She was decommissioned in 1958, recommissioned as a fast troop transport in 1962. "Sydney" participated in both the Korean and Vietnam Wars. She was decommissioned for the second time in 1973, sold to a South Korean steel mill in 1975, and broken up for scrap.

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