HMS Venerable (R63)

HMS "Venerable" (R63) was a "Colossus"-class aircraft carrier of the Royal Navy. She served for only the last few months of World War II, and in 1948 she was sold to the Netherlands and renamed HNLMS "Karel Doorman" (R81) and taking part in the military clash in 1962 in Western New Guinea (now, Papua and Papua Barat, in Indonesia). Subsequently she was sold to Argentina and renamed ARA "Veinticinco de Mayo", later taking part in the Falklands War.

HMS "Venerable" was laid down at Cammell Laird in Birkenhead on 3 December 1942, launched just over a year later, and commissioned on 17 January 1945. As with others of the class completed just before the ending of hostilities, HMS "Venerable" immediately headed to the Far East to join the 11th Aircraft Carrier Squadron (HMS Colossus, HMS Glory and HMS Vengeance) of the British Pacific Fleet. Each carrier had around 40 F4U Corsair fighters and Fairey Barracuda torpedo bombers on board.

After the end of hostilities, HMS "Venerable" repatriated prisoners of war to Canada and Australia, before returning to the UK.

In 1948, HMS "Venerable's" short career in the Royal Navy came to an end, when it was sold to the Dutch. The ship recommissioned in the Dutch fleet as HNLMS "Karel Doorman".

In 1969, after a boiler-room fire, she was sold to the Argentine Navy and renamed ARA ARA "Veinticinco de Mayo".

See HMS "Venerable" and HNLMS "Karel Doorman" for other ships of this name.

External links

* [http://www.maritimequest.com/warship_directory/great_britain/pages/aircraft_carriers/hms_venerable_16.htm Maritimequest HMS Venerable photo gallery]
* [http://www.steelnavy.com/KDoorman.htm Karel Doorman] , Netherlands Carrier