INDEX OF NAVAL

AIRCRAFT CARRIERS

HMS COLOSSUS

Light Fleet Carrier
renamed Arromanches (France) 1946

History

Collossus was built by Vickers Armstrong, Newcastle, laid down 1 June 1942, launched 30 September 1943 and commissioned 16 December 1944. Broken up at Toulon 1978.
The Collossus Class ships were scaled down versions of the Illustrious class but with a large aircraft compliment achieved by a lack of armour. Designed for rapid construction in merchant yards to make up for the shortfall in carriers but much more capable than escort carriers.

Corsairs FG-1D MkIV No1846Sqdn HMSColossus, Oct1945-April 1946
Private photo collection of Ron Davis

Collossus's wartime service included duties as part of the British Pacific Fleet 1945-1946.

Vought Corsair IV KD780/122-D of 1846 Squadron, HMS Colossus, 1945. This aircraft was delivered the Royal Navy in February 1945, and embarked on Colossus where it saw no action

Collossus was loaned to France as Arromanches from August 1946, sent to the Indochina conflict in 1948 for three months, returned to France January 1949and subsequently purchased by France in 1951. She returned to the Indochina conflict in August 1952. Reconstructed with 4 degree angled flight deck 1957-58. Converted to ASW carrier 1968 operating 24 helicopters. Decommissioned 1974, broken up at Toulon 1978.

Battle Honours
No information
Captains
No information on Captains.
Squadrons and Aircraft

FAA squadrons embarked Dates Aircraft type

827 Jan 1945-July 1946 Barracuda II

1846 Jan 1945-July 1946 Corsair IV

Associations and Reunions
HMS Colossus (see 14th Carrier Air Group)

Carrier name HMS Colossus
(later renamed Arromanches(France)

Class Colossus

Type Light Fleet Aircraft Carrier

Ships in Class Colossus, Vengeance, Venerable, Pioneer, Glory, Ocean, Perseus, Theseus, Triumph, Warrior

Launched Laid down 1 June 1942. Launched 30 September 1943. Commissioned 16 December 1944.

Tonnage Displacement: 13,400 tons standard ; 18,330 tons full load

Engines Propulsion: Steam Turbines (4 Admiralty 3-drum boilers, 2 shafts, Parsons geared turbines), 40,000 shp.

Speed in Knots Speed: 25 knots

Armament Guns: 24 x 2 pdr AA ; 32 x 20 mm

Crew Complement Compliment: 1300 (including air group)

Range Range: 12,000 nmiles at 14 knots

Length (ft/inches) Dimensions: 630 pp, 650 wl, 695 oa x 80 x 23.5 feet

Beam (ft/inches)

Draught (ft/inches)

Flight Deck length (ft/inches)

Flight Deck width (ft/inches)

Armour

Number of aircraft carried Aircraft: 48

Fate of carrier Decommissioned 1974, broken up at Toulon 1978

Notes Scaled down version of Illustrious class but with a large aircraft compliment achieved by a lack of armour. Designed for rapid construction in merchant yards to make up for the shortfall in carriers but much more capable than escort carriers. Perseus and Pioneer were completed as maintenance carriers without catapults. After the war various units of the class were sold or reconstructed with angled decks or as helicopter carriers.

FURTHER INFORMATION

Private photo collection of Ron Davis Photos of Corsairs 1945-1946 from father of Ron who was a FAA mechanic

Warship web and the French carriers http://warships1.com/FREcvl03_Arromanches.htm his ship was originally the name ship of the British Collossus class. Loaned to France from the Royal Navy after WWII, she was eventually bought by France and used mainly as an ASW asset.

British Forces.com and HMS Colossus Further information about the ship.

Ships website and HMS AVENGER Escort carrier Details and history of HMS AVENGER Escort carrier

FAA SIG Profile of Vought Corsair IV HMS Colossus, 1945

An A-Z of Aircraft Profiles by FAUCONBERG AEROGRAPHICS, VOUGHT CORSAIR Mk. IV, Commander Flying, Royal Navy, H.M.S. Colossus, Late 1945.

World Aircraft Carrier Lists and Photo Gallery - from 1913 to 2000. Naval History Information Center, Haze Gray & Underway

Sturtivant, R & Ballance, T (1994). 'The Squadrons of the Fleet Air Arm' Published by Air Britain (Historians) Ltd, 1994 ISBN: 0 85130 223 8
The World’s Warships 1941 by Francis E. McMurtrie (1944). Jane's London 1941 1st ed.
Jane's Fighting Ships of World War II by Francis E. McMurtrie (Editor)(1984). 320 pages. Crescent Books; ISBN: 0517679639

Last Modified: 23-2-2001

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FAA squadrons embarked	Dates	Aircraft type
827	Jan 1945-July 1946	Barracuda II
1846	Jan 1945-July 1946	Corsair IV

Carrier name	HMS Colossus (later renamed Arromanches(France)
Class	Colossus
Type	Light Fleet Aircraft Carrier
Ships in Class	Colossus, Vengeance, Venerable, Pioneer, Glory, Ocean, Perseus, Theseus, Triumph, Warrior
Launched	Laid down 1 June 1942. Launched 30 September 1943. Commissioned 16 December 1944.
Tonnage	Displacement: 13,400 tons standard ; 18,330 tons full load
Engines	Propulsion: Steam Turbines (4 Admiralty 3-drum boilers, 2 shafts, Parsons geared turbines), 40,000 shp.
Speed in Knots	Speed: 25 knots
Armament	Guns: 24 x 2 pdr AA ; 32 x 20 mm
Crew Complement	Compliment: 1300 (including air group)
Range	Range: 12,000 nmiles at 14 knots
Length (ft/inches)	Dimensions: 630 pp, 650 wl, 695 oa x 80 x 23.5 feet
Beam (ft/inches)
Draught (ft/inches)
Flight Deck length (ft/inches)
Flight Deck width (ft/inches)
Armour
Number of aircraft carried	Aircraft: 48
Fate of carrier	Decommissioned 1974, broken up at Toulon 1978
Notes	Scaled down version of Illustrious class but with a large aircraft compliment achieved by a lack of armour. Designed for rapid construction in merchant yards to make up for the shortfall in carriers but much more capable than escort carriers. Perseus and Pioneer were completed as maintenance carriers without catapults. After the war various units of the class were sold or reconstructed with angled decks or as helicopter carriers.