HMS Formidable (R67)

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Image:Hms-formidable-r67.jpgHMS Formidable, circa 1944
Career Image:RN-White-Ensign.svg
Ordered:
Laid down: 17 June 1937
Launched: 17 August 1939
Commissioned: 24 November 1940
Decommissioned: 1947
Fate: Scrapped 1956.
Struck: 1953
General Characteristics
Displacement: 28,661 tons full load
Length: 743.75 ft (227 m)
Beam: 95 ft (29 m)
Draught: 28 ft (8.5 m)
Propulsion: 6 Admiralty 3-drum boilers, Pearsons geared turbines producing 110,000 shp (82 MW) driving three shafts
Speed: 30.5 knots (56 km/h)
Range: 11,000 nautical miles (20,000 km) at 14 knots (26 km/h)
Complement: 1200
Armament: 8 x 4.5 inch (114 mm) guns
48 x 2 pdr (907 g) guns
Aircraft: 1940: 36 Fulmar and Swordfish
1945: 54 Corsair and Avenger
Motto:

HMS Formidable was an Illustrious class aircraft carrier of the Royal Navy during World War II. She was constructed by Harland & Wolff, Belfast and commissioned on 24 November 1940. On the 26th of May 1941 she received serious damage while transporting aircraft to Malta, being hit by two 1000 kilogram bombs that put her out of action for six months. After repairs in Norfolk Naval shipyard, she re-equipped with Vought Corsair and F6F Hellcat Fighters. She saw service in the Pacific with the British Pacific Fleet and survived several kamikaze attacks while supporting the landings on Okinawa, which got 8 men killed. She was scrapped from November 1956.


References:

Roger Chesneau - Aircraft Carriers of the World, 1914 to the Present. An Illustrated Encyclopedia - A&AP - 1999 ISBN 1-86019-875-9

External link


Illustrious-class aircraft carrier
Illustrious | Formidable | Victorious

List of aircraft carriers of the Royal Navy
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