World Of Warships Aircraft Carrier Plane Repair?

The Royal Navy congenital three shipping maintenance carriers for its Fleet Air Arm earlier and during World State of war II. The Abyssinia Crisis of 1934–35 demonstrated to the Admiralty that it needed a depot ship to support the aircraft carriers in active service, just like submarine and destroyer tenders supported those types.^[1] Begun just before the start of World War 2 in 1939, HMSUnicorn was the first ship built in any navy that could "conduct out the total range of aircraft maintenance and repair piece of work in addition to the ability to operate shipping from the flight deck".^[2] Unicorn proved the value of the concept and 2 similar support ships, Perseus and Pioneer were converted into aircraft maintenance ships by modifying low-cal carriers while still nether structure.^[three] Unlike Unicorn, neither Pioneer nor Perseus were able to land aircraft; they had to be craned aboard.^[4]

Unicorn was used every bit a light carrier in 1943 before she was sent to the Indian Ocean in 1944 where she was used in her designed office. Pioneer arrived the post-obit year to support the British Pacific Fleet (BPF). Perseus arrived in the Pacific after the end of the war. All three ships were placed in reserve upon their return to the Great britain in 1946. Unicorn was recommissioned before the kickoff of the Korean State of war for use as a ferry carrier, but was used in her designed role during the state of war. Pioneer was recommissioned in 1950 to exam new carrier equipment and then became a ferry carrier. Perseus was never recommissioned^[5] and all three ships were sold for scrap during the 1950s.^{[half dozen]}

Key [edit]

HMS Unicorn [edit]

HMS Unicorn at a Japanese port (probably Sasebo)

HMS Unicorn was an aircraft repair ship built for the Royal Navy in the belatedly 1930s. The ship was initially completed as a calorie-free aircraft carrier and provided air cover over the amphibious landing at Salerno, Italy, in September 1943. The send converted dorsum into a maintenance ship afterwards^[7] and she was transferred to the Eastern Fleet in the Indian Bounding main at the end of the year.^[8] Unicorn supported the aircraft carriers of the fleet on their operations until the BPF was formed in November 1944. She was transferred to Australia in early 1945 to support the BPF's operations during Operation Iceberg, the Allied invasion of Okinawa in May. To shorten the fourth dimension required to furnish the British carriers, the ship was based in the Admiralty Islands and in the Philippine Islands until the Japanese surrender in August. Unicorn was decommissioned and placed in reserve when she returned to the United kingdom in January 1946.^[9]

The transport was recommissioned in 1949 to support the carriers of the Far East Fleet, as the Eastern Fleet had been redesignated after World War II. She was unloading shipping and equipment in Singapore in June 1950 when the Korean State of war began. She spent nigh of the war ferrying aircraft, troops, stores and equipment in back up of Commonwealth operations in Korea.^[ten] Unicorn supported other carriers during operations in Korea, but she became the only aircraft carrier to conduct a shore bombardment with her guns during wartime when she attacked N Korean observers on the declension during the state of war.^[11] The ship returned to the United kingdom after the stop of the war and was once more placed in reserve.^[12] She was sold for scrap in 1959.^{[half dozen]}

Colossus class [edit]

HMS Pioneer, iii February 1945

Pioneer and Perseus were not completed to their original blueprint as Colossus-class calorie-free shipping carriers; the success of Unicorn prompted modification of the ships whilst under construction into aircraft maintenance ships without aircraft catapults and deckhouses congenital on the flight deck.^[3]

Pioneer arrived in Commonwealth of australia in early on 1945 to support operations by the BPF confronting Japanese forces from a base of operations in the Admiralty Islands. The ship and her facilities were used to help repair Hong Kong's infrastructure in late 1945 and she returned to the United kingdom in early 1946. Pioneer was immediately placed in reserve upon her inflow^[15] and she was sold in 1954 for scrap.^[16]

Perseus was completed in 1945, afterward the finish of World War II, and she made a trip to Australia late in the year, just in time to aid return men, aircraft and equipment. Upon her return to the United kingdom in early on 1946, Perseus was placed in reserve. The send was recommissioned in 1950 to serve as the trials ship for the steam catapult so under development. Over 1600 examination launches were conducted before the catapult was removed in 1952 and she was converted for use as a ferry carrier to transport aircraft, troops and equipment overseas. She was reduced to reserve again in 1954^[17] and sold for chip in 1958.^[16]

Encounter also [edit]

List of shipping carriers of the Royal Navy
Listing of escort carriers of the Royal Navy
List of seaplane carriers of the Royal Navy
List of ships of the Second World War
List of aircraft carriers of the Second Globe War

Citations [edit]

^ Friedman, p. 172
^ Hobbs 2007, p. 41
^ ^a ^b Friedman, pp. 237, 239
^ Lenton, p. 108
^ Hobbs, pp. 48–63
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Friedman, p. 362
^ Friedman, p. 176
^ Polmar & Genda, pp. 340–341, 503
^ Hobbs 2007, pp. 48, 52–55
^ Hobbs 2007, pp. 55–59, 61
^ Hobbs 2007, pp. 58–59
^ Hobbs 2007, pp. 62–63
^ ^a ^b ^c Lenton, p. 106
^ Friedman, p. 367
^ Hobbs 2007, pp. 68–69, 73
^ ^a ^b ^c Friedman, p. 363
^ Hobbs 2007, pp. 75, 78–79, 82, 85
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e Lenton, pp. 107–108

References [edit]

Friedman, Norman (1988). British Carrier Aviation: The Development of the Ships and Their Aircraft. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN0-87021-054-8.
Hobbs, David, Commander (2007). Moving Bases: Imperial Navy Maintenance Carriers and MONABs. Liskeard, Cornwall, UK: Maritime Books. ISBN978-i-904459-30-9.
Lenton, H. T. (1998). British & Commonwealth Warships of the Second World War. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Constitute Press. ISBN1-55750-048-vii.
Polmar, Norman & Genda, Minoru (2006). Aircraft Carriers: A History of Carrier Aviation and Its Influence on Globe Events. Vol. i, 1909–1945. Washington, D.C.: Potomac Books. ISBN1-57488-663-0.