The 1942 Light Fleet Aircraft Carrier: Part 3: The Majestic-class

The second batch of Light Fleet Aircraft Carriers were completed to a modified design and were therefore classified as a separate class, the Majestic-class.

The main differences in their design from that of the earlier Colossus-class were:

• The catapult, arrester gear, and lifts were upgraded to enable the ships to operate heavier aircraft.
• The flight deck was reinforced to enable the ships to operate heavier aircraft.
• Improved armament and radar equipment were fitted.
• Equipment to allow replenishment at sea was fitted.

These changes increased the design's full load tonnage by 1,500 tons and the draught by 1 foot 6 inches.

When they were ordered, they were allocated the following names:

• HMS Majestic
• HMS Terrible
• HMS Magnificent
• HMS Hercules
• HMS Leviathan
• HMS Powerful

When the Second World War ended, none of the ships were complete and construction was suspended. Five were eventually completed between 1948 and 1961 to modified designs, but one - HMS Leviathan - was scrapped incomplete in 1968 although her boilers were used to repair HMNLS Karel Doorman.

HMS Majestic/HMAS Melbourne

HMAS Melbourne.

She was sold to Australia in an incomplete state in 1947 and completed to a modified design. This included an 5.5-degree angled flight deck, a steam catapult, a reinforced flight deck and lifts, strengthened anrrester gear, and a mirror landing aid. She was also fitted with an enhanced armament that comprised 6 x twin and 13 x single 40mm Bofors anti-aircraft guns. She was commissioned on 26th October 1955 as HMAS Majestic and renamed HMAS Melbourne two days later. She was refitted between late 1967 and early 1969 to enable her to operated modern aircraft, and this included further strengthening of the flight deck and arrester gear, improvements to the steam catapult and aviation fuel supply system, and an upgraded radar suite. A further refit in 1971 saw her steam catapult rebuilt and her air conditioning system improved. More work on her steam catapult took place during a refit that lasted from late 1972 until the middle of 1973, and she was again refitted from April 1975 until June 1976 to extend her operational life until 1985. Another refit took place from late 1978 until the middle of 1979, but a further refit planned for 1981 was cancelled and she was placed in reserve in 1982. She was sold to China for scrapping in 1985 but this was not completed until 2002.

HMS Terrible/HMAS Sydney

HMAS Sydney.

She was sold to Australia in an incomplete state in 1947 and completed and commissioned into the Royal Australian Navy in 1948. She supported United Nations operations in Korea from late 1951 to early 1952. When her more modern sister ship (HMS Melbourne) was commissioned in 1955, she became a training ship. She performed this role until she was decommissioned in 1958. She was recommissioned as a fast troop transport in 1962 to support Australian troops operating in Vietnam, having been converted from 1961 to 1962. During her conversion, her aircraft operating equipment was removed, the hangar was converted into troop accommodation and vehicle storage, and her armament was reduced from 19 to 4 single-mounted 40 mm Bofors anti-aircraft guns. In July 1973 she was withdrawn from service and in October 1975 she was sold for scrapping.

HMS Magnificent/HMCS Magnificent

HMCS Magnificent.

She was loaned to the Royal Canadian Navy whilst still incomplete and commissioned into the RCN on 21st March 1948. She spent most of her service operating in the North Atlantic and Caribbean although she did transport Canadian peacekeepers to Egypt in 1957. When HMCS Bonaventure was commissioned in 1957 she was returned to the UK. She never re-entered service and was placed on the disposal list in 1961 and scrapped in 1965.

HMS Hercules/INS Vikrant

INS Vikrant.

Sold incomplete to the Indian Navy in 1957 and completed with an angled deck, steam catapults, and a modified island. Her original armament comprised 16 x 40mm Bofors anti-aircraft guns but this was later reduced to 8 x 40mm Bofors anti-aircraft guns During her service she took part in Operation Vijay (the operation to occupy Goa) and the 1971 Indo-Pakistan War. She was modernised in 1979 to 1981 and again in 1987 to 1989. During the latter modernisation she was equipped with a 9.75-degree ski jump ramp in place of her steam catapult so that she could operate Sea Harriers. She was refitted in 1991 and again in 1992 to 1994 to extend her operational life, but in early 1995 she was withdrawn from active service. She was finally decommissioned in January 1997 and it was planned to use her as a museum ship in Mumbai. She was open to the public from 2001 to 2012, at which point it was decided that unless considerable remedial work was undertaken, she would be too unsafe to remain open. The funding was not forthcoming and she was sold for scrapping in January 2014.

HMS Powerful/HMCS Bonaventure

HMCS Bonaventure.

Sold incomplete to the Royal Canadian Navy in 1952. She was the completed to a modified design which included a new armament (4 x twin 3-inch (76mm)/50 guns; 8 x 40mm Bofors anti-aircraft guns), a remodelled island with a lattice mast and raked funnel, an American radar suite, a strengthened flight deck, an angled flight deck, steam catapults, and an optical landing system. She was commissioned on 17th January 1957, initially with a mixed air group. When her McDonnell Banshee fighters were retired, she took on an anti-submarine warfare role. She was refitted in 1966 and 1967 to extend her operational life, but budget cuts led to her to be decommissioned in July 1970 and sold for scrapping in 1971. Some parts of her steam catapult were cannibalised before she was sold and used to repair HMAS Melbourne.