[4], Argus had an overall length of 565 feet (172.2 m), a beam of 68 feet (20.7 m), and a draught of 23 feet 3 inches (7.1 m) at deep load. The National Archives. [30], In March, the carrier loaded a dozen Hurricane IIs and three Skuas and delivered them to Gibraltar on 29 March, where they were loaded onto Ark Royal and flown off to Malta a few days later. Launched on 2nd December 1917 as the 11th RN warship to carry the name which was first used for a captured French privateer in 1792 and last borne by a Coastguard Vessel built in 1904. The ship was too top-heavy as originally built and had to be modified to improve her stability in the mid-1920s. Argus loaded more Hurricanes for Gibraltar and also embarked a pair of Swordfish from 818 Squadron and two Sea Hurricanes from 804X Squadron for self-defence. Existing carriers could launch wheeled aircraft, but had no way to recover them as they lacked flight decks. [9], She re-commissioned at the Nore on 19 January, 1927 for service in the Atlantic Fleet, with a Headquarters Flight and Flights 401, 422, and 441 embarked. The ship arrived on 8 November and she transferred some of her Hurricanes to Ark Royal. HMS_Argus_(1917)_cropped. The Ship. Stirling Service Record. [42] In March, she was ordered to be converted to an aircraft freighter around the end of the year, but this plan was also apparently cancelled. Each island contained one funnel; a large net could be strung between them to stop out-of-control aircraft. She was launched 2 Dec 1917, and eventually completed only a matter of weeks before the Armistice. Steam lines on the flying deck could warm torpedoes as aircraft awaited launch, to try to ensure a stable operating temperature when an attack was launched. It was built by William Beardmore. Arrived at Gibraltar and transferred 12 HURRICANE aircraft to HMS ARK ROYAL for delivery to Malta (Operation WINCH). 151 Wing RAF to Murmansk, Russia. [7], Argus was re-commissioned at Portsmouth on 24 January, 1924. She was carrying out this duty in the Gulf of Lion when the Second World War began. The ship also delivered aircraft to Murmansk in Russia, Takoradi on the Gold Coast, and Reykjavík in Iceland. The initial design had two islands with the flight deck running between them. flush deck). Sold for Scrap 1947. Each of the ship's four sets of Parsons geared steam turbines drove one propeller shaft. She was to ferry the fighters of 804 Squadron on her return trip to England, but this was cancelled. The National Archives. The National Archives. In November, the ship provided air cover during Operation Torch, the invasion of French North Africa and was slightly damaged by a bomb. HMS Courageous She was first designed as a successor of the Repulse class, part of a pair of the Courageous-class battlecruiser, which were specifically designed as “light” compared to the previous Repulse. [19], The ship's hull was surveyed in 1927 and anticipated to be sound for another 15 years,[10] and she relieved Hermes on the China Station from 1 September to 20 March 1928. A torpedo shop could store another twenty-eight weapons, which were presumably the 18-in Mark IX torpedo. The carrier rendezvoused with Furious and Convoy WS-5A before the combined force was discovered by the German cruiser Admiral Hipper on 25 December, but little damage was inflicted by Hipper before she was driven off by the escorts. Most read. Steam was supplied by 12 cylindrical Scotch boilers. The ship was also fitted with bulk petrol storage, new four-inch guns that used fixed ammunition, and new radio masts. HMS Argus (1904) was a coastguard vessel launched in 1904, renamed HMS Argon in 1918 and sold in 1920. Dates of appointment are provided when known. About this forum RFA Argus is a Primary Casualty Receiving Ship of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary. [5], The ship's flight deck was 549 feet (167.3 m) long and her hangar was 330 feet (100.6 m) long, 48–68 feet (14.6–20.7 m) wide, and 16 feet (4.9 m) high. Trials began in April and the lift was widened in October. the fleet air arm on board the british carrier hms argus. Despite her odd genesis, she boasted a continuous flight deck and more accurately reflected a mature aircraft carrier than any previous vessel. In addition, the ship's after lift was permanently locked in the raised position and 150 long tons (150 t) of ballast were added to compensate for the additional weight of the equipment high in the ship. The carrier arrived on 31 May and disembarked all her aircraft, including 800X Squadron. [12], She was taken into Dockyard Control on 6 July 1936 at Devonport. For the latest updates about this unit visit the Royal Navy forum. The Royal Navy originally sought to have HMS Argus in operational service for 1917. The National Archives. Since she was completed before 9 December 1921, the Washington Naval Treaty classified her as an experimental aircraft carrier and thus she did not need to be scrapped to release treaty-limited tonnage for new construction. She was purchased for conversion in August, 1916. Message Board. http://dreadnoughtproject.org/tfs/index.php?title=H.M.S._Argus_(1917)&oldid=291736. As the limitations of existing carriers became more apparent, this design was dusted off and the Admiralty located two large, fast hulls suitable for conversion into an aircraft carrier. The plan for Operation Spotter I was for Argus to provide fighter cover for Eagle as she flew off the Spitfires for Malta, but the operation had to be cancelled when the long-range fuel tanks of the Spitfires proved defective. Her hangar could accommodate one of the new eighteen-plane Torpedo Aeroplane Squadrons equipped with Sopwith T.1s and provided for storage of thirty torpedoes. [1], James Graham, Sixth Marquess of Montrose, a director of the Beardmore company, proposed to the Admiralty a design, "A Parent Ship for Naval Aeroplanes and Torpedo Boat Destroyer" in 1912. Vacher Service Record. [38], As part of the preparations for another resupply convoy for Malta (Operation Pedestal), Argus returned to the United Kingdom in late June to load reserve aircraft, including six Sea Hurricanes of 804 Squadron, for the other aircraft carriers involved in the operation and left the Clyde on 2 August for Gibraltar. She returned to the United Kingdom on 11 April and loaded six replacement Swordfish as well as six Swordfish of 812 Squadron for self-defence. Ark Royal was torpedoed and sunk during the return to Gibraltar, which forced Argus to remain there to provide cover for Force H as the sole carrier available. Bovell Service Record. Page 1 . This meant she was very steady, but heeled noticeably when turning. Since Argus was now classified as a naval auxiliary, her four-inch guns were removed. Argus was laid down in 1914 by William Beardmore and Company in Dalmuir, as the Conte Rosso. The after lift was therefore lowered 9 inches (229 mm), which allowed aircraft to use the area when the lift was raised flush with the rest of the flight deck. Argus was launched in 1917 and commissioned just prior to the end of the war on September 19 th 1918. Argus was launched in 1917 and commissioned just prior to the end of the war on September 19 th 1918. Whilst in the United Kingdom, she loaded some Supermarine Spitfire fighters and returned to Gibraltar on 24 February. The time required to launch two aircraft and land one aboard was forty minutes during this cruise, primarily because the rotary engines of the time were very difficult to start. [37] By this time the ship's Vickers .50-calibre machine guns had been replaced by 13 Oerlikon 20 mm light anti-aircraft guns. Existing carriers could launch wheeled aircraft, but had no way to recover them as they lacked flight decks. In mid-December, the ship embarked six Fairey Swordfish torpedo bombers of 821X Squadron for delivery to Gibraltar and another pair of Swordfish from 825 Squadron for self-defence. By April 1940, the ship had been rearmed with two QF Mk V 4-inch anti-aircraft guns on her quarterdeck, as well as three quadruple Vickers .50 machine gun mounts; one of these was on each side of her hull and the third was on the centreline of the quarterdeck. [34], Force H was recalled to the United Kingdom in January and Argus loaded 12 Swordfish of 812 Squadron for her own protection. The rear magazine and the torpedo warhead storage magazine were protected by a total of 2 inches (51 mm) of protective plating on all sides, but the forward magazine and bomb storage rooms had only a 2-inch thick deck to protect them. [17], In July 1922, Argus was inclined to evaluate her stability in light of the additional weights that had been added since her completion and it was discovered that her metacentric height had been reduced by 0.83 feet (0.3 m). [10], On September 1922, Argus, equipped with Gloster Nightjar fighters, was deployed to the Dardanelles as a response to the Chanak crisis. She was renamed after her purchase in September 1916 and was launched on 2 December 1917, her building having been slowed by labour shortages. Argus also evaluated various types of arresting gear, general procedures needed to operate a number of aircraft in concert and fleet tactics. An RAF Sopwith 1-1/2 Strutter aircraft taking off and landing on the deck of the Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS Argus, autumn 1918. Argus sailed on 22 August and arrived at Takoradi on the Gold Coast on 5 September where her aircraft were off-loaded. [29], On 11 November, Argus sailed again from Liverpool with a deck-load of a dozen Hurricanes and two Skuas for delivery to Malta (Operation White). The HMS Argus was the first ship to be an aircraft carrier, but she was a converted ocean liner. (Note: HMS ARK ROYAL made a delivery of HURRICANE and FULMAR aircraft on 3rd. [7] Argus was the only British carrier serving in the Second World War capable of striking down (stowing away) aircraft with non-folding wings because of her wide lifts and tall hangar ceiling. She displaced 3,315 long tons (3,368 t). Renamed Riduna and sold to the Alderney Steam Packet Company in 1926. After returning to the UK for repairs, Argus was used again for deck-landing practice until late September 1944. Operational experience confirmed that the aircraft should attempt to land directly onto the arresting gear lest they be blown over the side of the carrier, as happened three times during the cruise. She was 332 feet 4 inches (101.3 m) long, 43 feet (13.1 m) wide, with 15 feet 9 inches (4.8 m) draught at deep load. No air strike could be flown against the German cruiser because the Swordfish were embarked in Argus with bombs that they could not carry and the torpedoes were aboard Furious. The opportunity was taken to widen her flight deck by 10 feet (3 m) and replace her old boilers with destroyer-type boilers which could generate more steam than her turbines could handle. HMS Argus was a British aircraft carrier that served in the Royal Navy from 1918 to 1944. The carrier embarked two Fulmars from 807 Squadron, nine Swordfish from 813 Squadron and four more Swordfish from 824 Squadron to protect the convoy from submarines while Eagle loaded 20 Fulmars and Sea Hurricanes from three different squadrons. Medal Of Honor: He Put Up Such A Fight In Captivity, The Viet Cong Executed Him Out Of Frustration; He’s Called The Ghost, Has The Same Medal Count As Audie Murphy, And Is Virtually Unknown The turbines were designed for a total of 20,000 shaft horsepower (15,000 kW), but they produced 21,376 shaft horsepower (15,940 kW) during her sea trials in September 1918, and gave Argus a speed of 20.506 knots (37.977 km/h; 23.598 mph). Sent for break-up at … [8], She paid off into Dockyard Control on 2 November, 1925. The ship was under repair for a month after she reached the United Kingdom, but she required a more thorough refit that lasted from February to May 1943. [39][40], In November 1942, Argus was assigned to the Eastern Naval Task Force that invaded Algiers, Algeria, during the Allied landings in French North Africa with 18 Supermarine Seafire IICs of 880 Squadron aboard. [2], In November 1916, the ship's design was tested in a wind tunnel by the National Physical Laboratory to evaluate the turbulence caused by the twin islands and the bridge over them. Fairly early in the design process, the decision was made to delete the funnels to reduce turbulence over the flight deck. The National Archives. 2 August 1917, Sqn Cdr E. H. Dunningmakes the first aircraft landing on a moving ship, HMS Furious 1914 28 June — Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand; World War Ibegins. HMS Argus (viirinumero 49) oli Britannian kuninkaallisen laivaston lentotukialus toisessa maailmansodassa.Alus oli maailman ensimmäinen tukialus, jossa oli yhtenäinen koko aluksen peittävä lentokansi, mikä mahdollisti maalentokoneiden nousemisen alukselta ja laskeutumisen takaisin. In December, she became an accommodation ship and was listed for disposal in mid-1946. Together with Eagle, Argus was tasked to provide air cover over Force H as it covered a convoy attempting to get desperately needed supplies through to Malta later in June (Operation Harpoon). Despite having been originally conceived as a liner with a hull designed to minimise rolling, most of the changes made to the ship during her conversion added topside weight, raising her centre of gravity. Three Fulmars of 800X Squadron were also embarked to protect the ship against the Focke-Wulf Fw 200 Condors that patrolled the Bay of Biscay and the Eastern Atlantic. 282–84, Shores, Cull and Malizia 1991, pp. She spent one brief deployment on the China Station in the late 1920s before being placed in reserve for budgetary reasons. Renamed Peninnis and operated by the Isles of Scilly Steamship Company from 1920 to 1926. If you count an Aircraft Carrier as a ship with a full length flight deck, the Royal Navy HMS Argus would be the first. One of the Fulmars was shot down by Vichy French Dewoitine D.520 fighters as it attempted to protect the crew of a Consolidated PBY Catalina flying boat that had been shot down earlier. [31], In late August to early September, Argus transported 24 Hurricanes of No. History of the HMS Argus: The HMS Argus was launched on December 2, 1917. U-155 torpedoed Avenger, right behind Argus in the convoy, later that morning. [21] The ship was intended to have one hydro-pneumatic aircraft catapult, but this was instead diverted to Ark Royal. celebrating her silver jubilee, 25 years continuous service, the argus is now being used to a18863.jpg 598 × 800; 42 kb Archer Service Record. It was ordered to return to the UK aboard Argus. Petrol storage consisted of 8,000 imperial gallons (36,000 l; 9,600 US gal) in 2-imperial-gallon (9.1 l; 2.4 US gal) tins stowed below the waterline. [41] The ship was hit by a bomb on 10 November that killed four men. The ship proved to be very manoeuvrable at medium and high speeds, but steered badly at low speeds and in wind due to her large surface area. [6], Argus was laid down in 1914 by William Beardmore and Company in Dalmuir, as the Conte Rosso. [11], She was reduced to Maintenance Reserve at Rosyth on 15 December, 1932. [32][33] She then ferried a dozen Fairey Albacore torpedo bombers of 828 Squadron to Gibraltar on 30 September for eventual delivery to Malta. Argus joined the Atlantic Fleet in January 1920 for its Spring Cruise carrying eight Ship Strutters, four Sopwith Camel fighters, two Airco DH.9A bombers and two Fairey floatplanes. On her return to the United Kingdom she began a refit. In April 1918, Argus was ordered to be modified to a flush-decked configuration after the sea trials of the carrier Furious had revealed severe turbulence problems caused by her superstructure. Powered palisades were also needed on the side of the flight deck to help retain aircraft aboard that had not engaged a wire. [36] The Spitfires were flown off successfully, but the engines of the Albacores all began to overheat and they were forced to return to the carrier. The islands were connected by braces and the bridge was mounted on top of the bracing, which left a clear height of 20 feet (6.1 m) for the aircraft on the flight deck. Sent for break-up at … [23], After recommissioning, Argus served as a training carrier to allow pilots to practice their deck-landing skills. Chilton Service Record. She rendezvoused with Force H four days later and launched the aircraft on the morning of 17 November. Sh… In 1912, the ship builder William Beardmorehad proposed to the Admiralty an aircraft carrier design with a continuous, full-length flight deck, but it was not accepted. She was completed on 28 August 1917 and acquired by the RN on 27 February 1917. Construction of the Italian ocean liners Conte Rosso and Giulio Cesare had been suspended by William Beardmore and Company at the outbreak of the war, and both met the Admiralty's criteria. The ship rendezvoused with the other carriers on 5 August for a three-day training exercise to work out co-ordination procedures before the operation commenced and 804 Squadron was deemed not ready for combat. Reclassified as an escort carrier after the completion of her refit, she was relegated to deck-landing training. Palmer Service Record. The revised system was successfully tested aboard the carrier Eagle later in the year and Argus' arresting gear was modified accordingly in time for the 1921 Spring Cruise, during which the ship carried ten Parnall Panther spotter and reconnaissance aircraft and three Fairey IIIC reconnaissance aircraft. HMS Argus. She was ordered to be paid off on 27 January 1944, but this order was apparently revoked as she continued training until 27 September 1944 when the last take-off was made from her deck, a Fairey Swordfish. HMS Argus sports a dazzle paint scheme, 1917. [24] She was sold to Thos W Ward on 5 December 1946 and arrived at Inverkeithing later that month to be broken up. The wires of the arresting gear had been lifted off the deck so they could engage the hooks on the undercarriages of the aircraft, but this prevented the use of the flight deck for any other purpose. In June, she participated in Operation Harpoon, providing air cover for the Malta-bound convoy. Related Material. [15] The same month, the ship was used in trials to evaluate the effects which an island superstructure would have on flying operations, with a canvas-and-wood dummy island being installed with a smoke box to simulate funnel gases. Despite an expedited program to refit her for action, she was only launched on December 2nd, 1917 and, after completing her period of requisite sea trials, was not commissioned until September 16th, 1918. She displaced 14,450 long tons (14,680 t) at standard load and 15,575 long tons (15,825 t) at deep load. The Director of Naval Construction proposed to fit her with a girdle at her waterline to increase her beam and thus her stability. As usual, Argus provided the air cover with a dozen Fulmars from 807 Squadron and Eagle ferried the Albacores and 17 Spitfires to their take-off point for Malta on 19 May. Class Overview . She was converted from an ocean liner that was under construction when the First World War began and became the first example of the standard pattern of aircraft carrier, with a full-length flight deck that allowed wheeled aircraft to take off and land. In 1912, the ship builder William Beardmore had proposed to the Admiralty an aircraft carrier design with a continuous, full-length flight deck, but it was not accepted. In 1912, the ship builder William Beardmore had proposed to the Admiralty an aircraft carrier design with a continuous, full-length flight deck, but it was not accepted. After her return to the United Kingdom, the ship was briefly refitted[28] and she ferried 701 Squadron back to the United Kingdom in late October. [27] Accompanied by the battleship Valiant and escorted by two destroyers, she returned to Liverpool to load 30 Hurricanes with their wings removed. 319–20, 325, 327, 329–30, 333, 336, Shores, Cull and Malizia 1991, pp. Examination of the aircraft revealed that their air coolers had been set to "Winter" rather than "Summer". [12] Formally named after Argus of the 100 Eyes from Greek mythology,[13] Argus was nicknamed the Hat Box or "Ditty Box" or the Flatiron due to her flat-topped appearance. Benn Service Record. Był to pierwszy lotniskowiec o przyjętej obecnie za standard konstrukcji, w której pokład na całej długości od rufy do dziobu okrętu wykorzystywany jest jako pas startowy (tzw. She and the escort carrier Avenger joined a convoy returning to the United Kingdom on the evening of 14/15 November that was spotted by the Germans. The ship carried 2,500 long tons (2,500 t) of fuel oil, which gave her a range of 3,600 nautical miles (6,700 km; 4,100 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph). After commissioning, the ship was involved for several years in the development of the optimum design for other aircraft carriers. [24], Afterwards, the ship returned to the UK to ferry 801 Squadron to Gibraltar and delivered the unit on 7 June. [3], Argus's stability had been a concern from the beginning. After a brief refit, Argus sailed on 14 April for Gibraltar to transfer the replacements to Ark Royal. [44], British naval ship classes of the First World War, British naval ship classes of the Second World War, Shores, Cull and Malizia 1991, pp. Builder's Data. [16], After the ship's return from its cruise, a conference was convened aboard Argus on 19 May to consider revised landing arrangements. This was commonly divided up between one small flight of fighters (Gloster Nightjars or Fairey Flycatchers), one of spotters (Parnall Panthers or Avro Bisons), and one spotter reconnaissance flight with Fairey IIIs. Argus had her genesis in the Admiralty's desire during the First World War for an aircraft carrier that could fly off wheeled aircraft and land them aboard. [6], Argus was designed by Lt.-Col. Holmes of the R.A.F.. The National Archives. Royal Navy Index. HMS Argus (1904) was a coastguard vessel launched in 1904, renamed HMS Argon in 1918 and sold in 1920. Page 2 . They had been planned in 1915 already, to meet a set of requirements laid down by First Sea Lord Admiral Fisher about his cherished Baltic Project. He intended to do this under the 1923–1924 Naval Programme, but this was delayed several times as the ship was needed for training and when she was finally modified it was under the 1925–1926 Naval Programme. It was still under construction when the First World War broke out. She was also fitted with two low-angle 4-inch guns, one also on each side of the hull. Two large cranes were positioned on the quarterdeck, beneath the rear of the flight deck. They were found to cause problems, but no changes were made until the ship was nearly complete. She was purchased for conversion in August, 1916. Battlecruiser HMS Repulse escorted by the destroyers HMS Matabele and HMS Electra arrived at Scapa Flow for refuelling around 1100/11. F Renamed Peninnis and operated by the Isles of Scilly Steamship Company from 1920 to 1926. In 1916 the Beardmore commercial yard was awarded the contract to complete the half-finished Italian liner Conte Rosso, laid down in 1914, as a prototype aircraft carrier. By 1942, the Royal Navy was very short of aircraft carriers and Argus was pressed into front-line service despite her lack of speed and armament. She arrived on 24 April and began a two-week refit after the aircraft were transferred. This page was last modified on 11 September 2019, at 08:18. ... (1917) and separate landing decks in 1918 together with Vindictive (a month behind Argus) Only after that do we get to HMS Argus with a flat deck in Sept 1918. [35], Another attempt to deliver the Albacores and more Spitfires was made during Operation LB. She was laid down in 1914, but construction was suspended, and restarted later. By 19 December, 36 successful landings had been made by Ship Strutters and Sopwith Pups. HMS Argus seen in 1918. HMS Argus was a British aircraft carrier from 1918 until 1944. The ship was reduced to Extended Reserve (four months readiness) at Rosyth in September 1932. Argus became an accommodation ship at Chatham[24] in December[43] and she was approved for scrapping on 6 May 1946. The Bristol Fighters were transferred to Argus by crane). The problems were not rectified until 7 March, when the 15 Spitfires were successfully flown off. The ship was back in the United Kingdom, loading another batch of Hurricanes bound for Gibraltar. HMS Pegasus in a dazzle camouflage, 1918 This John Brown built Ferry for the Great Eastern Railway was named SS Stockholm. This cruise was deemed very successful as 45 landings were made, only two of which resulted in serious accidents, an accident rate comparable to those of land-based units. Even the addition of 600 long tons (610 t) of ballast still left the ship with a very low metacentric height of only 1.6 feet (0.49 m) lightly loaded and 3.8 feet (1.2 m) at deep load. Here's the Shapways3-d printed 1/700 HMS Argus having the WWI dazzle camouflage paint scheme being applied displayed with the Combrig 1/700 Armored Cruiser HMS Drake work in progress; As for the aircraft wing, I'll use some of the AJM 1/700 Vindictive Sopwith Pups' Camels etc for the Argus included in their 1/700 HMS Furious converted battlecruiser/Aircraft carrier kit. Argus delivered 821X Squadron to Gibraltar and was back in the United Kingdom by 14 January 1941. She was commissioned 6 Sep 1918. 15, 16, and 17 august 1943, on board hms argus off lamlash. [11] The ship was commissioned on 16 September 1918. Murray Service Record. Argus was small (15,775 tons) She was only capable of … HMS Argus, HMS Vidette, HMS Wishart and HMS Wrestler arrived at Gibraltar very late on the 14th. Argus was laid down in 1914 by William Beardmore and Company in Dalmuir, as the Conte Rosso. She was renamed after her purchase in September 1916 and was launched on December 2nd, 1917, her building having been slowed by labour shortages. Boucher Service Record. HMS Argus seen in 1918 in the Firth of Forth. Argus was recommissioned and partially modernised shortly before the Second World War and served as a training ship for deck-landing practice until June 1940. She was the world s first example of what is now the standard pattern of aircraft carrier, with a flush deck enabling wheeled aircraft to take off and land. [9] She could accommodate between 15 and 18 aircraft. One Swordfish crashed while landing on 13 June and the wreckage was pushed over the side. [9], The ship was armed with four 4-inch (102 mm) anti-aircraft guns, two on the quarterdeck and one on each side of the hull. [14][22] She was classified as a Target Aeroplane Carrier and recommissioned on 11 August 1938 with Captain W. G. Benn in command. In February 1936, it was decided to refit the ship as a tender for Queen Bee target drones. Eventually, the ship loaded some damaged aircraft and accompanied Eagle back to the United Kingdom on 20 October. [20] Sometime after her return, Argus was laid up at Plymouth at 14-days readiness to save money. Girdling increased her deep displacement to 16,750 long tons (17,020 t) and her beam to 74 feet (22.6 m), and reduced her draught to 22 feet 10 inches (7 m) and her speed by a quarter of a knot. Renamed Riduna and sold to the Alderney Steam Packet Company in 1926. The exhaust gases were, instead, ducted aft in the space between the roof of the hangar deck and the flight deck and were enclosed by a casing through which cooler air was driven by electric fans. [10] No arresting gear was fitted as completed. The first landings on the ship were made on 24 September 1918 by two Sopwith Ship Strutter aeroplanes from the Grand Fleet's airbase at Turnhouse. Argus had her genesis in the Admiralty's desire during the First World War for an aircraft carrier that could fly off wheeled aircraft and land them aboard. [24][25] Together with the battlecruiser Hood and six destroyers, Argus escorted Convoy US-3, loaded with Australian and New Zealand troops, to the United Kingdom in mid-June. [6] Aircraft were transported between the hangar and the flight deck by two aircraft lifts (elevators); the forward lift measured 30 by 36 feet (9.1 m × 11.0 m) and the rear 60 by 18 feet (18.3 m × 5.5 m). Page 3 . Argus had her genesis in the Admiralty's desire during the First World War for an aircraft carrier that could fly off wheeled aircraft and land them aboard. HMS Argus was a British aircraft carrier that served in the Royal Navy from 1918 to 1944. HMS Argus (1917) (Przekierowano z HMS Argus (1918)) HMS Argus – brytyjski lotniskowiec, który służył w Royal Navy w latach 1918–1944. Aircraft Carrier Index. [26] A week later, she ferried Supermarine Walrus amphibians of 701 Squadron to Reykjavík, Iceland. [10], Argus was reduced to Reserve at Portsmouth on 7 May, 1930. [14], After commissioning too late to participate in the First World War, Argus was tasked to conduct deck-landing trials with longitudinal arresting gear transferred from Furious. It was a British ship and was used by the Royal Navy from 1918 to 1944. The two carriers repeated the delivery on 29 March when Eagle flew off seven more Spitfires whilst 807 Squadron provided air cover from Argus. The ship was attacked multiple times by bombs and torpedoes during the battle without effect. Two days later, the two carriers, in Operation Perpetual, sailed to the west of Sicily and flew off their 37 Hurricanes; three of the fighters were lost en route. The National Archives. Conte Rosso was purchased on 20 September 1916, possibly because her machinery was more complete than that of Giulio Cesare, and the company began work on converting the ship. October — First aircraft carrying ship to be sunk in action, (former cruiser) seaplane carrier HMS Hermessunk by U-27. Argus 's stability had been set to `` Winter '' rather than `` Summer '' for Malta well... 20 ] Sometime after her return, Argus was a British ship and was listed for disposal in mid-1946 as. Was still under construction when the First World War and served as a training ship for deck-landing practice until 1940! Was refitted from 23 December to 21 March 1919 with modified arresting gear hit by a on. Was ordered to return to the United Kingdom on 11 September 2019, at 08:18 all her aircraft were.! This page was last modified on 11 September 2019, at 08:18 the latest about... 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