Arromanches (R 95)

The fourth and last HMS Colossus (R15) had a relatively brief time with the Royal Navy. She was the name-ship of the Colossus-class light fleet aircraft carriers, which were smaller derivatives of the Illustrious-class carriers. She was launched in 1943 and commissioned in 1944. She served with the British Pacific Fleet 1945-46, prior to being loaned to France.

She was renamed Arromanches in 1946 and lent to the French Navy. While in French service, she participated in the First Indochina War in 1948 for three months. She was later purchased by the French in 1951. In the following year, she returned once again to Indochina, this time as French warship. These modifications allowed her to operate Breguet Alizé aircraft.

In 1968 she was converted to an anti-submarine warfare (ASW) carrier, operating up to 24 helicopters. She was decommissioned in 1974 after a long career with the French Navy. She was broken up at Toulon in 1978.

Design and construction

This ship was intended to address the Royal Navy's shortage of carriers, being cheaper and quicker to construct than a fleet carrier, but far more combat-worthy than the escort carriers which provided air cover to the Atlantic convoys. 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.

Weapons and systems

Radars

In 1947 she had for air scanning only, one 79B, for air and surface scanning, one 277 and one 281B. With those she also had a target indicator, a 293. Then in 1954 she still had in her possession a 281B for air and surface scanning a 291B and a 277. Arromanches also still had a 293 as her target indicator. Still for air scanning only she had the 79B, but she also gained later that year a YE and for navigation a DRBN-30. In 1959 she was down-graded and only had a YE in her possession left. That year she gained new scanning equipment. She had a DRBV-22 for air scanning and for surface scanning and navigation a new DRBV-31. And finally in 1972 she was fully downgraded and had her YE removed, but kept her DRBV-22 and her DRBV-31 for air, surface, and navigation consecutively.

Armament

Weaponry

During her time in military service she had twenty-four Vickers Armstrongs 2 pounder guns, thirty-two Oerlikon 20 mm guns, later replaced in 1945 by twenty-one Bofors 40 mm guns and four Vickers 3 pounder guns.

Aircraft

During her time in service, before 1968 she also carried the Breguet Br-1050 Alizé, the Chance Vought F4U-7 Corsair, the Grumman F6F-5 Hellcat, the Fouga Zéphyr CM-175, the Curtiss SB2C-5 Helldiver, the Douglas SBD-5 Dauntless, the de Havilland SNCASE Aquilon, the Supermarine Seafire Mk III and XV, and the Grumman TBM Avenger. During her time in service, after 1968, she further carried the Alouette II and III, the Sikorsky S-51, the H-19D (S-55), and the HSS-1 (S-58), the Piasecki H-21 and the HUP-2, and the Fieseler MS-500 Criquet.

Aeronautical installations

Se had a regular flight deck (211 x 24. 50 m), the catapult (at the bow of the ship), two lifts (13. 72 x 10. 36 m wide), and a hangar (104. 24 x 15. 85 m wide) fitted (in 1964) to accommodate 13 TBMs, 2 HUP-2s or 15 F4Us and 2 HUP-2.

Commission and Role

The plans for the construction were laid down 1 June 1942 at the Vickers-Armstrongs shipyard. It was then launched the 30 September 1943 and commissioned on the 16 December 1944. Arromanches (Colossus) was the fourth and last of the Colossus-class and had a relatively brief time with the Royal Navy. She was the name-ship of the Colossus-class light fleet aircraft carrier. She was also tasked with intervention/assault, training, and fast military transport.

Operational History

Royal Navy

She served with the British Pacific Fleet from 1945-46. While serving with them she held 24 Corsairs, and 18 Barracudas. Colossus had two serving squadrons while with the BPF, the 827 Barracuda Naval Air Squadron and 1846 Corsair Naval Air Squadron.

French Navy

Colossus was then loaned to France as the Arromanches from August 1946. While in French service, she participated in the First Indochina War in 1948 for three months. She returned to France in 1949 and was purchased by the French in 1951. November 3rd 1956, Eighteen F4U Corsair aircraft coming from the Lafayette and the Arromanches struck Cairo airfield during the Suez Crisis. She was reconstructed with a four degree angled flight deck in 1957-58. During this time Arromanches was outfitted to become an anti-submarine warfare and training carrier. The overhaul allowed her to begin operating Breguet Alizé ASW aircraft starting in 1959. Also in 1959 she returned once again to Indochina, this time as a fully fledged French warship. Arromanches was fully converted to a helicopter ASW carrier in 1968 with up to 24 helicopters. By then the ship was no longer designated as a training carrier.

Positions

Commanding Officers

Commanding officers
Rank	Name	Starting date	Rank	Name	Starting date
Captain (Royal Navy)	Stokes	August 6th 1946	CV	Thabaud	June 25th 1962
Capitaine de vaisseau (CV)	Caron	July 18th 1947	CV	Huet	September 9th 1963
CV	Sap	October 25th 1948	CV	Midoux	November 16th 1964
CV	Jubelin	May 13th 1950	CV	Fayard	October 12th 1965
CV	Monaque	December 19th 1951	CV	Eschbach	October 14th 1966
CV	Granger-Veyron	August 14th 1952	CV	Granry	October 30th 1967
CV	Lahaye	August 29th 1953	CV	Birden	October 4th 1968
CV	Patou	October 30th 1954	CV	Chossat de Montburon	December 24th 1969
CV	Bailleux	April 22th 1956	CV	Chaumeil	December 3rd 1970
CV	Philippon	October 5th 1957	CV	Karcher	December 17th 1971
CV	Ferran	July 11th 1959	CV	Lauru	March 20th 1973
CV	Vilbert	December 19th 1959	CV	Fatou	January 22nd 1974
CV	Ortolan	January 12th 1961

Crew

In peace and war time the crew differed greatly, but at both times the officers were of a lesser number forty-two in peace-time and sixty in war. Petty officers were also of lesser number than the regular crew but of a greater number than the officers with 145 in peace-time and 171 in war. The regular crew consisting of men and sailors was of the greatest number. The total was more than the combined number of officers and petty officers with 516 in peace and 613 in war.

Decommissioning and fate

In the mid-1950s she was replaced in the first-line role. At the end of her life, she was used as a training carrier and as a helicopter carrier for the French Marine Corps by 1968 with no aircraft. The ship was decommissioned on 22 Jan 1974, and broken up at Toulon in 1978, a place of importance for both the first Colossus in 1793, and the last in 1978.