HMS Warrior (R31)

HMS Warrior near Gibraltar
History
United Kingdom
NameHMS Warrior
BuilderHarland and Wolff
Laid down12 December 1942
Launched20 May 1944
Commissioned2 April 1945
IdentificationPennant number: R31
FateTransferred to the Royal Canadian Navy
Canada
NameHMCS Warrior
Commissioned14 March 1946
Decommissioned23 March 1948
Motto"Haul together"[1]
FateReturned to Royal Navy
BadgeAzure, the head and shoulders of a Viking proper wearing the typical Viking helmet argent, wings or, coat of mail argent trimmed or[1]
United Kingdom
NameHMS Warrior
CommissionedNovember 1948
DecommissionedFebruary 1958
FateSold to Argentina in 1958
Argentina
NameARA Independencia
Commissioned8 July 1959
Decommissioned1970
IdentificationPennant number: V-1
FateScrapped in Argentina in 1971
General characteristics as built
Class and typeColossus-class aircraft carrier
Displacement18,300 long tons (18,600 t)
Length
  • 630 ft 0 in (192.0 m) pp
  • 695 ft 0 in (211.8 m) oa
Beam80 ft 0 in (24.4 m)
Draught23 ft 3 in (7.1 m)
Propulsion
Speed25 knots (46 km/h)
Range12,000 nmi (22,224 km) at 14 kn (26 km/h)
Complement1,300 (max)
Armament

HMS Warrior was a Colossus-class light aircraft carrier which was ordered in 1942 by the British Royal Navy during World War II. Construction was finished in 1945 and upon completion, the aircraft carrier was loaned to the Royal Canadian Navy from 1946 to 1948 as HMCS Warrior. Warrior was returned to the Royal Navy in 1948 and entered service with the British. While in service with the Royal Navy, Warrior was modernised twice, including the installation of an angled flight deck in 1956. In 1948–1949, the ship was used in aircraft landing experiments and fitted with a rubber flight deck and in 1957, was used as the headquarters ship during nuclear testing at Christmas Island. In 1958, the vessel was sold to the Argentine Navy and entered Argentine service in 1959 as ARA Independencia. The aircraft carrier remained in service until 1970 when Independencia was placed in reserve. The following year, the ship was sold for scrap.

  1. ^ a b Arbuckle 1987, p. 127.