View source for 1942 Design Light Fleet Carrier

{{short description|1940s class of aircraft carriers of the Royal Navy}}
{{redirect|Colossus-class aircraft carrier|text=For other ship classes, see [[Colossus class (disambiguation)]]}}
{{redirect|Majestic-class aircraft carrier|text=For the pre-dreadnought battleships, see [[Majestic-class battleship]]}}
{{Use British English|date=January 2023}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2020}}
{|{{Infobox ship begin}}
{{Infobox ship image
|Ship image=File:HMS Glory SLV Green 1946.jpg
|image_size=
|Ship caption=[[HMS Glory (R62)|HMS ''Glory'']] in 1946
}}
{{Infobox ship class overview
|Name=
|Builders=
|Operators=*{{navy|United Kingdom}}
*{{navy|Argentina}}
*{{navy|Australia}}
*{{navy|Brazil}}
*{{navy|Canada}}
*{{navy|France}}
*{{navy|India|variant=naval-1950}}
*{{navy|Netherlands}}
|Class before=
|Class after={{sclass|Centaur|aircraft carrier|4}}
|Subclasses=*''Colossus'' class
*''Majestic'' class
|Cost=
|Built range=March 1942 – April 1961
|In commission range=December 1944 – October 2001
|Total ships planned=16
|Total ships completed=*8 ''Colossus'' class, plus 2 maintenance carriers
*5 ''Majestic'' class
|Total ships cancelled=1
|Total ships scrapped=15
|Total ships preserved=
}}
{{Infobox ship characteristics
|Header caption=(''Colossus'' class: as designed)
|Ship displacement=*13,200 tons (standard)
*18,000 tons (full load)
|Ship length=*{{convert|690|ft|m|abbr=on}} flight deck
*{{convert|695|ft|m|abbr=on}} overall
|Ship beam={{convert|80|ft|m|abbr=on}}
|Ship draught=*{{convert|18|ft|6|in|m|abbr=on}} standard
*{{convert|23|ft|3|in|m|abbr=on}} full load
|Ship propulsion=*Parsons geared turbines
*4 × [[Admiralty 3-drum boiler]]s
*{{convert|40000|shp|abbr=on}}
*2 propeller shafts
|Ship speed={{convert|25|kn}}
|Ship range={{convert|12000|nmi}} at {{convert|14|kn}}
|Ship complement=1,050
|Ship sensors=
|Ship EW=
|Ship armament=*6 × [[QF 2 pounder naval gun|4-barrelled 2 pounder]] anti-aircraft guns
*16 × twin [[20 mm Oerlikon]] mountings
*All weapons later replaced by [[Bofors 40 mm Automatic Gun L/60|40 mm Bofors]] in varying configurations
|Ship aircraft=Up to 52
|Ship aircraft facilities=
|Ship notes=
}}
{{Infobox ship characteristics
|Header caption=(''Majestic'' class: as designed)
|Ship displacement=*15,750 tons (standard)
*19,500 tons (full load)
|Ship draught=*{{convert|19|ft|6|in|m|abbr=on}} standard
*{{convert|24|ft|9|in|m|abbr=on}} full load
|Ship complement=
|Ship sensors=
|Ship EW=
|Ship armament=30 × [[Bofors 40 mm Automatic Gun L/60|40 mm Bofors]] (6 twin mountings, 18 single mountings)
|Ship notes=Other characteristics as above
}}
|}
The '''1942 Design Light Fleet Carrier''', commonly referred to as the '''British Light Fleet Carrier''', was a [[light aircraft carrier]] design created by the [[Royal Navy during the Second World War]], and used by eight naval forces between 1944 and 2001. They were designed and constructed by civilian shipyards to serve as an intermediate step between the expensive, full-size fleet [[aircraft carrier]]s and the less expensive but limited-capability [[escort carrier]]s.

Sixteen Light Fleet carriers were ordered, and all were laid down to the '''''Colossus'' class''' design during 1942 and 1943. However, only eight were completed to this design; of these, four entered service before the end of the war, and none saw front line operations. Two more were fitted with maintenance and repair facilities instead of [[aircraft catapult]]s and [[arresting gear]], and entered service as aircraft maintenance carriers. The final six were modified during construction to handle larger and faster aircraft, and were re-designated as the '''''Majestic'' class'''. The construction of the six ships was suspended at the end of the war. Five were eventually completed with the last commissioning in 1961; however, the sixth, ''Leviathan'', was dismantled for spare parts and scrap.

Although not completed in time to fight in the war, the carriers in Royal Navy service participated in the [[Korean War]] and the [[Suez Crisis]]. During the latter, two ''Colossus''-class ships performed the first ship-based [[Air assault|helicopter assault]] in history. Four ''Colossus''es and all five completed ''Majestic''s were loaned or sold to seven foreign nations – Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, India, and the Netherlands – with three ships serving in three different naval forces during their careers. Foreign-operated Light Fleets took part in the Korean War, the [[First Indochina War]], the [[Vietnam War]], the [[Indo-Pakistani War of 1971]], and the [[Falklands War]].

Despite being intended as 'disposable warships', all of the completed Light Fleet carriers exceeded their planned three-year service life. The maintenance carriers were the first to be [[paid off]] in the 1950s, and by the 1960s, all of the Royal Navy carriers, (bar {{HMS|Triumph|R16|2}}, which was later recommissioned as a repair ship) had been sold to other nations or for [[ship breaking]]. The carriers in other navies had longer service lives. At the time of her decommissioning in 2001, [[Brazilian aircraft carrier Minas Gerais|''Minas Gerais'']] was the oldest active aircraft carrier in the world. Despite attempts to preserve several of these carriers as [[museum ships]], the last surviving example, {{INS|Vikrant|1961|2}}, was sold for scrapping in 2014.

==Design and construction==
Experiences during the early part of the Second World War had demonstrated to the British that the Royal Navy needed access to defensive air cover for Allied fleets and convoys, which could only be provided by more aircraft carriers.<ref name=Robbins91>Robbins, 2001, p. 91</ref><ref name=Ireland172>Ireland, 2008, p. 172</ref> In mid-1941, the [[Director of Naval Construction]] was instructed to investigate how best to achieve this without the lengthy construction times normally associated with carriers.<ref name=Robbins91/> The options were to refit the surviving [[Hawkins-class cruiser|''Hawkins''-class cruisers]] with flight decks and aviation facilities, convert additional merchant vessels and passenger liners into vessels similar to but more capable than previous [[merchant aircraft carrier]]s, or create a new design for a cheap, lightly armed, and unarmoured ship similar to the American escort carriers.<ref name=Robbins91/> In December 1941, it was decided that a new design was the best option.<ref name=Robbins91/>

This ship was conceived as an intermediate step between the expensive fleet carriers and the limited-capability [[escort carrier]]s.<ref name=Robbins91/> The design had to be as simple as possible so construction time was kept to a minimum and so more shipyards (particularly those with no naval construction experience) could be used.<ref name=Robbins91/><ref name=Harding79.80/> However, the ships had to be capable of operating in fleet actions.<ref name=Preston142>Preston, ''Aircraft Carriers'', p. 142</ref> Originally designated the 'Intermediate Aircraft Carrier', the ships were reclassified as 'Light Fleet Carriers'.<ref name=Konstam24>Konstam, ''British Aircraft Carriers 1939–45'', p. 24</ref> Because naval design staff were overworked, the carrier was primarily designed by shipbuilders at [[Vickers-Armstrong]].<ref name=Ireland172/>

The Light Fleet design, completed at the start of 1942, was effectively a scaled-down [[Illustrious-class aircraft carrier|''Illustrious'']].<ref name=Robbins91/><ref name=Konstam24/> Each carrier would [[Displacement (ship)|displace]] 13,190 tons at standard load and 18,040 tons at [[Displacement (ship)#Full or deep load or loaded displacement|full load]], have a length of {{convert|690|ft|m}} at the [[flight deck]] and {{convert|695|ft|m}} [[length overall|overall]], a maximum [[beam (ship)|beam]] of {{convert|80|ft|m}}, and a [[draught (ship)|draught]] of {{convert|18|ft|6|in|m}} at standard displacement, and {{convert|23|ft|6|in|m}} at full load displacement.<ref name=Fontenoy266/> The hull was built to [[Lloyd's Register|Lloyd's]] specifications for merchant vessels from keel to maindeck, but incorporated better subdivision of compartments to reduce secondary damage by flooding.<ref name=Ireland172/><ref name=Janes68p313>Blackman (ed.), ''Jane's Fighting Ships (1968–69)'', p. 313</ref>

The propulsion machinery was of a similar design to that used in cruisers—some of the steam turbines were sourced from cancelled cruisers.<ref name=Harding79.80>Harding, ''The Royal Navy 1930–2000'', pp. 79–80</ref> The machinery was arranged in two compartments (each containing two [[Admiralty 3-drum boiler]]s and a [[Parsons geared turbine]]), which were staggered ''en echelon'', with the starboard compartment forward of the port.<ref name=Janes68p313/> These provided 40,000 shaft horsepower to two propeller shafts, driving the carriers at a maximum speed of {{convert|25|kn}}, with {{convert|15|kn}} as the designated economical speed.<ref name=Janes68p313/>

The carriers were intended to be 'disposable warships': to be scrapped and replaced at the end of the war or within three years of entering service.<ref name="Hobbs p. 217">Hobbs, in ''The Navy and the Nation'', p. 217</ref> However, all exceeded this planned service life, with one ship operating from 1945 to 2001.<ref name=Harding79/>

===''Colossus'' class===
Construction was approved by the [[British Admiralty|Naval Board]] in February 1942, with the first two ships, {{HMS|Colossus|R15|2}} and {{HMS|Glory|R62|2}}, laid down in March.<ref name=Robbins91/> During 1942 and 1943, another fourteen Light Fleet carriers (named the ''Colossus'' class after the [[lead ship]]) were laid down under the 1942 Programme, to be constructed by eight British shipyards.<ref name=Ireland172/><ref name="Wright, p. 65">Wright, ''Australian Carrier Decisions'', p. 65</ref><ref name=Konstam24.6>Konstam, ''British Aircraft Carriers 1939–45'', pp. 24, 26</ref> Although it was originally planned that each Light Fleet would be ready for service in 21 months, modifications to the design saw the planned construction time increase to 27 months.<ref name=Ireland172/> Even with the omission of several important pieces of backup equipment, only two ships met this target.<ref name=Ireland172/>

The ships were launched from late 1943 onwards, with the first commissioned in December 1944.<ref name=Robbins91/><ref name=Konstam24.6/> However, the delays meant that only four ships ({{HMS|Colossus|R15|2}}, {{HMS|Glory|R62|2}}, {{HMS|Venerable|R63|2}}, and {{HMS|Vengeance|R71|2}}; formed up as the [[11th Aircraft Carrier Squadron]]) were completed before the end of the Second World War,<ref name=Robbins91/> and only eight of the sixteen planned Light Fleets were completed as ''Colossus''-class carriers.

During operational service, the living conditions aboard the ''Colossus''-class ships were criticised, which resulted in the abolition of hammocks in favour of fixed bunks and the introduction of centralised eating arrangements in later warship designs.<ref>Robbins, ''The Aircraft Carrier Story'', pp. 91–2</ref>

===Maintenance carriers===
The impracticality of shore-based repair establishments in the Far East and Pacific theatres of the Second World War saw a requirement for [[List of aircraft maintenance carriers of the Royal Navy|aircraft maintenance carriers]].<ref name=Ireland177>Ireland, 2008, p. 177</ref> Instead of building new ships from scratch, two under-construction ''Colossus''es, {{HMS|Perseus|R51|2}} and {{HMS|Pioneer|R76|2}}, were marked for conversion as they would enter service quicker, and could be converted back into operational aircraft carriers if required, a need which never arose.<ref name=Ireland177/> Both ships were completed before the end of the war, with ''Pioneer'' sailing to the Pacific in company with the 11th Aircraft Carrier Squadron; ''Pioneer'' had repaired 24 aircraft since her arrival in the Pacific.<ref name=Robbins91/><ref name=BisChant62/>

As the ships were designed with the repair and transportation of aircraft in mind, much of the equipment required for carrier flight operations, including control facilities, [[arresting gear]], and [[aircraft catapult|catapult]], were not installed.<ref name=Ireland177/> This space was instead used for additional hangar room, repair and maintenance workshops, and system testing facilities.<ref name=Ireland177/>

===''Majestic'' class===
The six remaining Light Fleet hulls were originally to be completed as ''Colossus''-class ships, but the rapid development of carrier-based aircraft and anti-aircraft weapons required modifications to the original design.<ref name=Ireland173>Ireland, 2008, p. 173</ref> The catapult, arrestor cables, and aircraft lifts had to be upgraded to handle faster and heavier aircraft, while the flight deck was reinforced.<ref name=Ireland173/> Improved weapons and radars were fitted, and equipment to perform [[replenishment at sea]] was installed.<ref name=Ireland173/> The modifications increased the [[full-load displacement]] by 1,500 tons, and the [[draught (hull)|draught]] by {{convert|1|ft|6|in|m}}.<ref name=Ireland173/> This led to the six ships being reclassified as the ''Majestic'' class in September 1945.<ref name=Robbins91/><ref name=Ireland173/> Five carriers were launched before the end of the Second World War, with the sixth launched in late September 1945.<ref>Konstam, ''British Aircraft Carriers 1939–45'', p. 26</ref>

[[File:Majestic class carriers under construction 1944.jpg|thumb|right|''Magnificent'' (left) and ''Powerful'' under construction at Harland and Wolff in 1944]]

Following the war's end, work on the ''Majestic'' class was suspended, then restored to a low-priority status,<ref name=Ireland74/><ref name=Hobbs5/> with the rate of work increasing as foreign nations purchased the ships.{{Citation needed|date=May 2010}} Two, ''Magnificent'' and ''Terrible'', entered service more-or-less as designed, but the next three were heavily upgraded with three British developments allowing the operation of larger, faster, jet-propelled aircraft: the [[angled flight deck]], the [[steam catapult]], and the [[mirror landing aid]].<ref name=Hobbs5/><ref>Hobbs, ''Aircraft Carriers of the British and Commonwealth Navies'', p. 130</ref><ref>Ireland, 2008, pp. 70–1</ref> The sixth, ''Leviathan'', was not completed.<ref name=Hobbs129.30>Hobbs, ''Aircraft Carriers of the British and Commonwealth Navies'', pp. 129–30</ref> Work was suspended in May 1946, and plans to convert her into a commando carrier or missile cruiser, or sell her to a foreign buyer, fell through.<ref name=Hobbs129.30/> During the 1950s, she was used as an accommodation ship in Portsmouth Harbour and, in 1966, her boilers were removed and sold to the shipyard refitting the ''Colossus''-class {{Ship|HNLMS|Karel Doorman|R81|6}} for Argentine service.<ref name=Hobbs129.30/> ''Leviathan'' was scrapped in May 1968.<ref name=Fontenoy353>Fontenoy, ''Aircraft Carriers'', p. 353</ref> None of the completed ''Majestic''-class vessels saw service in the Royal Navy.<ref name=Ireland74/>

In 1943, eight 'Improved ''Majestic''s' were planned, but developments in carrier aviation and the rapid obsolescence of the Light Fleets and the wartime armoured carriers required a larger and more capable design, which became the four-ship [[Centaur-class aircraft carrier|''Centaur'' class]].<ref>Ireland, 2008, p. 178</ref>

==Weapons==

===Aircraft===
{{Expand section|detail the variety of aircraft to serve across the Light Fleets|date=May 2010}}
In the original design, each ship was capable of carrying 41 aircraft.<ref name=Robbins91/><ref name=Ireland172/> A redesign of the available parking area on the flight deck in March 1942 saw the ships' air group expanded to 24 [[Fairey Barracuda]] torpedo bombers and 24 [[Supermarine Seafire]] fighters, or 18 Barracudas and 34 Seafires.<ref name=Robbins91/> In RN service, the Barracuda was later replaced by the [[Fairey Firefly]], and the Seafire was superseded by the [[Hawker Sea Fury]] during the [[Korean War]].<ref name=Ireland72>Ireland, 2008, p. 72</ref> Early in their careers, {{HMS|Glory|R62|2}} and {{HMS|Ocean|R68|2}} were fitted out for night flying operations: these carriers were to embark a 32-strong air group; mixed between Fireflies and [[Grumman F6F Hellcat]]s supplied by the United States as part of the [[Lend Lease]] program.<ref>Robbins, ''The Aircraft Carrier Story'', pp. 91, 284</ref>

To launch and recover aircraft, the carriers were initially equipped with [[hydraulic catapult]]s, [[arresting gear]], and crash barriers.<ref name=Fontenoy266/> Aircraft were stored in a single hangar measuring {{convert|445|by|52|ft|m}}, with a height clearance of {{convert|17|ft|6|in}}.<ref name=Fontenoy266/> This allowed the Light Fleets to later operate aircraft that the fleet carriers, which generally had two hangars with lower clearance in each, could not.<ref name=Ireland172/> The hangar was serviced by two aircraft lifts.<ref name=Fontenoy266/>

===Armament===
The Light Fleets were the first British aircraft carriers where the ship's air group was seen as the 'main armament'; any mounted weapons were to be for close-range anti-aircraft defence.<ref name=Harding79>Harding, ''The Royal Navy 1930–2000'', p. 79</ref> The ''Colossus'' design called for six [[QF 2 pounder naval gun#QF 2-pounder Mark VIII|quadruple barrelled 2 pounder gun mounts]], and 16 twin [[Oerlikon 20 mm cannon]]s.<ref name=Fontenoy266/> Two 4-inch (102&nbsp;mm) guns{{Clarify|QF 4-inch Mk XVI naval gun? single or twin mount?|date=August 2010}} were originally included, but an increase in the design's flight deck length in March 1942 saw them displaced.<ref name=Robbins91/><ref name=Ireland172/> The ships were unarmoured, as increasing the size of the vessels was deemed more important than protection.<ref name=Preston142/>

[[File:HMAS Sydney Bofors guns.jpg|thumb|right|alt=The flank of a ship. Several long-barrelled guns are aimed over the side, and are being operated by sailors. One of the guns has just fired, with a cloud of smoke issuing from the barrel.|Some of ''Sydney''{{'}}s Bofors guns firing during gunnery practice in 1951]]
Lessons learned during the early part of the [[Pacific War]] showed the superiority of the [[Bofors 40 mm L/60 gun|Bofors 40 mm]] gun to other anti-aircraft weapons. By the end of the war, all ''Colossus''-class ships had swapped all their other weapons for Bofors in single and twin mountings, and the ''Majestic'' design had been modified to carry 30 of the guns: 18 single mountings, and 6 twin mountings.<ref name=Fontenoy266/><ref name=Ireland173/> The number of Bofors carried by the Light Fleets was reduced after the war, with British ships carrying only eight.<ref name=Fontenoy266/>

==Royal Navy service==

===Second World War and aftermath===
Although four ''Colossus''-class ships were completed before the end of the war, they did not see front-line action: the war in Europe had proceeded to the point where aircraft carriers were of limited use, and by the time the carriers reached the Pacific, Japan had surrendered.<ref name=Robbins91/><ref name=Ireland172/> The four ships, assigned to the [[British Pacific Fleet]], were instead used for the transportation of returning soldiers and rescued prisoners-of-war, to help alleviate the shortage of troopships and liners.<ref>Wragg, ''A Century of Maritime Aviation'', pp. 152–3</ref> As with the ''Colossus'' class, the maintenance carriers were completed but did not enter active service before the end of the war.<ref name=Robbins91/><ref name=Ireland177/> They were reclassified as Ferry Carriers, and used to transport aircraft to British bases and ships across the world.<ref name=Ireland177/>

During the late 1940s and early 1950s, the carriers were used as testbeds for new aircraft and technology. Throughout late 1945, ''Ocean'' was used to test several new aircraft: the [[Hawker Sea Fury]] and [[de Havilland Sea Hornet]] piston-engine fighters during August, and the [[de Havilland Sea Vampire]] jet-propelled fighter-bomber in December.<ref name=Robbins107>Robbins, ''The Aircraft Carrier Story'', p. 107</ref> On 3 December 1945, a [[de Havilland Vampire|de Havilland Sea Vampire]] became the first jet aircraft to land on a carrier—two months before, ''Ocean''{{'}}s flight deck saw the last landing of a [[Fairey Swordfish]] torpedo bomber.<ref name=Ireland80>Ireland, 2008, p. 80</ref><ref>Konstam, ''British Aircraft Carriers 1939–45'', p. 39</ref> The angled flight deck concept (which would later be installed on several of the ''Majestic''-class carriers) was first trialled aboard ''Triumph'': the straight-line deck markings were removed, and markings for an angled landing painted on.<ref>Ireland, 2008, p. 71</ref> After a two-year loan to Canada, ''Warrior'' served as a testbed for rubberised [[Flight deck#Flexible|flexible decks]] and skid-like [[landing gear]] during 1948 and 1949.<ref name=BisChant62>Bishop & Chant, ''Aircraft carriers'', p. 62</ref> During 1951 and 1952, ''Perseus'' was used as a trials ship for the under-development [[steam catapult]].<ref name=Ireland177/>

===Korean War===
The ''Colossus'' class first saw combat during the [[Korean War]]. Following the invasion of South Korea by North Korea on 25 June, ships of the British Far East Fleet that were operating in Japanese waters, including the carrier {{HMS|Triumph|R16|2}}, were placed under the United States Far East Commander, to operate in retaliation to the invasion under the instructions of the [[United Nations Security Council]].<ref name=Hobbs63>Hobbs. 2004. , p. 63</ref> The first carrier attack began on 3 July 1950, with aircraft from ''Triumph'' and United States carrier {{USS|Valley Forge|CV-45|6}} performing air strikes on North Korean airfields.<ref name=Hobbs64>Hobbs. 2004. , p. 64</ref>

[[File:HMS Glory (R62) off Korea 1951.jpg|thumb|left|HMS ''Glory'' during her 1951 deployment to the Korean War]]
Between them, the ''Colossus''-class carriers ''Triumph'', {{HMS|Theseus|R64|2}}, {{HMS|Glory|R62|2}}, and {{HMS|Ocean|R68|2}}, along with the ''Majestic''-class {{HMAS|Sydney|R17|6}}, maintained a constant British aircraft carrier presence for the duration of the Korean War.<ref name=Hobbs64.6>Hobbs. 2004. , pp. 64–6</ref> The Light Fleets were cheaper to operate than the armoured fleet carriers while providing a similar sized air group, but during the war proved to be slower, less comfortable, and more prone to wear-and-tear than other RN carriers.<ref name=Ireland73>Ireland, 2008, p. 73</ref> Financial and manpower restrictions meant that only one Light Fleet could be deployed to Korea at a time.<ref name=Ireland73/> {{HMS|Warrior|R31|2}} also contributed to the Korean War effort by transporting replacement aircraft from the United Kingdom to British bases throughout the Far East region, which were then drawn upon by the active carriers.<ref>Hobbs. 2004. , p. 65</ref>

Following the end of the Korean War, ''Warrior'' and ''Sydney'' returned to Korean waters on separate deployments, to ensure that the armistice was enforced and hostilities did not re-ignite.<ref>Hobbs. 2004. , p. 67</ref>

{{Clear}}

===Suez Crisis===
{{HMS|Ocean|R68|2}} and {{HMS|Theseus|R64|2}} were part of the British response to the 1956 [[Suez Crisis]].<ref name=Ireland76>Ireland, 2008, p. 76</ref> The two ships were not used as aircraft carriers; instead they were equipped with helicopters and tasked with transporting ashore [[45 Commando]], a battalion of the [[Royal Marines]], in order to secure harbours and other landing points for heavy equipment.<ref>Ireland, 2008, pp. 76–7</ref> This, the first ship-based helicopter assault, was successful, and prompted the development of the [[amphibious assault ship]].<ref>Ireland, 2008, p. 77</ref>

===Decommissioning and disposal===
[[File:14 HMS Triumph Atlantic Jan1972.jpg|thumb|right|alt=A small aircraft carrier underway in calm, open seas. Structures have been built on the ship's flight deck, and additional cranes have been installed. No aircraft can be seen, and a large number of people are clustered around the forward end of the flight deck.|''Triumph'', following her conversion into a repair ship]]

The two maintenance carriers were decommissioned during the 1950s and scrapped: ''Pioneer'' was sold in 1954, and ''Perseus'' in 1958.<ref name=BisChant51>Bishop & Chant, ''Aircraft carriers'', p. 51</ref> With the exception of HMS ''Triumph'', the ''Colossus''-class carriers that remained in RN service were disposed of during the early 1960s.<ref name=Ireland172/> None was significantly modernised during its service life.<ref name=Ireland172/> ''Triumph'' left service in 1958, underwent a major conversion into a Heavy Repair Ship, and re-entered service in 1965.<ref name=Janes68p313/>

==Foreign service==
As Britain was unable to maintain the size of her wartime fleet after the end of the Second World War, several ''Colossus''-class ships were placed into reserve,<ref name=Ireland74>Ireland, 2008, p. 74</ref> while work on the ''Majestic'' class was initially halted at the end of the war, then restored to a low-priority status.<ref name=Ireland74/><ref name=Hobbs5>Hobbs, ''HMAS Melbourne – 25 Years On'', p. 5</ref> Demands for fiscal cutbacks, combined with the rapid obsolescence of the carriers by the development of jet aircraft, saw four of the eight ''Colossus''es and all five completed ''Majestic''s sold off to other nations.<ref name=Fontenoy266>Fontenoy, ''Aircraft Carriers'', p. 266</ref><ref name=Ireland74/>

The majority of the Light Fleets in foreign service were modernised, either during construction or afterwards, to operate jet aircraft. This usually consisted of the installation of an [[angled flight deck]], upgrading the aircraft catapult to be [[Steam catapult|steam-powered]], and installing an [[optical landing system]]: Australian ''Majestic''-class carrier HMAS ''Melbourne'' was the third aircraft carrier in the world, after {{HMS|Ark Royal|R09|6}} and {{USS|Forrestal|CV-59|6}}, to be constructed with these features instead of having them added later.<ref name=Hobbs6>Hobbs, ''HMAS Melbourne – 25 Years On'', p. 6</ref>

===Argentina===
[[File:ARA Independencia.jpg|thumb|ARA ''Independencia'' in 1965]]
After a two-year loan to Canada, and a second period in Royal Navy commission, ''Warrior'' was sold to the [[Argentine Navy]] in 1958, and commissioned as {{Ship|ARA|Independencia|V-1|6}} on 11 November.<ref name=BisChant62/> She was equipped with [[Vought F4U Corsair]], and she was proved unsuitable for the [[Grumman F9F Panther]] jet fighters incorporated in 1963. ''Independencia'' served as the Argentine flagship until she was replaced by the Dutch ''Karel Doorman'' (formerly {{HMS|Venerable|R63|6}}), which was sold on to Argentina in 1969 and commissioned as {{Ship|ARA|Veinticinco de Mayo|V-2|6}}.<ref name=Fontenoy268/><ref>Ireland, 2008, pp. 75, 241</ref> ''Independencia'' was struck from service in 1971 and broken up for scrap.<ref name=Fontenoy268/>

[[File:ARA25mayo 1979 DN-SN-82-09623.jpg|thumb|ARA ''Veinticinco de Mayo'' in 1979]]
''Veinticinco de Mayo'' was initially equipped with F9F Panther and later with [[Douglas A-4 Skyhawk]] jet fighters; these were replaced with French [[Dassault-Breguet Super Étendard|Dassault Super Étendards]] in the 1980s.<ref name=Fontenoy268/> The carrier provided air cover for the [[Occupation of the Falkland Islands]] in April 1982. After hostilities broke out on 1 May 1982, it attempted an attack on the [[British naval forces in the Falklands War|Royal Navy Task Force]] which did not take place, as poor winds prevented the heavily laden A-4Q jets from being launched. She remained confined to port for the rest of the [[Falklands War]], particularly after the British submarine {{HMS|Conqueror|S48|6}} sank the Argentine cruiser {{Ship|ARA|General Belgrano||6}}.<ref name=Fontenoy268/><ref>Ireland, 2008, pp. 92–3</ref> Problems with her propulsion machinery meant that ''Veinticinco de Mayo'' was effectively inoperable from June 1986, although it was not until the start of 1999 that she was marked for scrapping.<ref name=Fontenoy268/><ref name=English1996/>

===Australia===
{{See also|History of Australian naval aviation}}
[[File:HMAS Sydney 1951.jpg|thumb|left|alt=A aircraft carrier at anchor in still waters. Propeller aircraft are visible on her deck.|''Sydney'' at anchor in Korean waters during 1951]]
In 1944, the Australian government suggested that Australian personnel be used to help counteract a personnel shortage in the Royal Navy by manning an aircraft carrier, one or more cruisers, and six destroyers.<ref>Wright, ''Australian Carrier Decisions'', pp. 71, 83–6</ref> The Admiralty deemed a ''Colossus''-class Light Fleet to be the most appropriate aircraft carrier, and ''Venerable'' was initially proposed for transfer to the [[Royal Australian Navy]] as a gift or on loan.<ref>Wright, ''Australian Carrier Decisions'', p. 84</ref> The plan was deferred on the Australian end until a review of manpower requirements across the entire [[war effort]] was completed.<ref>Wright, ''Australian Carrier Decisions'', pp. 92–3</ref> The ship manning proposal was revisited in mid-1945, but the surrender of Germany in May meant that British shortages were not as problematic; as a counteroffer, the purchase of the ''Colossus''-class ''Ocean'' by Australia was suggested.<ref>Wright, ''Australian Carrier Decisions'', pp. 104–5</ref> The Australian government decided against the purchase of ''Ocean'' in June.<ref>Wright, ''Australian Carrier Decisions'', p. 107</ref>

Following the Second World War, a post-war review suggested that the [[Royal Australian Navy]] acquire three aircraft carriers as the core of a new fleet; funding restrictions saw the number of proposed carriers dropped to two.<ref>Donohue, ''From Empire Defence to the Long Haul'', pp. 33, 38, 45–7</ref> To this end, Australia acquired two ''Majestic''-class ships: {{HMS|Terrible|R93|2}}, which was commissioned in 1948 as {{HMAS|Sydney|R17|6}}; and {{HMS|Majestic|R77|2}}, which was upgraded for jet operations and commissioned in 1955 as {{HMAS|Melbourne|R21|6}}.<ref name="Ireland74"/><ref>Donohue, ''From Empire Defence to the Long Haul'', pp. 61, 94</ref> While waiting for ''Majestic/Melbourne'' to finish modernisation, the ''Colossus''-class {{HMS|Vengeance|R71|2}} was loaned to Australia from 1952 until 1955, allowing it to operate a two-carrier fleet.<ref name=Donohue94>Donohue, ''From Empire Defence to the Long Haul'', p. 94</ref>

[[File:HMAS Melbourne (R21) San Diego 1977.jpeg|thumb|''Melbourne'' enters San Diego in 1977]]
The first aircraft carrier acquired by the Royal Australian Navy, ''Sydney'' was deployed to Korea in order to maintain a consistent [[Commonwealth of Nations|Commonwealth]] carrier presence in the conflict.<ref name=Bastock304>Bastock, ''Australia's Ships of War'', p. 304</ref> Operating between September 1951 and January 1952, ''Sydney'' was the first carrier owned by a Commonwealth [[Dominion]] to see combat.<ref name=Hobbs64.6/><ref name=Bastock304/> Reclassified as a training ship in 1955, ''Sydney'' was decommissioned in 1958 but reactivated in 1962 as a fast troop transport.<ref>Bastock, ''Australia's Ships of War'', pp. 304–5</ref> In her troopship role, ''Sydney'' travelled to Vietnam 25 times between 1965 and 1972.<ref>Hobbs, in ''The Navy and the Nation'', p. 228</ref> She was decommissioned in November 1973, and sold to a South Korean company for scrapping in 1975.<ref>Hobbs, in ''The Navy and the Nation'', pp. 228–9</ref>

Although deployed to the [[Far East Strategic Reserve]] on several occasions, and assigned to escort ''Sydney'' to and from Vietnam on three occasions, ''Melbourne'' was not directly involved in any conflict during her career. However, she collided with and sank two [[plane guard]] destroyers—{{HMAS|Voyager|D04|6}} [[Melbourne-Voyager collision|in 1964]], and {{USS|Frank E. Evans|DD-754|6}} [[Melbourne-Evans collision|in 1969]]—which, along with several minor collisions and incidents, led to the reputation that the carrier was [[jinx]]ed.<ref name=Bastock313>Bastock, ''Australia's Ships of War'', p. 313</ref><ref name=Hall9>Hall, ''HMAS Melbourne'', p. 9</ref> ''Melbourne'' was sold to China for scrapping in 1985; instead of being broken up, she was studied as part of the nation's top-secret [[Future Chinese aircraft carrier|carrier development program]], and may not have been dismantled until 2002.<ref name=Storey79>Storey and Ji, ''China's aircraft carrier ambitions'', p. 79.</ref><ref name=Hobbs9>Hobbs, ''HMAS Melbourne – 25 Years On'', p. 9</ref> There were plans to replace ''Melbourne'' with the British carrier {{HMS|Invincible|R05|6}}, but ''Invincible'' was withdrawn from sale following her service in the Falklands War, and a [[1983 Australian federal election|1983 election]] promise to not replace the carrier saw the end of Australian carrier-based fixed-wing aviation.<ref name=Hobbs9/><ref name=Ireland75/>

===Brazil===
[[File:Minas Gerais DN-ST-90-01334.jpg|thumb|''Minas Gerais'' about to launch an S-2 Tracker]]
After ''Vengeance'' was returned from her loan to Australia, she was sold to the [[Brazilian Navy]] on 14 December 1956.<ref name=Fontenoy268/><ref name=Janes68p23/> From mid-1957 until December 1960, the carrier underwent a massive refit and reconstruction at Verolme Dock in Rotterdam; the work performed included the installation of an 8.5-degree [[angled flight deck]] and a [[steam catapult]], strengthening of [[arresting gear]], and reinforcing of the hangar lifts.<ref name=Janes68p23>Blackman (ed.), ''Jane's Fighting Ships (1968–69)'', p. 23</ref><ref name=Ireland245>Ireland, 2008, p. 245</ref><ref name=BisChant82>Bishop & Chant, ''Aircraft carriers'', p. 82</ref> The carrier was commissioned into the ''[[Brazilian Navy|Marinha do Brasil]]'' (MB, Brazilian Navy) as [[Brazilian aircraft carrier Minas Gerais|''Minas Gerais'']] on 6 December 1960.<ref name=Janes68p23/>

The Brazilian carrier was equipped with [[Grumman S-2 Tracker|Grumman S-2E Tracker]] fixed-wing aircraft, and [[Sikorsky SH-3 Sea King|Sikorsky ASH-3D Sea King]], [[Eurocopter AS355 Écureuil 2|AS-355 Ecureuil]], and [[Eurocopter AS332 Super Puma|AS332 Super Puma]] helicopters. Brazilian law prevented the MB from operating fixed-wing aircraft, so two separate air groups had to be embarked.<ref name=English1996>English, ''Latin American Navies still treading water''</ref><ref name=Janes96>Sharpe (ed.), ''Jane's Fighting Ships, 1996–1997'', p. 55</ref> In 1999, the MB acquired [[Douglas A-4 Skyhawk|Douglas A-4KU Skyhawks]]—the first time Brazilian naval aviators were permitted to operate fixed-wing aircraft until the carrier's 2001 decommissioning.<ref name=Fontenoy268/><ref name=Corless>Corless, ''The Brazilian Navy blazes a trail in the South Atlantic''</ref> ''Minas Gerais'' was replaced by [[Brazilian aircraft carrier São Paulo (A12)|NAe ''São Paulo'']] (the former French carrier {{Ship|French aircraft carrier|Foch|R99|2}}).<ref name=BisChant82/>

''Minas Gerais'' was the last of the Second World War-era light aircraft carriers to leave service, and at the time of her decommissioning was the oldest active aircraft carrier in the world.<ref name="Hobbs p. 217"/><ref>Polmar, ''The Naval Institute Guide to the Ships and Aircraft of the U.S. Fleet'', p. 107</ref> The carrier was marked for sale in 2002, and was actively sought after by British naval associations for return to England and preservation as a [[museum ship]], although they were unable to raise the required money.<ref name=telerace>Syal & Lashmar, ''Race to save historic ship from scrap heap''</ref><ref name=Parry/> In December 2003 the carrier was listed for sale on auction website [[eBay]], but was removed because the site's rules prevented the sale of military ordnance.<ref name=teleebay>Tweedie, ''For internet sale: aircraft carrier, only three owners''</ref> Sometime between February and July 2004, the carrier was towed to the [[ship breaking]] yards at [[Alang, India]], for dismantling.<ref name=Parry>Parry, ''Sad end to symbol of city's liberation''</ref>

===Canada===
[[File:HMCS Bonaventure (CVL 22) underway 1961.jpeg|thumb|''Bonaventure'' underway in 1961]]
Following wartime experience showing the effectiveness of naval aviation, the [[Royal Canadian Navy]] decided to acquire an aircraft carrier.<ref name=Ireland231>Ireland, 2008, p. 231</ref> The Canadian government decided to purchase the ''Majestic''-class carrier ''Powerful'', and have her upgraded to modern standards.<ref name=Ireland232>Ireland, 2008, p. 232</ref> The ''Colossus''-class {{HMS|Warrior|R31|2}} was transferred on a two-year loan from 1946 to 1948, so the experience gained by providing ship's companies for two British escort carriers during the war could be maintained.<ref name="Wright, p. 65"/><ref name=Ireland231/> The upgrading of ''Powerful'' took longer than expected, and as ''Warrior'' had to be returned by 1948, ''Magnificent'' was completed to the basic ''Majestic'' design and loaned to the Royal Canadian Navy in 1948 as {{HMCS|Magnificent|CVL 21|6}}.<ref name=Ireland232/> On her return to Britain, ''Warrior'' was used as a trials ship, then modernised before her sale to Argentina.<ref name=BisChant62/> The loan of ''Magnificent'' continued until the completion of ''Powerful'' in 1957, at which point ''Magnificent'' was returned to the British.<ref name=Ireland232/> She was to be sold to another nation, but after no buyers came forward, the carrier was scrapped.<ref name=Ireland232/>

In the meantime, ''Powerful'' had been upgraded to operate jet aircraft.<ref name=Ireland232/> The modifications included an 8° angled flight deck and steam catapult, and she was equipped with American weapons, radars, and jet aircraft instead of their British equivalents.<ref name=Ireland232/> She was commissioned in 1957 as {{HMCS|Bonaventure|CVL 22|6}}.<ref name=Ireland232/> The carrier's design could not keep up with the advances in naval aircraft during the early 1960s,<ref name=Ireland232/> and in 1962, the ship's [[McDonnell F2H Banshee]] fighters were retired, leaving an anti-submarine warfare (ASW) focused air group of [[Sikorsky CH-124 Sea King]] helicopters and [[Grumman S-2 Tracker]] ASW aircraft.{{sfn | Snowie | 1987 | p=152-155}} ''Bonaventure'' received a major mid life refit in 1967,{{sfn | Snowie | 1987 | p=223}} but was withdrawn in 1970 after defence cuts.{{sfn | Snowie | 1987 | p=261-305}}<ref name=Ireland75/> Her departure marked the end of Canadian carrier-based aviation.<ref name=Ireland75>Ireland, 2008, p. 75</ref>

===France===
Lead ship {{HMS|Colossus|R15|2}} was loaned to the [[French Navy]] in August 1946 and renamed {{Ship||Arromanches|R 95|2}}.<ref name=Fontenoy266/><ref name=Ireland74/> The vessel remained in French service, and was purchased outright in 1951.<ref name=BisChant63>Bishop & Chant, ''Aircraft carriers'', p. 63</ref> She was deployed to [[French Indochina]], and operated during the [[First Indochina War]] from 1949 to 1954.<ref name=Fontenoy268>Fontenoy, ''Aircraft Carriers'', p. 268</ref> After the war's end, the carrier was assigned to the Mediterranean.<ref name=Fontenoy268/> She participated in the 1956 Suez Crisis, operating air strikes against Egyptian positions around [[Port Said]].<ref name=Fontenoy268/> A modernisation from 1957 to 1958 saw the installation of a 4° angled flight deck and an optical landing system, allowing ''Arromanches'' to operate [[Breguet Alizé]] anti-submarine aircraft.<ref name=Ireland217>{{harvnb|Ireland|2008|p=217}}</ref>

''Arromanches'' was replaced in active service by the French-built [[Clemenceau-class aircraft carrier|''Clemenceau'' class]], and was converted into a training ship in 1960.<ref name=Fontenoy268/><ref name=Ireland217/> Apart from a short stint as an anti-submarine carrier in 1968, the ship remained in this role until her 1974 decommissioning.<ref name=Fontenoy268/> ''Arromanches'' was broken up for scrap in 1978.<ref name=Ireland217/>

===India===
[[File:INS Vikrant circa 1984 carrying a unique complement of Sea Harriers, Sea Hawks, Allouette & Sea King helicopters and Alize ASW.jpg|thumb|right|''Vikrant'' underway in 1984, with a mix of fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters on the flight deck]]
Work on the ''Majestic''-class {{HMS|Hercules|R49|2}} was suspended in May 1946, with the ship about 75% complete.<ref name=Janes68p130>Blackman (ed.), ''Jane's Fighting Ships (1968–69)'', p. 130</ref> The carrier remained in an unfinished condition until January 1957, when she was purchased by the [[Indian Navy]].<ref name=BisChant64>Bishop & Chant, ''Aircraft carriers'', p. 64</ref> Fitted with an angled flight deck, ''Hercules'' was commissioned into the Indian Navy as {{Ship|INS|Vikrant|1961|6}} in 1961.<ref name=BisChant64/> ''Vikrant'' was not involved in the 1962 [[Sino-Indian War]] or the [[Indo-Pakistani War of 1965|1965 Indo-Pakistani War]] because she was docked for maintenance and refits on both occasions.<ref name=BisChant64/> She did operate during the [[Indo-Pakistani War of 1971|1971 Indo-Pakistani War]], with her air group performing strike and interdiction operations in [[East Pakistan]].<ref name=BisChant64/>

A major upgrade between 1979 and 1982 saw the carrier fitted with a new propulsion system, an updated radar suite, and a 9.75° [[ski-jump ramp]] to be used by [[BAE Sea Harrier#Sea Harrier FRS51|Sea Harriers]].<ref name=BisChant64/> The carrier was last deployed in 1994, and she was decommissioned in 1997.<ref name=BisChant64/> ''Vikrant'' helped the Indian Navy to become the dominant regional power.<ref name=Ireland75/>

[[File:Vikrant Museum Ship.jpg|thumb|right|alt=A small aircraft carrier tied up at a wharf. A helicopter and two aircraft sit on the flight deck. Other ships and skyscrapers are in the background.|The Indian aircraft carrier {{Ship|INS|Vikrant|1961|6}} in 2008]]
Following her decommissioning, ''Vikrant'' was marked for preservation as a [[museum ship]].<ref name=GlobalSecurityVikrant>''R 11 Vikrant'', GlobalSecurity.org</ref><ref name=Tembhekar>Tembhekar, ''No takers for INS Vikrant's museum plan''</ref> ''Vikrant'' was opened to the public by the Indian Navy for short periods, but the inability to find an operating partner, lack of funds, and the deterioration of the ship led to the closure of the museum in 2012, and the sale of the vessel for [[ship breaking]] in early 2014.<ref name=GlobalSecurityVikrant/><ref name=Tembhekar/><ref>{{cite news|author=Nargish Sunavala|location=Mumbai|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Not-museum-but-scrapyard-for-warship-Vikrant/articleshow/29795409.cms |title=Not museum but scrapyard for INS Vikrant|newspaper=The Times of India |date=3 February 2014}}</ref>

===Netherlands===
The [[Royal Netherlands Navy]] acquired the ''Colossus''-class {{HMS|Venerable|R63|2}} in 1948, and commissioned her as {{Ship|HNLMS|Karel Doorman|R81|6}}.<ref name=Ireland75/> Initially, the carrier operated piston-engined aircraft, but underwent modernisation from 1955 to 1958, including a steam catapult, reinforced flight deck and aircraft lifts, and an 8° angled deck.<ref name=Ireland244>Ireland, 2008, p. 244</ref> Between the upgrade and 1964, ''Karel Doorman'' possessed a mixed air group of jet fighters, anti-submarine aircraft, and helicopters; the fixed-wing aircraft were removed in that year.<ref name=Fontenoy268/>

In 1968, ''Karel Doorman'' was heavily damaged by fire.<ref name=Ireland244/> She was repaired with equipment stripped from other Light Fleet carriers in reserve and awaiting disposal.<ref name=Ireland244/> However, before the fire, the Royal Netherlands Navy was reconsidering carrier-based operation, and instead of returning her to service, ''Karel Doorman'' was sold to Argentina.<ref name=Ireland244/><ref name=Ireland241>Ireland, 2008, p. 241</ref>

==Ships==
{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders"
|+ List of ''Colossus''-class ships
! scope="col" | Name
! scope="col" | Builder
! scope="col" | Laid down
! scope="col" | Launched
! scope="col" | Commissioned
! scope="col" | Paid off
! scope="col" | Foreign service and notes
! scope="col" | Fate
|-
| {{HMS|Colossus|R15|2}}
| [[Vickers-Armstrongs#Shipbuilding|Vickers-Armstrong]]<ref name=Konstam46>Konstam, ''British Aircraft Carriers 1939–45'', p. 46</ref>
| 1 June 1942 <ref name=Konstam46/>
| 30 September 1943 <ref name=Konstam46/>
| 16 December 1944 <ref name=Konstam46/>
| 1946
| {{navy|France}}: ''[[French aircraft carrier Arromanches (R95)|Arromanches]]'' (1946–1974) <ref name=BisChant63/>
| Scrapped in France 1978 <ref name=BisChant63/>
|-
| {{HMS|Glory|R62|2}}
| [[Harland and Wolff|Harland & Wolff]]<ref name=Konstam46/>
| 27 August 1942 <ref name=Konstam46/>
| 27 November 1943 <ref name=Konstam46/>
| 2 April 1945 <ref name=Konstam46/>
| 1956
|
| Scrapped in Scotland 1961 <ref name=Janes68p313/>
|-
| {{HMS|Ocean|R68|2}}
| [[Alexander Stephen and Sons|Stephen & Sons]]<ref name=Konstam46/>
| 8 November 1942 <ref name=Konstam46/>
| 8 July 1943 <ref name=Konstam46/>
| 8 August 1945 <ref name=Konstam46/>
| 1960
|
| Scrapped in Scotland 1962 <ref name=Janes68p313/>
|-
| rowspan=2 | {{HMS|Venerable|R63|2}}
| rowspan=2 | [[Cammell Laird]]<ref name=Konstam46/>
| rowspan=2 | 3 December 1942 <ref name=Konstam46/>
| rowspan=2 | 30 December 1943 <ref name=Konstam46/>
| rowspan=2 | 17 January 1945 <ref name=Konstam46/>
| rowspan=2 | April 1947
| {{navy|Netherlands}}: {{Ship|HNLMS|Karel Doorman|R81|6}} (1948–1968) <ref name=Ireland244/>
| rowspan=2 | Scrapped in India 1999 <ref name=Fontenoy268/>
|-
|{{navy|Argentina}}: {{Ship|ARA|Veinticinco de Mayo|V-2|6}} (1969–1999) <ref name=Fontenoy268/>
|-
| rowspan=2 | {{HMS|Vengeance|R71|2}}
| rowspan=2 | [[Swan Hunter]]<ref name=Konstam46/>
| rowspan=2 | 16 November 1942 <ref name=Konstam46/>
| rowspan=2 | 23 February 1944 <ref name=Konstam46/>
| rowspan=2 | 15 January 1945 <ref name=Konstam46/>
| rowspan=2 | 1952
| {{navy|Australia|naval-1913}} HMAS ''Vengeance'' (1952–1955) <ref name=Donohue94/>
| rowspan=2 | Scrapped in India 2004 <ref name=Parry/>
|-
|{{navy|Brazil}}: [[Brazilian aircraft carrier Minas Gerais|''Minas Gerais'']] (1960–2001) <ref name=Fontenoy268/><ref name=Janes68p23/>
|-
| {{HMS|Pioneer|R76|2}}
| Vickers-Armstrong <ref name=Konstam46/>
| 2 December 1942 <ref name=Konstam46/>
| 20 May 1944 <ref name=Fontenoy266/>
| 8 February 1945 <ref name=Konstam46/>
| 1954
| Completed as maintenance carrier <ref name=Ireland177/>
| Scrapped in Scotland 1954 <ref name=BisChant51/>
|-
| rowspan=3 |  {{HMS|Warrior|R31|2}}
| rowspan=3 | Harland & Wolff Ltd.<ref name=Fontenoy266/>
| rowspan=3 | 12 December 1942 <ref name=Fontenoy266/>
| rowspan=3 | 20 May 1944 <ref name=Fontenoy266/>
| rowspan=3 | 2 April 1945
| rowspan=3 | 1946
| {{navy|Canada|naval-1911}} HMCS ''Warrior'' (1946–1948)
| rowspan=3 | Scrapped in Argentina 1971
|-
| Returned to Royal Navy (1948–1958)
|-
|{{navy|Argentina}}: {{Ship|ARA|Independencia|V-1|6}} (1958–1971) <ref name=BisChant62/><ref name=Fontenoy268/>
|-
| {{HMS|Theseus|R64|2}}
| [[Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering Company]]<ref name=Fontenoy266/>
| 6 January 1943 <ref name=Fontenoy266/>
| 6 July 1944 <ref name=Fontenoy266/>
| 9 February 1946 <ref name=Fontenoy266/>
| 1957
|
| Scrapped in Scotland 1962 <ref name=Janes68p313/>
|-
| {{HMS|Triumph|R16|2}}
| [[Hawthorn Leslie and Company|R. & W. Hawthorn Leslie & Company Limited]]<ref name=Fontenoy266/>
| 27 January 1943 <ref name=Fontenoy266/>
| 2 October 1944 <ref name=Fontenoy266/>
| 9 May 1946 <ref name=Fontenoy266/>
| 1975
| Reclassified as repair ship in 1965 <ref name=Janes68p313/>
| Scrapped in Spain 1981
|-
| {{HMS|Perseus|R51|2}}
| Vickers-Armstrong <ref name=Fontenoy265>Fontenoy, ''Aircraft Carrier'', p. 265</ref>
| 1 June 1943
| 26 March 1944 <ref name=Fontenoy265/>
| 19 October 1945 <ref name=Fontenoy265/>
| 1957
| Completed as maintenance carrier <ref name=Ireland177/>
| Scrapped in Scotland 1958 <ref name=BisChant51/>
|}

{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders"
|+ List of ''Majestic''-class ships
! scope="col" | Name
! scope="col" | Builder
! scope="col" | Laid down
! scope="col" | Launched
! scope="col" | Commissioned
! scope="col" | Paid off
! scope="col" | Foreign service and notes
! scope="col" | Fate
|-
| ''Majestic''
| Vickers-Armstrong
| 15 April 1943
| 28 February 1945
| 28 October 1955
| 30 May 1982
| {{navy|Australia}} as {{HMAS|Melbourne|R21|2}}
| Scrapped in China 1985
|-
| ''Terrible''
| [[HMNB Devonport|HM Dockyard Devonport]]
| 19 April 1943
| 30 September 1944
| 16 December 1948
| 12 November 1973
| {{navy|Australia}} as {{HMAS|Sydney|R17|2}}
| Scrapped in South Korea 1975
|-
| ''Magnificent''
| Harland & Wolff <ref name=Ireland232/>
| 29 July 1943
| 16 November 1944
| 21 March 1948 <ref name=Ireland232/>
| 1956
| {{navy|Canada|naval-1911}} as {{HMCS|Magnificent|CVL 21|2}}
| Scrapped in Scotland 1965
|-
| ''Hercules''
| Vickers-Armstrong (construction)<br />Harland & Wolff (fitting out) <ref name=Janes68p130/>
| 14 October 1943 <ref name=Janes68p130/>
| 22 September 1945 <ref name=Janes68p130/>
| 4 April 1961 <ref name=Janes68p130/>
| 31 January 1997
| {{navy|India}} as {{INS|Vikrant|1961|2}}
| Scrapped in India 2014–2015
|-
| ''Leviathan''
| [[Swan Hunter|Swan, Hunter & Wigham Richardson, Limited]]
| 18 October 1943
| 7 June 1945
| {{n/a}}
| {{n/a}}
| Scrapped before completion
| Scrapped in Scotland 1968 <ref name=Fontenoy353/>
|-
| ''Powerful''
| Harland & Wolff <ref name=Ireland232/>
| 27 November 1943
| 27 February 1945
| 17 January 1957 <ref name=Ireland232/>
| 3 July 1970
| {{navy|Canada}} as {{HMCS|Bonaventure|CVL 22|2}}
| Scrapped in Taiwan 1971
|}

==See also==
*[[List of ship classes of World War II]]

==References==
{{reflist|30em}}

==Bibliography==
;Books
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* {{Cite book|title=The Bonnie: HMCS Bonaventure |first=J. Allan |last=Snowie |year=1987 |publisher=The Boston Mills Press |location=Erin, ON |isbn=0-919783-40-6}}
* {{Cite book|last=Wragg |first=David |title=A Century of Maritime Aviation: 1909–2009 |year=2009 |publisher=Pen & Sword Maritime |location=South Yorkshire |isbn=978-1-84884-036-2}}
* {{Cite book|last=Wright |first=Anthony |title=Australian Carrier Decisions: the acquisition of HMA Ships Albatross, Sydney and Melbourne |orig-year=1978 |series=Papers in Australian Maritime Affairs |volume=4 |date=June 1998 |publisher=Sea Power Centre |location=Canberra |isbn=0-642-29503-4 |issn=1327-5658 |oclc=39641731}}
;Journal articles
* {{Cite journal|last=Corless |first=Josh |date=1 June 1999 |title=The Brazilian Navy blazes a trail in the South Atlantic |journal=Jane's Navy International |publisher=Jane's Information Group |volume=104 |issue=6}}
* {{Cite journal|last=English |first=Adrian J. |date=1 May 1996 |title=Latin American Navies still treading water |journal=Jane's Navy International |publisher=Jane's Information Group |volume=101 |issue=3}}
* {{Cite journal|last=Hobbs |first=David |date=Winter 2004 |title=British Commonwealth Carrier Operations in the Korean War |journal=Air & Space Power Journal |volume=18 |issue=4 |pages=62–71 |issn=1555-385X}}
* {{Cite journal|last=Hobbs |first=David |date=October 2007 |title=HMAS ''Melbourne'' (II) – 25 Years On |journal=The Navy |volume=69 |issue=4 |pages=5–9 |issn=1322-6231}}
* {{Cite journal|last=Storey |first=Ian |author2=Ji, You |date=Winter 2004 |title=China's aircraft carrier ambitions: seeking truth from rumours |journal=[[Naval War College Review]] |volume=57 |issue=1 |pages=77–93 |issn=0028-1484 |url=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0JIW/is_1_57/ai_113755343}}
;Newspaper articles
* {{Cite news|url=http://www.hms-vengeance.co.uk/reddoor.htm |title=Sad end to symbol of city's liberation |last=Parry |first=Simon |date=25 July 2004 |work=Sunday Morning Post}}
* {{Cite news|last=Syal |first=Rajeev |author2=Lashmar, Paul |title=Race to save historic ship from scrap heap |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1397428/Race-to-save-historic-ship-from-scrap-heap.html |work=The Daily Telegraph |location=London |date=16 June 2002}}
* {{Cite news|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/No-takers-for-INS-Vikrants-museum-plan/articleshow/5798936.cms |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110811062557/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2010-04-14/mumbai/28118326_1_financial-bids-separate-bids-fresh-bidding |url-status=live |archive-date=11 August 2011 |title=No takers for INS Vikrant's museum plan |last=Tembhekar |first=Chittaranjan |work=[[The Times of India]] |date=14 April 2010 }}
* {{Cite news|last=Tweedie |first=Neil |title=For internet sale: aircraft carrier, only three owners |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/1451338/For-internet-sale-aircraft-carrier%2C-only-three-owners.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080928050730/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/1451338/For-internet-sale-aircraft-carrier,-only-three-owners.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=28 September 2008 |work=The Daily Telegraph |location=London |date=10 January 2004}}

==Further reading==
* {{Cite book |last=Beaver |first=Paul |title=The British Aircraft Carrier |year=1982 |publisher=Patrick Stephens |location=Cambridge |isbn=0-85059-493-6 |oclc=16549144}}
* {{Cite book |last=Friedman |first=Norman |title=British carrier aviation: The evolution of the ships and their aircraft |publisher=Conway Maritime Press |location=London |year=1988 |isbn=0-85177-488-1 |oclc=19526677}}
* {{Cite book |last=McCart |first=Neil |title=The Colossus-Class Aircraft Carriers 1944–1972 |location=Cheltenham |publisher=Fan Publications |year=2002 |isbn=1901225062 |oclc=70281124}}

==External links==
{{Commons category multi|Colossus class aircraft carriers|Majestic class aircraft carriers}}
* [http://www.naval-history.net/xGM-Chrono-00-ClassInfo.htm#cvcol "Colossus class"] at Service Histories of Royal Navy Warships in World War 2

{{1942 design aircraft carrier}}
{{WWII British ships}}

[[Category:Light aircraft carrier classes]]
[[Category:Cold War aircraft carriers of Canada| ]]
[[Category:Cold War aircraft carriers of France| ]]
[[Category:Cold War aircraft carriers of the United Kingdom| ]]
[[Category:Colossus-class aircraft carriers| ]]
[[Category:Korean War aircraft carriers of the United Kingdom| ]]
[[Category:Majestic-class aircraft carriers| ]]
[[Category:World War II aircraft carriers of the United Kingdom| ]]
[[Category:Ship classes of the Royal Navy]]