Arromanches (R 95)

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Career	-

Ordered:
Laid down:
Launched:	1943
Commissioned:	1944
Decommissioned:	1974
Fate:	broken up
Struck:	1978
General Characteristics
Displacement:	13,400 tons (13,600 t)
Length:	695 ft (212 m)
Beam:	80 ft (24 m)
Draught:	23.5 ft (7.2 m)
Propulsion:	Steam Turbines (4 Admiralty 3-drum boilers, Parsons geared turbines)
Speed:	25 knots (46 km/h)
Range:
Complement:	1,300
Armament:
Aircraft:	48
Motto:

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, and were basically smaller derivatives of the Illustrious-class carriers. She was launched in 1943 and commissioned in 1944. She served with the British Pacific Fleet from 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 Indochina war in 1948 for three months. She returned to France in 1949 and was purchased by the French in 1951. The following year, she returned once again to Indo-China, this time as a fully fledged French warship. Between 1958-59 she was reconstructed with a 4 degree angled flight deck.

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 and faithful career with the French Navy. She was broken up at Toulon in 1978, a place of importance for both the first Colossus in 1793, and the last in 1978.

[edit] Colossus class statistics

Displacement: 13,400 tons (13,600 t)
Length: 695 ft (212 m)
Beam: 80 ft (24 m)
Draught: 23.5 ft (7.2 m)
Speed: 25 knots (46 km/h)
Compliment: 1,300
Aircraft: 48
Propulsion: Steam Turbines (4 Admiralty 3-drum boilers, Parsons geared turbines)