HMS Ark Royal (R09)

Not to be confused with the other Ark Royals

HMS Ark Royal (R09)

**HMS *Ark Royal* (R09)** was an *Audacious*-class aircraft carrier of the Royal Navy and, when she was decommissioned in 1979, was the Royal Navy's last remaining conventional catapult and arrested-landing aircraft carrier. She was the first aircraft carrier to be equipped with angled flight deck at its commissioning; her sister ship, HMS *Eagle*, was the Royal Navy's first angle-decked aircraft carrier after modification in 1954. *Ark Royal* was the only non-United States vessel to operate the McDonnell Douglas Phantom at sea.

### Operational History

*Ark Royal* participated in many exercises as part of the British fleet and NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) squadrons, but saw no combat duty. She was not involved in the Suez Crisis in Egypt of 1956, about a year after her commissioning; she was on her way there when she ran a main propeller shaft bearing, and had to return to Devonport for a major refit. *Eagle* replaced her at Suez. In 1963, she carried out trials for a new type of Vertical/Short Take Off and Landing (V/STOL) aircraft, the Hawker P.1127, which later developed into the Hawker Siddeley Harrier. The same aircraft, now having been redesigned and developed as the British Aerospace Sea Harrier, was later accepted as the primary strike capability of the future third and last *Ark Royal* from 1980 onwards.

She was part of the Beira Patrol enforcing the naval blockade of Rhodesia in 1965. The 1966 Defence White Paper planned the end of British aircraft carriers in the early 1970s, but she went into dock for her refit to head off dockyard redundancies and the likely political issues. A new government re-examined the case for carriers, finding that shore-based aircraft could not provide adequate cover for British concerns 'East of Suez'.

On 9 November 1970, whilst in the Mediterranean to participate in a NATO exercise, *Ark Royal* collided with *Bravyy*, a Soviet Navy Kotlin-class destroyer which was shadowing her (a common practice during the Cold War). *Ark Royal* was slightly damaged, while the Soviet destroyer sustained minor damage and two missing crew. *Ark Royal*'s commanding officer, Captain Raymond Lygo, was cleared of blame at the subsequent court martial.

The ship featured in the 1960s British television series *Not Only... But Also* starring Peter Cook and Dudley Moore. When commissions ended, items were fired off the catapult into the sea, including pianos and once a toilet complete with paying-off pennant.

By 1970, *Ark Royal* had a complement of 39 aircraft. This typically comprised twelve Phantom FG Mk.1s, of 892 Naval Air Squadron, fourteen Buccaneer S Mk.2s of 809 Squadron, four Gannet AEW (Airborne Early Warning) Mk.3s of B Flight 849 Squadron, six Sea King HAS Mk.1s of 824 Squadron, two Wessex HAR Mk.1s of the Ship's Flight, and one Gannet COD Mk.4, later replaced by an AEW3. The Buccaneers doubled as tanker aircraft, using buddy refuelling pods, and as long-range reconnaissance aircraft with bomb bay-mounted camera packs. In July 1976, she represented Britain at the United States Bicentennial Celebration in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

In 1972, the Buccaneers aboard *Ark Royal* took part in a long-range strike mission over British Honduras in Central America shortly before its independence as a constitutional monarchy named Her Majesty's Government of Belize to deter a possible invasion by Guatemala, which had long-standing territorial claims.

In 1977, under the flag of Admiral Sir Henry Leach KCB Commander-in-Chief Fleet, *Ark Royal* led the Royal Navy's tribute to and celebrations of Queen Elizabeth II's Silver Jubilee at Spithead.

In the mid-1970s, the ship made a return to television. A major BBC documentary series, one of the earliest fly on the wall documentaries, *Sailor* was made, showing life on board the ship during a February-to-July 1976 Western Atlantic deployment. Her commanding officer at this time was Captain Wilfred Graham, a later Flag Officer Portsmouth, and the ship's Commander (executive officer) was Commander David Cowling. The theme tune for the programme was Sailing by Rod Stewart – a song that came to be associated with the ship and her successor. She visited Fort Lauderdale, Florida, from 30 May until 14 June 1978.

She entered HMNB Devonport on 4 December 1978; 44 years ago, and decommissioned on 14 February 1979; 44 years ago. Like her sister *Eagle*, she had a relatively short (24 year) life, and when the White Ensign lowered for the last time, the Royal Navy no longer had fixed-wing aircraft at sea, a situation that persisted until the acceptance into service of HMS Invincible in March 1980 and the completion of the conversion of HMS Hermes to operate the Sea Harrier in mid-1981. On 29 March 1980; 43 years ago, the Ministry of Defence (MOD) announced that she would be sold for scrap, and so ended plans to preserve her. She left Devonport on 22 September 1980 under tow, to be scrapped at Cairnryan near Stranraer in Scotland, arriving on 28 September. When arriving at the breakers, her sister ship *Eagle* was in the final process of being broken up there. Breaking-up of *Ark Royal* took until 1983. During this period, many former crew travelled to the breakers' jetty at the remote corner of Loch Ryan to pay their last respects; some were reduced to tears when seeing the ship being torn to pieces. However, various parts of the ship remain as souvenirs or memorials; for instance, an anchor (along with an anchor from her sister ship *Eagle*) outside the Fleet Air Arm Museum at RNAS Yeovilton. One of her other anchors is in Armada Way, Plymouth, near Plymouth Hoe.