HMS Vengeance (R71) | Military Wiki | Fandom powered by Wikia Taken from: [1] [2] </td></tr> HMS Vengeance (R71) was a Colossus class light aircraft carrier built for the Royal Navy during World War II. The carrier served in three navies during her career: the Royal Navy, the Royal Australian Navy (as HMAS Vengeance, from 1952 to 1955), and the Brazilian Navy (as Minas Gerais (A 11) , from 1956 to 2001). Constructed during World War II, Vengeance was one of the few ships in her class to be completed before the war's end, although she did not see any active service. The ship spent the next few years as an aircraft transport and training carrier before she was sent on an experimental cruise to learn how well ships and personnel could function in extreme Arctic conditions. In late 1952, Vengeance was loaned to the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) as a replacement for the delayed aircraft carrier HMAS Melbourne .

She remained in Australian waters, operating as an aircraft carrier and training ship, for the majority of her three-year loan, and was returned to the Royal Navy (RN) in August 1955. Instead of returning to RN service, the carrier was sold in 1956 to Brazil, and entered service after major upgrades, which allowed the ship to operate jet aircraft. Renamed Minas Gerais, the carrier remained in operation until 2001. Several attempts were made to sell the ship, including a listing on eBay, before she was sold for scrap and taken to Alang for breaking up. Contents When commissioned into the RAN in 1952, the weapons outfit included 12 Bofors 40 mm guns and 32 Oerlikon 20 mm cannon . [2] Aircraft Edit During her service in the RAN, Vengeance carried a squadron each of Hawker Sea Furies and Fairey Fireflies . [2] The carrier's air group included three Bristol Sycamore , acquired by the RAN after observing the performance of a United States Navy Sycamore operating from HMAS Sydney during her Korean War deployment .

[6] Although not the first helicopters to see military service in Australia (that title belonging to a Sikorsky S-51 of the Royal Australian Air Force ), the Sycamores formed the first Australian military helicopter squadron, and led to the establishment of Australia's first helicopter pilot school. [7] All three helicopters were brought out from England aboard Vengeance. [7] Operational history Edit On 11 March 1945, Vengeance left the River Clyde for working-up trials in Malta. [8] These were completed by 21 May, when she was assigned to the 11th Aircraft Carrier Squadron of the British Pacific Fleet . [8] The carrier sailed to Sydney via Alexandria, Port Said, Trincomalee, and Fremantle, arriving on 26 July. [8] While alongside in Sydney, eight Oerlikons were replaced with eight single Bofors 40 mm guns ; these guns provided better protection against Japanese kamikaze aircraft. [2] Vengeance was assigned to Task Group 111.2 of the British Pacific Fleet, and was to be deployed as part of the force attacking Japanese-held Truk, but did not leave Sydney until the war ended.

[8] [9] Following the end of the war Vengeance was ordered to Hong Kong, and on 3 September was used as the venue for the Japanese surrender of the territory. [9] She remained in the area until the end of 1945, sailed to Australia for a refit, then returned to Hong Kong. [4] In April 1946, Vengeance delivered No. 11 and No. 17 Squadrons of the Royal Air Force to Miho, Ibaraki in Japan, where they were assigned as part of British Commonwealth Occupation Force . [10] Vengeance remained in Eastern waters until 20 July 1946, when she departed for England. [8] The ship arrived at Devonport on 13 August after visiting Trincomalee, and at the end of the year was reassigned as a Scotland-based training carrier. [4] [8] Vengeance visited Oslo and Trondheim in June 1947, with First Sea Lord Sir John Cunningham aboard. [8] During early 1948, the carrier was attached to the 3rd Aircraft Carrier Squadron , part of the British Home Fleet .

[8] She visited St Helena in October, and cruised with the Squadron in South African waters until mid-November. [8] On her return to the UK, Vengeance was converted for Arctic conditions, and from 5 February 1949 to 8 March 1949 operated in Arctic waters as part of Operation Rusty: an experimental cruise to determine how well ships, aircraft, and personnel functioned in extreme cold. [8] [11] Loan to Australia Edit In June 1951, following the receipt of advice that the Australian aircraft carrier HMAS Melbourne would not be completed until at least March 1954, the Australian Defence Committee recommended that Australia request that the RN loan a carrier to the RAN. [12] The new predicted date of completion for Melbourne was 21 months later than previous predictions, on which the establishment of two-carrier naval aviation in the RAN had been dependant. [12] The Navy sought a four-year loan of an aircraft carrier from late 1952 to late 1956, to cover both the delays with Melbourne and the planned upgrading of HMAS Sydney once Melbourne was in service.

[12] The Australian government proposed that the loaned carrier be modified to operate both Sea Venom and Gannet aircraft, so that Melbourne and the loaned carrier could both see active service while Sydney was upgraded, but withdrew the suggestion when informed by the Admiralty that providing such capability would require the installation of a new arrestor cable system, prevent the loaned carrier from entering service until at least March 1954, and would be paid for entirely by Australia. [13] Several smaller modifications were approved and paid for by Australia, including the installation of additional aircrew accommodation. [12] Vengeance was the carrier selected for the loan, and modifications for Australian service were completed in January 1952. [14] In order to provide personnel for the loaned carrier, the RAN had to place the light cruiser HMAS Hobart into reserve. [12] The loan was approved, with the British government choosing not to charge Australia for the loan, but stating that all operational costs would be met by the RAN, including the initial outfit of stores.

[12] In mid-1952, the liner Asturias was chartered by the RAN to transport a commissioning crew to England. [14] RAN service Edit Vengeance was transferred to the Royal Australian Navy on 13 November 1952. [15] She was recommissioned as an Australian ship on this date, and received the prefix HMAS . [4] Departing from Devonport at the end of 1952, the carrier sailed to Australia via the Mediterranean, and arrived in Fremantle on 26 February 1953. [8] She reached Sydney in March, and was marked as fully operational in June. [7] In late 1953, Vengeance was prepared for a deployment to Korea, to support the United Nations enforcement of the July 1953 armistice. [16] The deployment did not go ahead: HMAS Sydney was sent instead.

[16] The ship's company of Vengeance, arranged on the flight deck to recreate the signature of Queen Elizabeth II From February until April 1954, Vengeance was tasked with escorting the Royal Yacht Gothic through Australian waters during the Royal Visit of Queen Elizabeth II to Australia. [4] On 9 March 1954, while in Port Philip Bay, a whaler transporting 30 sailors to the carrier hit a series of freak waves and capsized. [17] Two sailors were killed. [17] Navy divers were involved in rescuing the survivors, with one earning the British Empire Medal for his efforts. [18] On 3 April, while escorting Gothic to the Cocos Islands with the destroyers Bataan and Anzac accompanying, Vengeance's ship's company assembled on the flight deck and positioned themselves to form the Queen's signature.

[4] [19] After later seeing an aerial photograph of this, Queen Elizabeth had a message sent to the carrier, saying "Thank you for the original forgery." [20] On 5 April, after arriving at the Cocos Islands, Vengeance was involved in a collision with Bataan while the destroyer attempted to refuel from the carrier. [4] Bataan's bow made contact with Venegance's side, but the damage was minor, and both ships returned to Sydney in May without assistance, after visiting Manus Island and Rabaul. [4] [21] In June 1954, Vengeance was removed from active service and reclassified as the RAN's primary training ship. [16] [22] The previous training ship, the cruiser HMAS Australia , had been earmarked in mid-1953 to be decommissioned and scrapped, as modernising her would have been uneconomical. [23] At the same time, the RAN was exploring avenues to reduce operating costs: the reduction of naval aviation from two active carriers to one would provide significant savings.

[24] The removal of Vengeance from active service, combined with the need to find a replacement training ship for Australia which was large enough to accommodate the large number of National Service trainees , saw the carrier placed in the training role. [25] On 31 August, Vengenace accompanied Australia during the latter's final voyage before decommissioning. [26] The carrier sailed to Japan in late October; her first departure from Australian waters while in RAN service. [8] Vengeance returned to Australia in November, after collecting No. 77 Squadron RAAF . [6] Return to Britain and sale to Brazil Edit In May 1955, Sydney assumed Vengeance's training carrier duties as well as her own flagship and operation duties, while the latter carrier was prepared for the return to England. [27] Vengeance left for the UK in June, stopping in Singapore to collect a squadron of RN helicopters. [27] Arriving on 13 August, her RAN crew prepared the carrier for reserve, and Vengeance was decommissioned on 25 October.

[2] [4] The personnel were used as the first ship's company of Melbourne , which was commissioned on 28 October 1955. [4] Vengeance was not reactivated for RN use, and on 14 December 1956, the carrier was sold by the Admiralty to Brazil for US$9 million. [3] From mid-1957 until December 1960, the carrier underwent a massive refit and reconstruction at Verlome Dock in Rotterdam, which cost US$27 million. [3] Modifications included the installation of an 8.5-degree angled flight deck , a more powerful steam catapult, stronger arresting gear, reinforced hangar elevators, and a mirror landing aid . [28] [29] This was to allow the operation of jet aircraft, which were larger, faster, and heavier than the propeller aircraft previously operated by the carrier. [28] A new superstructure was fitted, including a large lattice mast to support a new radar suite and fire control system. [3] [28] [29] Boiler capacity was increased, and the internal electrics were converted to AC power.

[3] The length of the modernisation refit meant that while the carrier was the first purchased by a Latin American nation, she was the second to enter service; another Colossus class carrier entered service with the Argentine Navy as ARA Independencia in July 1959. [30] The carrier was commissioned into the Marinha do Brasil (MB, Brazilian Navy) as NAeL Minas Gerais on 6 December 1960. [3] She departed Rotterdam for Rio de Janerio on 13 January 1961. [3] MB service Main article: Brazilian aircraft carrier Minas Gerais In 1965, President Humberto de Alencar Castello Branco outlawed the operation of fixed-wing aircraft by the MB; this remained the responsibility of the Força Aérea Brasileira (FAB, Brazilian Air Force). [31] As a result, Minas Gerais was required to embark two air groups: the Navy operated helicopters while the Air Force operated S-2 Tracker aircraft. [32] Consequently, the ship spent most of her Brazilian career operating as an anti-submarine warfare carrier.

[33] Minas Gerais underway during 1984 Minas Gerais underwent another major refit from 1976 to 1981, during which her radar suite was updated, datalinks were installed, and the ship's life expectancy was increased to the 1990s. [29] From 1986, engine and funding problems saw the Argentine Navy's ARA Veinticinco de Mayo confined to port, making Minas Gerais the only operating carrier in the South American region. [32] From July 1991 to October 1993, the carrier underwent another modernisation refit; the work included refurbishment of her propulsion system, upgrades to the command and control system and radars, and replacement of the ship's Bofors with Mistral surface-to-air missiles.

[34] [35] In 1999, the MB acquired 20 A-4KU Skyhawks and 3 TA-4KU trainer aircraft from the Kuwait Air Force ; the first time since the carrier's commissioning that Forca Aeronaval da Marinha (Brazilian Navy Aviation) had been permitted to own and operate fixed-wing aircraft. [33] Decommissioning and fate Edit Minas Gerais was decommissioned on 16 October 2001: the last of the World War II-era light aircraft carriers to leave service. [5] [36] At the time of her decommissioning, she was the oldest active aircraft carrier in the world (a title passed on to the 1961-commissioned USS Kitty Hawk ). [37] 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. [38] [39] Just before Christmas 2003, the carrier was listed for sale on auction website eBay by a user claiming to be a shipbroker representing the owner.

[40] Bidding reached £4 million before the auction was removed from the website under rules preventing the sale of military ordnance. [40] An auction in Rio de Janeiro in February 2004 also failed to sell the ship. [39] Sometime between February and July 2004, the carrier was towed to the ship breaking yards at Alang, India for dismantling. [39] Citations ↑ 29.0 29.1 29.2 Bishop & Chant, Aircraft carriers, p. 82 ↑ English, Focus on Latin American Navies, p. 56 ↑ Jane's Navy International, Carrier Aviation – Skyhawks set to land on Brazilian carrier, p. 6 ↑ 32.0 32.1 English, Latin American Navies still treading water ↑ 33.0 33.1 Corless, The Brazilian Navy blazes a trail in the South Atlantic ↑ Scott & Starr, Carrier aviation at the crossroads ↑ Sharpe (ed.), Jane's Fighting Ships, 1996–1997, p.

55 ↑ Navy News (Australia), Campaign to save the Vengeance ↑ Polmar, The Naval Institute Guide to the Ships and Aircraft of the U.S. Fleet, p. 107 ↑ Syal & Lashmar, Race to save historic ship from scrap heap ↑ 39.0 39.1 39.2 Parry, Sad end to symbol of city's liberation ↑ 40.0 40.1 Tweedie, For internet sale: aircraft carrier, only three owners References On This Day » NHSA On This Day: All entries << Previous 5 10 15 20 25 47 48 49 50 51 55 60 65 70 75 Next >> 22 Feb 1952 HMAS SYDNEY, (aircraft carrier), departed Korean waters on completion of her offensive air operations against the North Koreans. During her six months in Korea her aircraft conducted 2366 sorties, and three aircrew were killed in action. Her aircraft were used mainly to strike against enemy lines of communication, troop concentrations, and industrial targets.

01 Mar 1952 HMAS VOYAGER, (Daring class destroyer), was launched at Cockatoo Island, Sydney. 07 Apr 1952 No.723 Squadron, RAN Fleet Air Arm, was formed. The squadron was equipped with one Dakota, one Wirraway, two Sea Furies and one Sea Otter amphibian aircraft. 10 Apr 1952 HMAS INVERELL, (minesweeper), was transferred to the RNZN. 22 Apr 1952 HMS NARVIK, (LST), departs Fremantle bound for the Monte Bello Islands, off the north western coast of Australia, in support of the British atomic tests, (Operation Hurricane), conducted there during May. A number of Australian ships, including HMAS HAWKESBURY, (frigate), were also involved. 25 Apr 1952 HMAS WARRAMUNGA, (Tribal class destroyer), joined the USS IOWA, (battleship), in the bombardment of Communist positions at Chongjin, Korea. 19 May 1952 Operation Round Up took place off the Korean Peninsula.

The Battle class destroyer HMAS BATAAN, (CMDR W. S. Bracegirdle DSC and Bar, RAN), provided close support to South Korean commandos, who landed at Ponggu Myon. Early in the action BATAAN was hit on the stern by an enemy shell, and Bracegirdle manoeuvred his ship close in to the shore, and silenced the enemy guns with heavy fire. Aircraft from HMS OCEAN, (aircraft carrier), also flew close support missions during the attack on Ponggu Myon. In an action lasting seven hours, the South Koreans destroyed 27 enemy positions and killed 120 North Korean soldiers. For gallantry in this action, CMDR Bracegirdle was awarded a second Bar to his DSC, and SBLT J. L. Jobson, RAN, and LS S. R. Smith were both awarded a MID. 24 May 1952 HMA Ships KIAMA and STAWELL, (minesweepers), were transferred to the RNZN. 14 Jun 1952 HMAS ECHUCA, (minesweeper), was transferred to the RNZN.

The vessel was decommissioned and broken up in 1968. 26 Sep 1952 HMAS ANZAC, (Battle class destroyer), fired her 1000th round against enemy targets in Korea. 29 Oct 1952 The Battle class destroyer HMAS ANZAC, (LCDR W. O. C. Roberts, RAN), in temporary command, joined the Eastern Korea Patrol for operations in the Sok To and Cho Do islands. LCDR Roberts was awarded the DSC for conspicuous gallantry while serving in this ship. 12 Nov 1952 HMAS SYDNEY, (aircraft carrier), flew her 1000th sortie in the Korean War. 13 Nov 1952 The Colossus class aircraft carrier HMS VENGEANCE, (CMDR C. M. Hudson, RAN), was commissioned. VENGEANCE was laid down in Swan Hunter & Wigham Richardson Ltd, Wallsend on Tyne, England, on 16 November 1942, and launched on 23 February 1944.

Lady Boyd, (Wife of ADML Sir Denis Boyd, RN), performed the launching ceremony. VENGEANCE served in the RN 1945-1952, and was transferred to the RAN pending the completion of HMAS MELBOURNE. 16 Nov 1952 The Battle class destroyer HMAS ANZAC, (CAPT G. Gatacre, RAN), was shelled by Communist gun batteries in the Sok To and Cho Do Islands in Korea. 07 Dec 1952 HMAS ANZAC, (destroyer), bombarded North Korean troop positions at Cho Do and Sok To Islands, inflicting heavy casualties. 24 Mar 1953 The first rescue operation by a helicopter of the RAN was effected when an injured lighthouse keeper was rescued from Point Perpendicular Lighthouse, NSW. 01 Apr 1953 HMAS NIRIMBA was commissioned at Quakers Hill, Sydney, under the command of CAPT D. Sanderson, DSC, RN, as the RAN Fleet Air Arm’s second Naval Air Station.

The Naval Air Station was closed in 1954 due to budget cuts, but the base was soon transformed into the RAN Apprentice Training Establishment, (RANATE), and retained the name NIRIMBA, which is aboriginal for pelican. 15 Jun 1953 The Coronation Review of the Fleet, by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, took place at Spithead, England. HMAS SYDNEY, (aircraft carrier), represented the RAN at this review. 16 Jul 1953 HMAS TOBRUK, (Battle class destroyer), sank a large North Korean supply sampan in the Yangoi area. The Q class frigate HMAS QUADRANT was re-commissioned. 27 Jul 1953 Hostilities and offensive maritime operations ceased in Korea, following the terms of an armistice. The country remained divided, and officially a state of war still exists between North and South Korea.

28 Jul 1953 RAN casualties in the Korean War were:-Killed; 1; Missing presumed dead; 2; Wounded; 6The eight Australian vessels engaged were HMA Ships SYDNEY, ANZAC, BATAAN, TOBRUK, WARRAMUNGA, COMDAMINE, CULGOA, MURCHISON, and SHOALHAVEN. The three Fleet Air Arm Squadrons engaged were No. 805, Seafuries; No. 808, Seafuries; and No. 817, Fireflies. Eleven aircraft were lost and 77 damaged. 31 Jul 1953 The last Japanese war criminals left Lombrum, Manus Island, in the merchant ship HAKURYU for Japan. The Officer in Charge of HMAS TARANGUA, reported that the 74 Japanese sailor POWs remaining were being taught English. 15 Nov 1953 HMAS VENGEANCE, (aircraft carrier), was commissioned at Devonport, England. The ship served as a unit of the RAN until 25 October 1955, when she was returned to the RN.

VENGEANCE was transferred to the Brazilian Navy, and renamed MINAS GERIAS in 1956. 16 Dec 1953 RADM R. R. Dowling, CBE, DSO, was appointed Flag Officer Commanding Her Majesty’s Australian Fleet. His flagship was HMAS AUSTRALIA, (cruiser). 03 Feb 1954 HMAS AUSTRALIA, (cruiser), moored at Garden Island Naval Base, fired 1000 rockets to welcome Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II, to Sydney. 09 Mar 1954 A whaler carrying 28 RAN personnel from Frankston Pier, to the aircraft carrier HMAS VENGEANCE, was hit and sunk by two freak waves. Two of the sailors onboard, (Recruits C. N. Collins and R. Jervis, from HMAS CERBERUS), were swept away and drowned. Neither body was ever recovered. 12 Mar 1954 Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh embarked in HMAS AUSTRALIA, (cruiser), at Cairns, QLD.

05 Apr 1954 HMAS BATAAN, (Tribal class destroyer), collided with the aircraft carrier HMAS VENGEANCE, off the NSW Coast, during a re-fuelling exercise. 29 May 1954 The Captain of HMAS VENGEANCE, (aircraft carrier), reported that on the occasion of Queen Elizabeth II’s visit to Australia, the ship’s company spelt out the royal signature on the ship’s flight deck. Soon after the Royal Aircraft passed overhead, the following signal was received: ‘I have to convey the following message from the Queen. Thank you for the original forgery.’ 31 Aug 1954 HMAS AUSTRALIA, (cruiser), was paid off for breaking up. 01 Sep 1954 HMAS TIDE AUSTRAL, later renamed SUPPLY, was launched at Belfast, Northern Ireland.

08 Sep 1954 Australia signed the Manila Treaty to form a military alliance with France, US, UK, New Zealand, Philippines, Pakistan, and Thailand, to be known as the South East Asia Treaty Organisation, (SEATO) 09 Oct 1954 HMAS SHROPSHIRE, (cruiser), departed from Sydney under tow for the ship-breakers in Scotland. 27 Oct 1954 HMAS VENDETTA, (Daring class destroyer), was launched at Williamstown, VIC. 07 Dec 1954 The Q class frigate HMAS QUEENBOROUGH was re-commissioned. During conversion she became the first ship of the RAN fitted with Type 170 Asdic and the Mk 10 Limbo mortar. 05 Jan 1955 HMAS AUSTRALIA, (8 inch cruiser), was advertised for disposal at Sydney. 14 Feb 1955 HMAS HAWKESBURY, (River class frigate), was paid off for disposal.

23 Feb 1955 The Naval Health Benefits Society, (NHBS) was formed to provide private health insurance for the families of serving members, and ex RAN personnel. 24 Feb 1955 VADM Sir Roy Dowling was appointed as Chief of Naval Staff. 27 Mar 1955 HMAS AUSTRALIA, (heavy cruiser), departed Sydney under tow of the Dutch tug RODE ZEE, for breaking up at the yard which built her at Barrow-in-Furness, U.K. hms vengeance r71 : definition of hms vengeance r71 and synonyms of hms vengeance r71 (English) Taken from: [1] [2] HMS Vengeance (R71) was a Colossus class light aircraft carrier built for the Royal Navy during World War II. The carrier served in three navies during her career: the Royal Navy, the Royal Australian Navy (as HMAS Vengeance, from 1952 to 1955), and the Brazilian Navy (as Minas Gerais (A 11) , from 1956 to 2001).

Constructed during World War II, Vengeance was one of the few ships in her class to be completed before the war's end, although she did not see any active service. The ship spent the next few years as an aircraft transport and training carrier before she was sent on an experimental cruise to learn how well ships and personnel could function in extreme Arctic conditions. In late 1952, Vengeance was loaned to the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) as a replacement for the delayed aircraft carrier HMAS Melbourne . She remained in Australian waters, operating as an aircraft carrier and training ship, for the majority of her three-year loan, and was returned to the Royal Navy (RN) in August 1955. Instead of returning to RN service, the carrier was sold in 1956 to Brazil, and entered service after major upgrades, which allowed the ship to operate jet aircraft. Renamed Minas Gerais, the carrier remained in operation until 2001. Several attempts were made to sell the ship, including a listing on eBay , before she was sold for scrap and taken to Alang for breaking up . Contents Main article: 1942 Design Light Fleet Carrier Vengeance was constructed by Swan Hunter .

[3] She was laid down on 16 November 1942, and launched on 23 February 1944. [3] Construction was completed on 15 January 1945, and Vengeance was commissioned into the RN. [3] [4] The Colossus class carriers were intended to be 'disposable warships': they were to be operated during World War II and scrapped at the end of hostilities or within three years of entering service. [5] Despite this prediction, Vengeance had a service life of over 55 years. Weapons and systems When commissioned into the RAN in 1952, the weapons outfit included 12 Bofors 40 mm guns and 32 Oerlikon 20 mm cannon . [2] Aircraft During her service in the RAN, Vengeance carried a squadron each of Hawker Sea Furies and Fairey Fireflies . [2] The carrier's air group included three Bristol Sycamore , acquired by the RAN after observing the performance of a United States Navy Sycamore operating from HMAS Sydney during her Korean War deployment .

[6] Although not the first helicopters to see military service in Australia (that title belonging to a Sikorsky S-51 of the Royal Australian Air Force ), the Sycamores formed the first Australian military helicopter squadron, and led to the establishment of Australia's first helicopter pilot school. [7] All three helicopters were brought out from England aboard Vengeance. [7] Operational history RN service On 11 March 1945, Vengeance left the River Clyde for working-up trials in Malta. [8] These were completed by 21 May, when she was assigned to the 11th Aircraft Carrier Squadron of the British Pacific Fleet . [8] The carrier sailed to Sydney via Alexandria, Port Said, Trincomalee , and Fremantle, arriving on 26 July. [8] While alongside in Sydney, eight Oerlikons were replaced with eight single Bofors 40 mm guns ; these guns provided better protection against Japanese kamikaze aircraft. [2] Vengeance was assigned to Task Group 111.2 of the British Pacific Fleet, and was to be deployed as part of the force attacking Japanese-held Truk , but did not leave Sydney until the war ended.

[8] [9] Following the end of the war Vengeance was ordered to Hong Kong, and on 3 September was used as the venue for the Japanese surrender of the territory. [9] She remained in the area until the end of 1945, sailed to Australia for a refit, then returned to Hong Kong. [4] In April 1946, Vengeance delivered No. 11 and No. 17 Squadrons of the Royal Air Force to Miho, Ibaraki in Japan, where they were assigned as part of British Commonwealth Occupation Force . [10] Vengeance remained in Eastern waters until 20 July 1946, when she departed for England. [8] The ship arrived at Devonport on 13 August after visiting Trincomalee, and at the end of the year was reassigned as a Scotland-based training carrier. [4] [8] Vengeance visited Oslo and Trondheim in June 1947, with First Sea Lord Sir John Cunningham aboard. [8] During early 1948, the carrier was attached to the 3rd Aircraft Carrier Squadron , part of the British Home Fleet .

[8] She visited St Helena in October, and cruised with the Squadron in South African waters until mid-November. [8] On her return to the UK, Vengeance was converted for Arctic conditions, and from 5 February 1949 to 8 March 1949 operated in Arctic waters as part of Operation Rusty: an experimental cruise to determine how well ships, aircraft, and personnel functioned in extreme cold. [8] [11] Loan to Australia In June 1951, following the receipt of advice that the Australian aircraft carrier HMAS Melbourne would not be completed until at least March 1954, the Australian Defence Committee recommended that Australia request that the RN loan a carrier to the RAN. [12] The new predicted date of completion for Melbourne was 21 months later than previous predictions, on which the establishment of two-carrier naval aviation in the RAN had been dependant. [12] The Navy sought a four-year loan of an aircraft carrier from late 1952 to late 1956, to cover both the delays with Melbourne and the planned upgrading of HMAS Sydney once Melbourne was in service.

[12] The Australian government proposed that the loaned carrier be modified to operate both Sea Venom and Gannet aircraft, so that Melbourne and the loaned carrier could both see active service while Sydney was upgraded, but withdrew the suggestion when informed by the Admiralty that providing such capability would require the installation of a new arrestor cable system, prevent the loaned carrier from entering service until at least March 1954, and would be paid for entirely by Australia. [13] Several smaller modifications were approved and paid for by Australia, including the installation of additional aircrew accommodation. [12] Vengeance was the carrier selected for the loan, and modifications for Australian service were completed in January 1952. [14] In order to provide personnel for the loaned carrier, the RAN had to place the light cruiser HMAS Hobart into reserve. [12] The loan was approved, with the British government choosing not to charge Australia for the loan, but stating that all operational costs would be met by the RAN, including the initial outfit of stores.

[12] In mid-1952, the liner Asturias was chartered by the RAN to transport a commissioning crew to England. [14] RAN service Vengeance was transferred to the Royal Australian Navy on 13 November 1952. [15] She was recommissioned as an Australian ship on this date, and received the prefix HMAS . [4] Departing from Devonport at the end of 1952, the carrier sailed to Australia via the Mediterranean, and arrived in Fremantle on 26 February 1953. [8] She reached Sydney in March, and was marked as fully operational in June. [7] In late 1953, Vengeance was prepared for a deployment to Korea, to support the United Nations enforcement of the July 1953 armistice. [16] The deployment did not go ahead: HMAS Sydney was sent instead.

[16] The ship's company of Vengeance, arranged on the flight deck to recreate the signature of Queen Elizabeth II From February until April 1954, Vengeance was tasked with escorting the Royal Yacht Gothic through Australian waters during the Royal Visit of Queen Elizabeth II to Australia. [4] On 9 March 1954, while in Port Philip Bay, a whaler transporting 30 sailors to the carrier hit a series of freak waves and capsized. [17] Two sailors were killed. [17] Navy divers were involved in rescuing the survivors, with one earning the British Empire Medal for his efforts. [18] On 3 April, while escorting Gothic to the Cocos Islands with the destroyers Bataan and Anzac accompanying, Vengeance's ship's company assembled on the flight deck and positioned themselves to form the Queen's signature. [4] [19] Upon seeing this, Queen Elizabeth had a message sent to the carrier, saying "Thank you for the original forgery." [20] On 5 April, after arriving at the Cocos Islands, Vengeance was involved in a collision with Bataan while the destroyer attempted to refuel from the carrier.

[4] The Bataan's bow made contact with Venegance's side, but the damage was minor, and both ships returned to Sydney in May without assistance, after visiting Manus Island and Rabaul. [4] [21] In June 1954, Vengeance was removed from active service and reclassified as the RAN's primary training ship. [16] [22] The previous training ship, the cruiser HMAS Australia , had been earmarked in mid-1953 to be decommissioned and scrapped, as modernising her would have been uneconomical. [23] At the same time, the RAN was exploring avenues to reduce operating costs: the reduction of naval aviation from two active carriers to one would provide significant savings. [24] The removal of Vengeance from active service, combined with the need to find a replacement training ship for Australia which was large enough to accommodate the large number of National Service trainees , saw the carrier placed in the training role. [25] On 31 August, Vengenace accompanied Australia during the latter's final voyage before decommissioning.

[26] The carrier sailed to Japan in late October; her first departure from Australian waters while in RAN service. [8] Vengeance returned to Australia in November, after collecting No. 77 Squadron RAAF . [6] Return to Britain and sale to Brazil In May 1955, Sydney assumed Vengeance's training carrier duties as well as her own flagship and operation duties, while the latter carrier was prepared for the return to England. [27] Vengeance left for the UK in June, stopping in Singapore to collect a squadron of RN helicopters. [27] Arriving on 13 August, her RAN crew prepared the carrier for reserve, and Vengeance was decommissioned on 25 October. [2] [4] The personnel were used as the first ship's company of Melbourne , which was commissioned on 28 October 1955. [4] Vengeance was not reactivated for RN use, and on 14 December 1956, the carrier was sold by the Admiralty to Brazil for US$9 million.

[3] From mid-1957 until December 1960, the carrier underwent a massive refit and reconstruction at Verlome Dock in Rotterdam, which cost US$27 million. [3] Modifications included the installation of an 8.5-degree angled flight deck , a more powerful steam catapult , stronger arresting gear , reinforced hangar elevators, and a mirror landing aid . [28] [29] This was to allow the operation of jet aircraft, which were larger, faster, and heavier than the propeller aircraft previously operated by the carrier. [28] A new superstructure was fitted, including a large lattice mast to support a new radar suite and fire control system. [3] [28] [29] Boiler capacity was increased, and the internal electrics were converted to AC power. [3] The length of the modernisation refit meant that while the carrier was the first purchased by a Latin American nation, she was the second to enter service; another Colossus class carrier entered service with the Argentine Navy as ARA Independencia in July 1959.

[30] The carrier was commissioned into the Marinha do Brasil (MB, Brazilian Navy) as NAeL Minas Gerais on 6 December 1960. [3] She departed Rotterdam for Rio de Janerio on 13 January 1961. [3] MB service Main article: Brazilian aircraft carrier Minas Gerais In 1965, President Humberto de Alencar Castello Branco outlawed the operation of fixed-wing aircraft by the MB; this remained the responsibility of the Força Aérea Brasileira (FAB, Brazilian Air Force). [31] As a result, Minas Gerais was required to embark two air groups: the Navy operated helicopters while the Air Force operated S-2 Tracker aircraft. [32] Consequently, the ship spent most of her Brazilian career operating as an anti-submarine warfare carrier. [33] Minas Gerais underway during 1984 Minas Gerais underwent another major refit from 1976 to 1981, during which her radar suite was updated, datalinks were installed, and the ship's life expectancy was increased to the 1990s.

[29] From 1986, engine and funding problems saw the Argentine Navy's ARA Veinticinco de Mayo confined to port, making Minas Gerais the only operating carrier in the South American region. [32] From July 1991 to October 1993, the carrier underwent another modernisation refit; the work included refurbishment of her propulsion system, upgrades to the command and control system and radars, and replacement of the ship's Bofors with Mistral surface-to-air missiles. [34] [35] In 1999, the MB acquired 20 A-4KU Skyhawks and 3 TA-4KU trainer aircraft from the Kuwait Air Force ; the first time since the carrier's commissioning that Forca Aeronaval da Marinha (Brazilian Navy Aviation) had been permitted to own and operate fixed-wing aircraft. [33] Decommissioning and fate Minas Gerais was decommissioned on 16 October 2001: the last of the World War II-era light aircraft carriers to leave service.

[36] [37] At the time of her decommissioning, she was the oldest active aircraft carrier in the world (a title passed on to the 1961-commissioned USS Kitty Hawk ). [38] 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. [39] [40] Just before Christmas 2003, the carrier was listed for sale on auction website eBay by a user claiming to be a shipbroker representing the owner. [41] Bidding reached £4 million before the auction was removed from the website under rules preventing the sale of military ordnance. [41] An auction in Rio de Janeiro in February 2004 also failed to sell the ship. [40] Sometime between February and July 2004, the carrier was towed to the ship breaking yards at Alang, India for dismantling. [40] Citations ^ Gillett, Warships of Australia, p. 131 ^ a b c Bishop & Chant, Aircraft carriers, p.

82 ^ English, Focus on Latin American Navies, p. 56 ^ Jane's Navy International, Carrier Aviation - Skyhawks set to land on Brazilian carrier, p. 6 ^ a b English, Latin American Navies still treading water ^ a b Corless, The Brazilian Navy blazes a trail in the South Atlantic ^ Scott & Starr, Carrier aviation at the crossroads ^ Sharpe (ed.), Jane's Fighting Ships, 1996-1997, p. 55 ^ Navy News (Australia), Campaign to save the Vengeance ^ Hobbs, in The Navy and the Nation, p. 217 ^ Polmar, The Naval Institute Guide to the Ships and Aircraft of the U.S. Fleet, p. 107 ^ Syal & Lashmar, Race to save historic ship from scrap heap ^ a b c Parry, Sad end to symbol of city's liberation ^ a b Tweedie, For internet sale: aircraft carrier, only three owners References Books Australian Naval Aviation Museum (ANAM) (1998). Flying Stations: a story of Australian naval aviation. St Leonards, NSW: Allen & Unwin.

ISBN 1-86448-846-8 . OCLC 39290180 .

Question: On 29 May 1954, who sent a message to the aircraft carrier HMS Vengeance, saying "Thank you for the original forgery"?
Answer: Queen Elizabeth II