HMS Venerable (R63)

	HMS Venerable
History
United Kingdom
Name	HMS Venerable
Ordered	7 August 1942
Builder	Cammell Laird
Yard number	1126
Laid down	3 December 1942
Launched	30 December 1943
Commissioned	17 January 1945
Decommissioned	April 1947
Identification	Pennant number R63
Fate	Sold to the Netherlands 1 April 1948
Netherlands
Name	HNLMS Karel Doorman
Namesake	Karel Doorman
Acquired	1 April 1948
Commissioned	28 May 1948
Decommissioned	29 April 1968
Refit	1955-1958; 1965-1966;
Identification	R81
Fate	Sold to Argentina 15 October 1968
Argentina
Name	ARA Veinticinco de Mayo
Namesake	Date of the May Revolution
Acquired	15 October 1968
Commissioned	12 March 1969
Decommissioned	1997
Out of service	Inoperable by 1990
Refit	1969
Homeport	Puerto Belgrano Naval Base
Identification	V-2
Fate	Provided spare parts for Minas Gerais and remainder was scrapped at Alang, India, in 2000
General characteristics
Class and type	Colossus-class aircraft carrier
Displacement	13,190 long tons (13,400 t)
Length	695 ft (212 m) oa; 630 ft (192 m) pp;
Beam	80 ft (24 m)
Draught	18 ft 6 in (5.64 m) (mean); 23 ft 6 in (7.16 m) (deep load);
Propulsion	2 × shafts; Parsons geared Steam turbines; 4 × Admiralty 3-drum boilers; 40,000 shp (30,000 kW);
Speed	25 kn (46 km/h; 29 mph)
Range	12,000 nmi (22,000 km; 14,000 mi) at 14 kn (26 km/h; 16 mph)
Complement	1,300 (including air group)
Armament	24 × QF 2-pounder naval gun (6 quadruple mounts); 32 × Oerlikon 20 mm cannon;
Aircraft carried	48(52)

HMS Venerable (R63) was a Colossus-class aircraft carrier of the Royal Navy. She served for only the last few months of World War II, and in 1948 she was sold to the Netherlands and renamed HNLMS Karel Doorman, taking part in the military clash in 1962 in Western New Guinea. Subsequently, she was sold to Argentina and renamed ARA Veinticinco de Mayo, later taking part in the Falklands War.

Construction and career

HMS Venerable was laid down at Cammell Laird in Birkenhead on 3 December 1942 and launched just over a year later. The ship was commissioned on 17 January 1945.^[2] As with others of the class completed just before the ending of hostilities, HMS Venerable immediately headed to the Far East to join the 11th Aircraft Carrier Squadron (Colossus, Glory and Vengeance) of the British Pacific Fleet. Each carrier had around 40 F4U Corsair fighters and Fairey Barracuda torpedo bombers on board.

After the end of hostilities, HMS Venerable repatriated prisoners of war to Canada and Australia, before returning to the UK. Venerable only served three years in the Royal Navy before being sold to the Dutch as HNLMS Karel Doorman. In 1968, after a boiler-room fire, she was sold to the Argentine Navy and renamed ARA Veinticinco de Mayo.

By 1990, she was inoperable, and she subsequently provided spare parts for her sister ship, Minas Gerais, which had been sold to the Brazilian Navy. The remaining part of the ship was scrapped in Alang, India, in 1999 or 2000.

References

^ Chesneau 1998, p. 129.
^ Beaver, Paul (1987) Encyclopedia of the Fleet Air Arm since 1945, Wellingborough, Northants: Patrick Stephens, ISBN 0-85059-760-9