1916, GLORIOUS With her sister-ship HMS Courageous, the Glorious was intended to be an interim solution to the problems of providing the Royal Navy with a fast aircraft carrier force, able to keep up with the rest of the fleet.
THE LARGE LIGHT CRUISERS
In October 1914, the Admiralty ordered three heavily-armed, fast, shallow draught large light cruisers: the Furious, and then the two ships of the Courageous class. All were destined to become aircraft carriers. Glorious was laid down at Harlond & Wolffs yard in Belfast on 1 May, 1915, launched on 20 April the following year and completed as a cruiser (actually, a battlecruiser in all but name) in January 1917. The major innovations in her design were to be found in her machinery, which was actually the powerplant of a light cruiser doubled, with the boilers increased from eight to 18, giving her a maximum speed of 32 knots.
CONVERTED TO AIRCRAFT CARRIERS
Conversion of Courageous and Glorious to their new role started in 1923, and it was fundamental. All superstructure and fittings down to the main deck level were razed, and two superimposed hangar decks, 510 feet (155m) long were built, the uppermost opening forwards onto the forecastle deck, which now became a flying-off deck. Two cruciform lifts connected the two hangars with the main flight deck, which ran the length of them and protruded to the stern. Courageous was completed first and put back into commission on 5 May 1928, Glorious followed on 10 March 1930. There was some dispute as to how the ships should be armed; ten 5.5in guns were fitted at first, but they were later deleted in favour of 4.7in AA guns. Glorious was sunk off Norway in June 1940 while carrying a full load of fighter aircraft, by gunfire from the German battleships Scharnhorst and Gneisenou.
TECHNICAL DATA
Type: aircraft carrier
Machinery 4 shaft Parsons gearing turbines giving atotal of 90,000shp
Dimensions (overaIl); length,786.5ft(239.7m); beam 84.5ft (25.75m flight deck)
Displacement: 22,200 tons standard; 26,000 tons full load
Draught 27.25ft (8.3m) full load
Complement: 1200
