View source for French aircraft carrier Arromanches

{{short description|1944 Colossus-class aircraft carrier of the Royal and French navies}}
{{other ships|HMS Colossus}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2020}}

{|{{Infobox ship begin
| infobox caption = ''Arromanches''
}}
{{Infobox ship image
| Ship image = Photo611511892511 inner 52-417-679-417-55-835-685-812 (cropped).jpg
| Ship caption = ''Arromanches'' in the Mediterranean, 1961
}}
{{Infobox ship career
| Hide header = 
| Ship country = United Kingdom
| Ship flag = {{shipboxflag|United Kingdom|naval}}
| Ship name = ''Colossus''
| Ship namesake = [[Wiktionary:colossus|Colossus]]
| Ship builder = [[Vickers-Armstrongs]], [[Walker, Newcastle upon Tyne|High Walker]]
| Ship launched = 30 September 1943
| Ship commissioned = 16 December 1944<ref name=ireland>{{cite book |title=Aircraft Carriers of the World |last=Ireland |first=Bernard |year=2007 |publisher=Southwater |isbn=978-1-84476-363-4 |page=[https://archive.org/details/aircraftcarriers0000irel/page/125 125] |url=https://archive.org/details/aircraftcarriers0000irel/page/125 }}</ref>
| Ship fate = Loaned to French Navy in 1946
| Ship motto = On The Ball
}}
{{Infobox ship career
| Hide header = title
| Ship country = France
| Ship flag = {{shipboxflag|France|naval}}
| Ship name = ''Arromanches''
| Ship namesake = [[Arromanches-les-Bains]]
| Ship acquired = 1946<ref name=ireland />
| Ship decommissioned = 1974
| Ship identification = *[[Pennant number]]: R95
*[[Maritime call sign|International signal]]: FBED
*Air control callsign: "'''''Sapho'''''"
| Ship fate = Scrapped in Toulon, France 1978
}}
{{Infobox ship characteristics
| Hide header = 
| Header caption = 
| Ship class = {{sclass|Colossus|aircraft carrier}}
| Ship displacement = 13 600 tonnes<ref name=ireland />
| Ship length = {{convert|212|m|ftin|abbr=on}}<ref name=ireland />
| Ship beam = {{convert|24.4|m|ftin|abbr=on}}<ref name=ireland />
| Ship draught = {{convert|7.2|m|ftin|abbr=on}}
| Ship propulsion = Steam Turbines (4 Admiralty 3-drum boilers, Parsons geared turbines)
| Ship speed = {{convert|25|kn|km/h|abbr=on}}<ref name=ireland />
| Ship range = {{convert|12000|nmi|km|abbr=on}}<ref name="French">{{cite web|url=http://frenchnavy.free.fr/ships/aircraft-carrier/arromanches/arromanches.htm |title=French Navy – Arromanches |publisher=Damien Allard |access-date=12 May 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060708225128/http://frenchnavy.free.fr/ships/aircraft-carrier/arromanches/arromanches.htm |archive-date=8 July 2006 }}</ref>
| Ship complement = 1,300
| Ship aircraft = 48
| Ship notes = Only under flag of the French Navy, her Air control callsign was "'''''Sapho'''''"{{clarify|reason=under which flag?|date=November 2016}} {{clarify||date=March 2017}}
| Ship badge = 
}}
|}
'''''Arromanches''''' ({{IPA|fr|aʁɔmɑ̃ʃ}}; R95) was an [[aircraft carrier]] of the [[French Navy]], which served from 1946 to 1974. She was previously '''HMS ''Colossus'' (15)''' of the [[Royal Navy]]. She was the name-ship of the [[1942 Design Light Fleet Carrier|''Colossus'' class]] of light carriers. She was commissioned in 1944, but did not see any action in World War II. She served with the [[British Pacific Fleet]] in 1945–46, as an aircraft transport and repatriation ship.

In 1946, she was loaned to the [[French Navy]], and renamed ''Arromanches''; she was bought by the French in 1951.

''Arromanches'' participated in the [[First Indochina War]] in three campaigns from 1948 to 1954, and the [[Suez Crisis]] of 1956. In 1968 she was converted to an [[anti-submarine warfare]] (ASW) carrier. She was decommissioned in 1974, and broken up in 1978.

==Design and construction==
{{main|1942 Design Light Fleet Carrier}}
The ''Colossus'' class was designed to meet the Royal Navy's wartime need for more carriers as cheaply as possible. They were built to mercantile standards, with no armour, no heavy AA guns, and only {{convert|25|kn|km/h|abbr=on}} speed.<ref name="RNAC"/>
''Colossus'' was ordered on 14 March 1942 under [[British Admiralty|Admiralty]] Job Number J 4576, one of three ''Colossus''-class carriers ordered that day.{{sfn|Hobbs|2014|pp=185–187}} The ship was [[Keel laying|laid down]] at [[Vickers-Armstrongs]]' [[Walker, Newcastle upon Tyne|High Walker]] shipyard on 1 June 1942 with the [[Yard number]] 55 and was [[Ceremonial ship launching|launched]] on 30 September 1943.{{sfn|Hobbs|2014|p=185}} ''Colossus'' was formally [[Ship commissioning|commissioned]] on 1 December 1944, being completed and handed over to the Royal Navy on 16 December 1944.{{sfn|Hobbs|2014|p=186}}

==Weapons and systems==

=== Radars===
In 1947 she had for [[Radar#Air Traffic Control and navigation|air scanning]] only, one 79B, for [[Radar#Battlefield and reconnaissance radar|air and surface scan]]ning, one 277 and one 281B. With those she also had a [[Radar#Detection and search radars|target indicator]], a 293. Then in 1954 she still had in her possession a 281B for air and surface scanning a 291B and a 277. ''Arromanches'' also still had a 293 as her target indicator. Still for air scanning only she had the 79B, but she also gained later that year a YE and for navigation a DRBN-30. In 1959 she was down-graded and only had a YE in her possession left. That year she gained new scanning equipment. She had a DRBV-22 for air scanning and for surface scanning and navigation a new DRBV-31. And finally in 1972 she was fully downgraded and had her YE removed, but kept her DRBV-22 and DRBV-31 for air, surface, and navigation.<ref name="French"/>

===Armament===

====Weaponry====
[[File:HMAS-Castlemaine-gun-2-1.jpg|left|thumb|200px|An [[Oerlikon 20 mm cannon]]]]
During her time in military service she had twenty-four Vickers-Armstrongs [[QF 2-pounder Mark VI|2-pounder guns]], thirty-two [[Oerlikon 20 mm cannon]], later replaced in 1945 by twenty-one [[Bofors 40 mm Automatic Gun L/60|Bofors 40 mm gun]]s and four [[Ordnance QF 3-pounder Vickers]] guns.<ref name="French"/>

====Aircraft====
[[File:Alize1270.jpg|thumb|200px|The [[Breguet Alizé]]]]
During her service with France before 1968 she carried the [[Breguet Br-1050 Alizé]], the [[Vought F4U-7 Corsair]], the [[Grumman F6F-5 Hellcat]], the [[Fouga CM-175 Zéphyr]], the [[Curtiss SB2C-5 Helldiver]], the [[Douglas SBD-5 Dauntless]], the [[SNCASE Aquilon]], the [[Supermarine Seafire#Specifications (LF Mk III)|Supermarine Seafire Mk III]] and [[Supermarine Seafire|XV]], and the [[Grumman TBM Avenger]].<ref name="French"/> After 1968, she was converted to a helicopter carrier and carried the [[Alouette II]] and [[Alouette III]], the [[Sikorsky S-51]], [[Sikorsky S-55]], and [[Sikorsky S-58]], the [[Piasecki H-21]] and [[Piasecki H-25]], and the [[Morane-Saulnier MS-500 Criquet]].<ref name="French"/>

===Aeronautical installations===
The carrier had a regular flight deck {{convert|211|x|24.5|m|ftin|abbr=on}}, catapult at the bow of the ship, two lifts (13.72 m x 10.36 m wide), and a hangar (104.24 × 15.85 m wide) fitted (in 1964) to accommodate 13 TBMs, 2 HUP-2s or 15 F4Us and 2 HUP-2.<ref name="French"/>

===Manning===
As ''Colossus'', she carried 854 crew, plus 222 [[Fleet Air Arm]] personnel in the air group.

In French service, she carried 42 officers, 145 petty officers, and 516 sailors in peacetime. Her war complement was 60 officers, 171 petty officers, and 613 sailors.<ref name="French"/>

==Operational history==

=== Royal Navy===
[[File:HMS Colossus (R15) off Shanghai 1945.jpg|thumb|HMS ''Colossus'' off Shanghai, 1945.]]
After working up ''Colossus'' left [[Glasgow]] on 12 March 1945 for the Far East. She carried 24 [[Vought F4U Corsair|Vought Corsair IV]] fighters from 1846 Naval Air Squadron, and 18 [[Fairey Barracuda|Fairey Barracuda II]] torpedo bombers from [[827 Naval Air Squadron|827 NAS]].<ref>{{cite web |author=Graham R F Drucker |url=http://www.fleetairarmarchive.net/ships/colossus.html |title=HMS Colossus aircraft carrier profile. Aircraft Carrier Database of the Fleet Air Arm Archive 1939-1945 |publisher=Fleetairarmarchive.net |access-date=2011-11-20 |archive-date=19 June 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100619114736/http://fleetairarmarchive.net/Ships/COLOSSUS.html |url-status=usurped }}</ref> She arrived at [[Colombo]], [[Ceylon]], on 13 June 1945, sailing on to Sydney, Australia, where she arrived the following month. Here, her 20&nbsp;mm Oerlikon guns were replaced by 40&nbsp;mm Bofors guns. In August she became the flagship of Rear Admiral [[Cecil Harcourt]], commanding the [[11th Aircraft Carrier Squadron]] (''Colossus'', {{HMS|Venerable|R63|2}}, {{HMS|Vengeance|R71|2}}, and {{HMS|Glory|R62|2}}). This force was sent to re-occupy Hong Kong. ''Colossus'' also headed a task force to occupy Shanghai, together with the [[cruiser]]s {{HMS|Bermuda|52|2}} and {{HMS|Argonaut|61|2}} and five destroyers.<ref name="uboat.net">{{cite web |url=http://www.uboat.net/allies/warships/ship/3237.html |title=Allied Warships of WWII - Aircraft Carrier HMS Colossus |publisher=uboat.net |access-date=2011-11-20 |archive-date=21 June 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090621043701/http://uboat.net/allies/warships/ship/3237.html |url-status=live }}</ref> In December 1945, ''Colossus'' transported released Dutch prisoners of war to Colombo.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cofepow.org.uk/pages/ships_colossus.htm |title=Ships - HMS Colossus |publisher=Cofepow |access-date=2011-11-20 |archive-date=2 February 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110202160102/http://www.cofepow.org.uk/pages/ships_colossus.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref> From 17 January to 26 March 1946, ''Colossus'' was refitted and repaired at [[Cape Town]] in the Selborne drydock at Simonstown.<ref name="uboat.net"/>

===French Navy===
[[File:Arromanches (R95) with Hellcat landing c1953.jpg|thumb|An F6F-5 landing on ''Arromanches'' in the [[Tonkin Gulf]], 1953.]]
In August 1946 ''Colossus'' was loaned to France and renamed ''Arromanches'', after the [[Arromanches|French commune of the same name]], which was the site of the British [[Normandy landings|D-Day]] landings. In 1948, ''Arromanches'' participated in the [[First Indochina War]] for three months. She returned to France in 1949.<ref name="French"/> In 1951, France purchased the ship. She was again deployed to [[Indochina]] in 1951–52, in 1952-53 and 1953–54.

In 1956, ''Arromanches'' was deployed to the eastern [[Mediterranean Sea]] during the [[Suez Crisis]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.britains-smallwars.com/suez/Mousquestaire.htm |title=Units in Suez |publisher=Britains-smallwars.com |date=1956-11-07 |access-date=2011-11-20 |archive-date=14 April 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100414062835/http://www.britains-smallwars.com/suez/Mousquestaire.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref> On 3 November, 18 [[F4U Corsair]]s from ''Arromanches'' and {{ship|French aircraft carrier|La Fayette|R96|2}} bombed [[Egypt]]ian airfields around [[Cairo]].<ref>[http://frenchnavy.free.fr/ships/aircraft-carrier/arromanches/arromanches.htm Arromanches] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060708225128/http://frenchnavy.free.fr/ships/aircraft-carrier/arromanches/arromanches.htm |date=8 July 2006 }}</ref>

In 1957–58 ''Arromanches'' was reconstructed with a four-degree angled flight deck, a mirror landing sight
and with other modifications for [[Anti-submarine warfare carrier|anti-submarine warfare]], including operation of [[Breguet Alizé]] ASW aircraft.<ref name="ireland"/> She was also equipped for training operations.<ref name="Haze">{{cite web |url=http://www.hazegray.org/navhist/carriers/france.htm#r95 |title=World Aircraft Carriers list: France – R 95 |publisher=Andrew Toppan |access-date=18 May 2008 |archive-date=19 December 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091219190853/http://www.hazegray.org/navhist/carriers/france.htm#r95 |url-status=live }}</ref> In 1959 she returned once again to the [[Indian Ocean]].

In May 1967, she rescued the sole survivor from the Liberian [[tank ship|tanker]] {{MV|Circe|1952|2}}, which had exploded in the [[Mediterranean Sea]] off the south coast of France with the loss of 38 lives.<ref name=Times250567>{{Cite newspaper The Times |title=Tanker blast described by survivor |date=25 May 1967 |page=4 |issue=56950 |column=C }}</ref> In 1968 ''Arromanches'' was converted to a helicopter carrier for the [[Troupes de marine|French Marines]], with up to 24 helicopters on board.<ref name="RNAC"/> This ended her role as a training carrier.<ref name="Haze"/>

''Arromanches'' was decommissioned on 22 January 1974, and in 1978 broken up at [[Toulon]], a place of importance for both the first [[HMS Colossus (1787)|''Colossus'']] in 1793, and the last in 1978.<ref name="RNAC">{{cite web|url=http://www.btinternet.com/~a.c.walton/navy/rn-cv2.html |title= Royal Navy Aircraft Carriers – Colossus Class |publisher=A.C. Walton |access-date=13 May 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080829183757/http://www.btinternet.com/~a.c.walton/navy/rn-cv2.html |archive-date=29 August 2008}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[List of aircraft carriers]]

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==Bibliography==
* {{cite book |last=Hobbs |first=David |title=British Aircraft Carriers: Design, Development and Service Histories |year=2014 |place=Barnsley, UK |publisher=Seaforth Publishing |isbn=978-1-84832-138-0}}
*{{cite book |last1=Moulin |first1=Jean |title=Les porte-avions ''Dixmude'' et ''Arromanches'' |year=1998 |publisher=Marines édition |place=Nantes |isbn=2-909-675-39-4}}
*{{cite journal |last1=Wright |first1=Christopher |title=Answer 20/55 |journal=Warship International |date=September 2018 |volume=LV |issue=3 |page=199 |issn=0043-0374}}

==Further reading==
*{{cite book |last1=Moulin |first1=Jean |title=Tous les porte-aéronefs en France: de 1912 à nos jours |date=2020 |publisher=Lela Presse |place=Le Vigen, France |isbn=978-2-37468-035-4|language=fr|trans-title=All the Aircraft Carriers of France: From 1912 to Today|series=Collection Navires et Histoire des Marines du Mond; 35}}

==External links==
{{commons category|Arromanches (R95)}}
* [http://www.maritimequest.com/warship_directory/great_britain/pages/aircraft_carriers/hms_colossus_15.htm Maritimquest HMS ''Colossus'' photo gallery]
* {{in lang|fr}} [http://www.netmarine.net/bat/porteavi/arromanc/index.htm Porte-avions ''Arromanches''] on NetMarine.net

{{1942_design_aircraft_carrier}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Arromanches (R95)}}
[[Category:Colossus-class aircraft carriers|Colossus]]
[[Category:Ships built in Barrow-in-Furness]]
[[Category:1943 ships]]
[[Category:World War II aircraft carriers of the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Colossus-class aircraft carriers of the French Navy]]
[[Category:Cold War aircraft carriers of France]]
[[Category:Aircraft carriers of the French Navy]]