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ROYAL NAVY SOUTH ATLANTIC COMMAND - ROYAL NAVY V W 16 SHIPS

5)VINDICTIVE (BASE REPAIR SHIP)



Photo. www.naval-history.net 



Completed: 1918


Reclassified: Aircraft Carrier, then returned to Cruiser, 1924.
Training ship in 1937,Repair ship in 1939, Destroyer depot ship in 1944


Displacement: 11,500 long tons


Length: 605 ft


Beam: 55 ft


Draught: 17, 6 ft


Propulsion: 4 × Parsons geared turbines, 12 × Yarrow boilers, 4 × shafts, 60,000 shp (45,000 kW)


Armament: 4 × 7.5 in (190 mm)/45 cal Mark VI guns, 4 × 12-pounder guns, 4 × 3 in (76 mm) AA guns, 4 × 0.303 in (7.7 mm) machine guns, 6 × 21 in (530 mm) torpedo tubes


Speed: 29,75 kts


Complement: 700


In 1936-1937, Vindictive was converted to a training ship for cadets. The work involved the removal of two sets of machinery and the after funnel, and the construction of deck-houses for accommodation and lecture spaces for 200 trainee officers. The aircraft crane was retained. Her armament was reduced to two 4.7 in (120 mm) guns. In this form (as illustrated) she displaced 9,100 long tons (9,200 t) and was capable of a maximum speed of 24 kn (28 mph; 44 km/h).


From the summer of 1939-March 1940, Vindictive was converted once more, as a fleet repair ship, her seaplane crane and lecturer spaces (easily convertible to machine shops) proving assets. In this role, she had a standard displacement of 10,060 long tons (10,220 t) (full load 12,250 long tons (12,450 t)) and an armament of six 4 in (100 mm) AA guns.



HMS Vindictive seen as an Aircraft Carrier. Photo. en.wikipedia.org by IWM SP 669


She served in the Norwegian Campaign with the Home Fleet, then in July 1940 she transferred to Freetown, South Africa, serving in the South Atlantic until December 1942. She then moved to Mers el Kebir for a stint in the Mediterranean Fleet until 1944.


 

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