Furious (Furious Class)


Furious : Click for full picture Furious : Click for full picture


Laid down 8th June 1915
Launched 15th August 1916
Completed N/A
Commissioned 14th October 1917
Fate Decommissioned:
September 1944
Scrapped:
1948
Builders Armstrong Whitworth, Elswick
United Kingdom
Complement As battlecruiser:
856
As carrier:
880
Dimensions
Displacement 1917:
16500 tons std
21000 tons max
1925:
19100 tons std
22758 tons max
1939:
22450 tons std
28500 tons max
Dimensions 786' 3" x 88'
Draught 25'
Armament
Main guns 1917:
2 x 18" (2 x 1)
1918:
1 x 18"
1925:
10 x 5.5" (10 x 1)
Secondary guns 1917:
11 x 5.5" (11 x 1)
1918:
10 x 5.5" (10 x 1)
1925:
4 x 3"
Torpedo tubes N/A
Other weapons As battlecruiser:
2 x 3"
As carrier:
4 x 2pdr
18 x 2pdr (3 x 6)
Countermeasures None
Armour Belt: 3"
Deck: 3"
Turrets: 7"
Aircraft Facilities
Aircraft 1917:
8 x seaplanes
1918:
4 x seaplanes
4 x Sopwith Pups
1925:
36 various
Flightdeck 1917:
Fore:
?

1918:
Fore:
?
Aft:
300' x 50'

1925:
576' x 50'
Hangar 1917:
Fore:
?

1918:
Fore:
?
Aft:
70' x 38'

1925:
Upper:
530' x 50'
Lower:
550' x 50'
Catapults None
Arrestor system 1917:
None
1918:
Cross deck wires
1925:
Cross deck wires
Aviation fuel 1917:
1200 gallons
1925:
750 tons
Electronics Fit
Radar 1917:
None
1943:
Type 285 fire control
Sonar None
ECM None
Other N/A
Machinery
Engines 18 x Yarrow boilers
4 x Brown Curtis steam turbines
Power output 90000shp
Speed 31.5kts
Shafts 4
Range 6000NM @ 20kts
Fuel 3454 tons oil

Furious was planned with 2 x 18" guns mounted in fore and aft turrets. But the low capabilities of seaplane carriers, being too slow and carrying too few aircraft, led to her having a flying off deck added forward. It seems unlikely that the fore turret was ever installed.

In 1917, Commander Dunning was killed attempting to sideslip around the superstructure and land on the flying off deck. In September of that year, it was decided to add a landing deck aft of the superstructure, and add a second hangar under it. Work commenced in November 1917, and she recommissioned on 15th March 1918.

In July 1918, she led the air raid on the zeppelin sheds at Tondern, her Sopwith Camels destroying 2 airships.

In 1921, work was begun to convert her into a full deck carrier, which was completed in September 1925. The main feature of the refit was the removal of all superstructure.

In 1939, she received a small island structure to starboard. During WW2, she carried out attacks on the Tirpitz at Altenfjord and also took part in Operation Torch.

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