Shipbucket

HMS Eagle was the first true carrier to be commissioned into the RN. After starting life as the Chilean battleship Almirante Latorre, in 1914, the ship was seized by Great Britain at the start of WW!. In 1918 it was decided to complete her as an Aeroplane carrier with a flight-deck foreward and a landing deck aft, much like HMS Furious, but following the death of Sqn Cdr. Dunning when trying to land on the flying-off deck of HMS Furious (the foredeck, on which he managed to land 5 days earlier), the aviators demanded a complete deck from fore to aft. HMS Eagle was thus completed as a 'through-deck' carrier with the now standard island to starboard, but was unique as she had two funnels.



HMS Eagle in 1942, just before she was sunk by torpedoes from U-73. At that time she was carrying 20 Sea-Hurricane fighters, 16 of which sunk with her, 4 from 800 Sqn managed to land on HMS Victorious.

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Thank you Kim for the crest

"Never fear to try on something new. Remember that the Titanic was built by professionals, and the Ark by an amateur"

Very nice.
Wasn't eagle the one that didn't have arrestor gear?

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Source Materiel is always welcome.

As built she had wires along the deck, not across the deck. In 1931 (IIRC) she had arrestor wires installed, like a regular carrier.

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Thank you Kim for the crest

"Never fear to try on something new. Remember that the Titanic was built by professionals, and the Ark by an amateur"

Superb drawing Novice,hats off to you mate.

Very nice!

-Matt

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MS State Guard - 08 March 2014 - 28 January 2023

The Official IJN Ships & Planes List

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The correct name with which he began his life was battleship Almirante Cochrane.

Well done!

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Fantasitic! HMS Argus soon?

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Great work,
HMS Eagle was actually purchased by the Admiralty after negotiations with the Chilean Government in 1917, the purchase price was £1,334,358. HMS Eagle went under conversion, first to a sea-plane carrier and then to a strike carrier, which was started during WWI but slowed when it became clear that the ship could not be completed before the end of the war. It was decided to continue with the conversion 24 September 1920. The ship was eventually completed with a full length flight deck and a large starboard island. She was finally completed on 20 February 1924. She became renowned across the navy for her engine room instruments which were displayed only in Spanish and in metric.
HMS Hermes was the first Carrier in the World built from keel upwards.

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In the book "Warship profile 35" about HMS Eagle it says she was Almirante Latorre. Various sources say she was in fact Almirante Cochrane.
Kidcurrie42
HMS Eagle was the first true carrier commissioned in the RN. By true I mean one with a full deck and an island superstructure. HMS Eagle was not intended to carry seaplanes, but was firs converted along the lines of HMS Furious. The success of HMS Argus and the death of Sqn. Cdr Dunning while attemting to land (for the second time) on HMS Furious prompted the admiralty to re-design HMS Eagle with a full deck.
HMS Hermes was indeed the first carrier built from the keel as a carrier, but was designed as cruiser, using a modified D class cruisr hull as a basis, using also the same machinery type (two destroyer's machinery sets)
Rodondo
HMS Argus will be done later on, as well as HMS Hermes and the seaplane carrier HMS Engadine of 1914.

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Thank you Kim for the crest

"Never fear to try on something new. Remember that the Titanic was built by professionals, and the Ark by an amateur"