HMS Colossus (1943)

The fourth and last Colossus (15) had a relatively brief time with the Royal Navy. She was the name-ship of the Colossus-class Light Fleet carriers, and were basically smaller derivatives of the Illustrious-class carriers. She was launched in 1943 and commissioned in 1944. She served with the British Pacific Fleet from 1945-46, prior to being loaned to France, where she was named FS Arromanches in 1946. While in French service, she participated in the Indo-China conflict in 1948 for three months. She returned to France in 1949 and purchased by them in 1951. The following year, she returned once again to Indo-China, this time as a fully fledged French warship. Between 1958-59 she was reconstructed with a 4 degree angled flight deck.

In 1968 she was converted to an Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) Carrier, operating up to 24 helicopters. She decommissioned in 1974 after a long and faithful career with the French Navy. She was broken up at Toulon in 1978, a place that had been present to the first Colossus in 1793 and the last in 1978.

See HMS Colossus for other ships of the name.

Colossus Class Statistics

• Displacement: 13,400 tons
• Length: 695 feet
• Beam: 80 feet
• Draught: 23.5 feet
• Speed: 25 knots
• Compliment: 1,300
• Aircraft: 48
• Propulsion: Steam Turbines (4 Admiralty 3-drum boilers, Parsons geared turbines)