(R31) Colossus Class Light Fleet Carrier
Summary Of Service
1946-1958
HMS WARRIOR was built and engineered by Harland and Wolff Ltd, Belfast. Ordered under the 1942 Additional Programme on 7th August 1942, she was laid down on 12th December 1942, launched on 20th May 1944, and completed on 14th March 1946…As early as May 1945 however, approval was given for her to be transferred on loan to the Royal Canadian Navy, and she commissioned with a RCN complement as HMCS WARRIOR on 24th January 1946. She left Portsmouth on 23rd March 1946 for Halifax, Nova Scotia, where she arrived on 31st March and commenced work-up with 803 (Seafire) and 825 (Firefly) CNAS embarked.
The WARRIOR remained with the RCN until early 1948. At the end of January she left Halifax for the UK, and after calling at Belfast to transfer stores and personnel to HMCS Magnificent, then nearing completion at Harland and Wolff, she arrived at Portsmouth on 1st March 1948. At a ceremony there on 23rd March, she was formally returned to the RN and re-commissioned as HMS WARRIOR.
Between March and September 1948 the WARRIOR was in hand at Portsmouth where she was fitted with an experimental flexible landing surface on which aircraft could land without need of a conventional undercarriage. The concept of a flexible deck, with the object of saving weight and improving the performance of naval aircraft, was developed at the Royal Aircraft Establishment at Farnborough. In March 1949 the RN’s Chief Aircraft Test Pilot, Lt. Cdr.(A) E M Brown, OBE, DSC, RN was awarded the Boyd Trophy for his skill and enterprise during development work culminating in the successful landing of a specially modified Vampire F.21 jet fighter, equipped with skids instead of a conventional undercarriage, on the flexible landing surface on the WARRIOR . Trials with the flexible deck continued until June 1949. Although technically successful, concept proved completely unworkable in practice and was not adopted and the flexible deck removed. WARRIOR was reduced to Reserve Category ‘B’ at Portsmouth in September 1949.
Shortly after the outbreak of the Korean War in June 1950 the WARRIOR was ordered to be brought forward from reserve for service as an aircraft and troop transport between the UK and the Far East. Between August 1950 and December 1951 she made four trips to the Far East. In addition she transported units of the 16th Parachute Brigade Group to Cyprus during June 1951 as result of security crisis on the Island. In December 1951 she ceased trooping duties and returned to Devonport.
Between April 1952 and October 1953 the WARRIOR was in hand at Devonport for limited modernization, during which her bridgework was extended and enlarged, and her tripod mast replaced by a latticework structure.
She re-commissioned on 8th September 1953, underwent post-refit trials in October, and sailed from Devonport on 15th February 1954 for work-up in the Mediterranean with 811 (Sea Fury) and 825 (Firefly) Naval Air Squadrons embarked to relieve HMAS SYDNEY in the United Nations force monitoring the Armistice off Korea. The WARRIOR arrived at Singapore to join the Far East Fleet on 12th May 1954
On 25th August 1954 WARRIOR was ordered to prepare to assist in the evacuation of refugees from North to South Vietnam, following a request by the Vietnamese Prime Minister. After hasty modifications at Singapore, including the provision of additional toilet facilities, WARRIOR sailed for Haiphong on 31 August. Between 4th – 13th September she transported over 3000 refugees, who wanted to escape communist regime in the north of the country, from Haiphong to Saigon. WARRIOR received Presidential Citation from The State of Vietnam in October 1954, together with The Ribbon of Friendship in recognition of her services.
HMS WARRIOR left Singapore bound for the UK on 23rd September 1954. After calling at Hong Kong, Durban, Port Elizabeth, Capetown and Dakar she arrived at Devonport on 14th December where she paid off and was taken in hand for an extended refit and modernisation. This involved the provision of a partially angled flight deck and improved arrester gear.
On 21st August 1956 she re-commissioned in Devonport. The intention was for the ship to relieve Bulwark as trials and training carrier, but was reallocated to Operation ’Grapple’, the British nuclear tests in Pacific for 1957, in which she was to play a leading part. Sailed from Portsmouth on 2nd February 1957 with Ship’s Flight of Avengers and Whirlwind helicopters embarked. After a quick stop at Kingston, Jamaica to sort out the problems caused by severe storms, then through the Panama Canal she arrived at Christmas Island on 4th March. A quick trip to Honolulu gave some Army and RAF personnel a much needed R & R. The WARRIOR acted as Operational Control ship in the target area when the three nuclear devices were exploded over Malden Island between 15th May and 19th June, flying the broad pennant of the Commodore Grapple Squadron, Cdre R B N Hicks, DSO, and RN. Her duties also included that of weather reporting ship, air sea rescue base, and aircraft tracking centre, and collection of samples from the target area. A quick repair to a damaged bow in Pearl Harbour, before the start of the return passage to the UK. A ‘show the flag’ tour of South America with calls at Lima, Valparaiso, Puerto Belgrano, Falklands, Buenos Aires, Montevideo, Rio de Janeiro and of course Gibraltar, arriving in Portsmouth on 11th October 1957.
In February 1958 the WARRIOR was reduced to extended reserve at Portsmouth and two months later placed on the Disposal List (Sales). On 4th July 1958 the Argentine Ministry of Marine in Buenos Aires announced their agreement to purchase the WARRIOR, this being formally completed on 24th July 1958 and the ship was renamed ARA (Armada Republica Argentina) INDEPENDENCIA. On 4th November 1958 the Argentine flag was formally hoisted during a ceremony at Portsmouth and the carrier left the UK bound for Buenos Aires on 10th December 1958. The WARRIOR continued in service with the Argentine Navy until withdrawn in 1971.