Allied Warships

HMS Perseus (ii) (D 51)

Aircraft Carrier of the Colossus class


HMS Perseus seen here post-war

NavyThe Royal Navy
TypeAircraft Carrier
ClassColossus 
PennantD 51 
ModAircraft maintenance carrier 
Built byVickers Armstrong (Tyne) : Vickers Armstrong (Barrow) 
Ordered14 Mar 1942 
Laid down1 Jun 1942 
Launched26 Mar 1944 
Commissioned19 Oct 1945 
End service 
History

Originally to be named HMS Edgar. She was renamed HMS Perseus in June 1944.

She was completed as an aircraft maintenance ship and could not fly aircraft on or off as catapult was not fitted at that time and an acetylene producing plant was built on the aft end of the flight deck.

On commissioning in October 1945, Perseus served as a maintenance support ship, she went into reserve in June 1946. In the first three months of 1952, the US Navy carried out tests of the RN developed steam catapult, launching US naval aircraft at sea from HMS Perseus, and on land at the Naval Shipyard, Philadelphia, and the Naval Operating Base, Norfolk. In April 1952, the US Navy announced that this catapult would be adopted for use on US aircraft carriers, with the first installation on the USS Hancock. Perseus was subsequently stricken in 1957 and broken up commencing 6 May 1958 at Port Glasgow.

 
Former nameHMS Edgar

Commands listed for HMS Perseus (ii) (D 51)

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and that we only list Commanding Officers for the duration of the Second World War.

CommanderFromTo
1A/Capt. George Robert Deverell, RN17 Apr 194514 Jan 1946

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Notable events involving Perseus (ii) include:


The page dealing with the 'wartime history' of HMS Perseus was was created in June 2023

16 Aug 1945
Perseus (A/Capt. G.R. Deverell, RN) departed the Tyne for Rosyth for further outfitting of her aircraft workshops.

During the passage north she suffered a major engine breakdown and had to anchor off Methil.

She returned from Methil to the Tyne for repairs on 28 August 1945.

Repairs were only completed in October too late to see any war service. (1)

Sources

  1. ADM 199/2565

ADM numbers indicate documents at the British National Archives at Kew, London.


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