HMS Venerable (R63)
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HMS Venerable (R63) was a Colossus-class aircraft carrier of the Royal Navy. She served for only the last few months of World War II, and in 1948 she was sold to the Netherlands and renamed HNLMS Karel Doorman (R81) and taking part in the military clash in 1962 at Western New Guinea (now, Papua and Papua Barat, in Indonesia). Subsequently she was sold to Argentina and renamed ARA Veinticinco de Mayo, later taking part in the Falklands War.
Venerable was laid down at Cammel Laird in Birkenhead on 3 December 1942, launched just over a year later, and commissioned on 17 January 1945. As with others of the class completed just before the ending of hostilities, Venerable immediately headed to the Far East to join the 11th Aircraft Carrier Squadron of the British Pacific Fleet. After hostilities were over, Venerable repatriated prisoners of war to Canada and Australia, before returning to the UK.
In 1948, Venerable's short career in the Royal Navy came to an end, when it was sold to the Dutch. The ship recommissioned in the Dutch fleet as Karel Doorman.
In 1969, after a boiler-room fire, she was sold to the Argentine Navy and renamed ARA Veinticinco de Mayo.
See HMS Venerable and HNLMS Karel Doorman for other ships of this name.
[edit] External link
- Maritimequest HMS Venerable photo gallery
- Karel Doorman, Netherlands Carrier
