HMS Pioneer (R76)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding reliable references. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (May 2008)

Career (UK)
Name:	HMS Pioneer (R76)
Builder:	Vickers
Laid down:	2 December 1942
Launched:	20 May 1944
Decommissioned:	1954
Fate:	Sold for scrap 1954
General characteristics
Class and type:	Colossus class aircraft carrier

HMS Pioneer (R76) was a Colossus-class aircraft carrier of the Royal Navy The ship was built by Vickers in Barrow-in-Furness. She was laid down on 2 December 1942, launched on 20 May 1944 and commissioned on 8 February 1945. She was originally named Ethalion, then Mars. Pioneer was not completed to her original design. With the success of the maintenance aircraft carrier Unicorn, Pioneer's design was modified to that of an aircraft maintenance ship.

Pioneer was at Manila^{[citation needed]} when the Japanese in that area surrendered to the British forces. After the surrender, Pioneer returned to the United Kingdom, and was then laid up in reserve for seven years. In 1953, Pioneer was reactivated for service as a ferry carrier. However, that duty lasted only until September 1954, when the ship was decommissioned and sold for scrap.

[edit] External links

• Maritimequest HMS Pioneer photo gallery

v • d • e Colossus-class aircraft carrier Royal Navy Colossus · Glory · Ocean · Vengeance · Pioneer · Venerable · Warrior · Perseus · Theseus · Triumph Royal Australian Navy Vengeance Royal Canadian Navy Warrior Royal Netherlands Navy Karel Doorman (ex-Venerable) French Navy Arromanches (ex-Colossus) Argentine Navy Veinticinco de Mayo (ex-Venerable) · Independencia (ex-Warrior) Brazilian Navy Minas Gerais (ex-Vengeance) List of aircraft carriers of the Royal Navy