- Yes
- No
The Furious as she was completed in 1917.
The Courageous-class “large light cruiser” was some of the strangest ship class ever built. Originated as a pet project of Fleet Admircal Jackie Fisher, these ships were the epitome of his slogan of “speed as armor” as well as designed to get around the restriction on building new capital ships. Out of 3 ships built, HMS Furious (47) stands out for being the weirdest of the weird ship class, so today I would like to suggest the inclusion of this unique ship into War Thunder.
History
Profile images of the HMS Furious as she was originally completed (top) compared to her first conversion into “aircraft cruiser”.
Like the other “large light cruiser”, Furious originated from a 1915 design by Fleet Admiral Jackie Fisher to build a large ship that would get around the government restriction on building more battlecruisers as a part of the the “Baltic Project” (a planned invasion on Germany’s Baltic coasts). Furious was launched on 8 June 1915, launched on 18 August 1916, and commissioned on 26 June 1917.
Close-up of the Furious’ 18-inch turret at the stern.
Furious’ original design was modified to mount larger-calibre guns compared to her sister ships, consisting of two 18-inch (457 mm) BL 18-inch Mark I cannons mounted in two single turrets forward and aft each. These guns were the largest naval cannon in the world at the time, and only the Japanese 460 mm cannon on the Yamato-class surpassed it in calibre. However, the 18-inch gun has a heavier shell than the 460 mm, but due to its shorter barrel its velocity is considerably worse.
Furious’ secondary armament is six 140 mm BL 5.5-inch Mk I naval gun (although some source stated that she has eleven), mounted around the midship section. Up to four guns can be fired from broadsides. For anti-air defense, two QF 3-inch 20 cwt guns were mounted flanking the bridge.
Frontal view of the Furious as she was completed in 1917. The hangar and flight deck is
However, while under construction, a decision was made to convert the Furious into an “aircraft cruiser” by removing the frontal 18-inch turret to make room for a flight deck and a 10-aircraft hangar. To compensate for the removal of the main guns, three additional 5.5 inch guns were mounted in place of the AA guns, increasing the gun count to 9 and 5 from broadsides. These conversions were made to provide scouting capabilities by allowing the Furious to launch them from her forward flight deck.
Furious with a group of Sopwith Camels on her flight deck.
After entered service, the Furious would be used to test the viability of the launching and landing an aircraft on a moving ship. On 2 August 1917, Squadron Commander Edwin Dunning managed to take off his Sopwith Pup on board the Furious, making him the first person in history to perform such feat. However, five days later, he would be killed after attempting to land on board due to the engine chocked before he could land, causing the plane to crash into the bow of the Furious. After this incident, the Royal Navy cancelled all testing on board the Furious, and a decision was made to convert her into a pseudo-aircraft carrier by adding the landing deck onto her stern, replacing the aft 18-inch turret.
Furious as she appeared in 1918.
Furious after being converted into a proper aircraft carrier.
In this configuration, the Furious would participate in the first carrier-launched air raid in history in the Tondern raid, targeting the remaining fleet of German zeppelins. After the war, Furious, along with her sister ships was converted into a proper aircraft carrier, and would later on served in World War II until she was scrapped in 1948.
Specifications (as originally built)
General Information:
Displacement: 19,826 tons empty, 23,257 tons full loadLength: 239.8 meters
Beam: 26.8 meters
Draft: 7.6 meters
Top speed: 31.5 knots (58.3 km/h)
Powerplant: 18 x Yarrow boilers driving four steam turbine-powered propeller shafts, 90,000 shp
Crew: 737
Protection:
Belt: 2–3 in (51–76 mm)Decks: .75–3 in (19–76 mm)
Barbettes: 3–7 in (76–178 mm)
Turrets: 7–9 in (178–229 mm)
Conning tower: 10 in (254 mm)
Torpedo bulkheads: 1–1.5 in (25–38 mm)
Armaments:
Main armament: 2 × BL 18-inch Mk I naval guns in single mounts, one each on the bow and sternRate of fire: 1 round per minute
Secondary armament: 6 x BL 5.5-inch Mk I naval gun in six single turrets amidships
Anti-air armament: 2 x QF 3-inch 20 cwt anti-air gun
Other armament: 2 x Submerged torpedo launchers for the 533 mm Mk. IV torpedoes. 5 per each tube, 10 in total
Specifications (as first conversion)
General Information:
Displacement: 19,826 tons empty, 23,257 tons full loadLength: 239.8 meters
Beam: 26.8 meters
Draft: 7.6 meters
Top speed: 31.5 knots (58.3 km/h)
Powerplant: 18 x Yarrow boilers driving four steam turbine-powered propeller shafts, 90,000 shp
Crew: 737
Protection:
Belt: 2–3 in (51–76 mm)Decks: .75–3 in (19–76 mm)
Barbettes: 3–7 in (76–178 mm)
Turrets: 7–9 in (178–229 mm)
Conning tower: 10 in (254 mm)
Torpedo bulkheads: 1–1.5 in (25–38 mm)
Armaments:
Main armament: 1 × BL 18-inch Mk I naval gun in single mount at the sternRate of fire: 1 round per minute
Secondary armament: 9 x BL 5.5-inch Mk I naval gun in six single turrets amidships
Other armament: 2 x Submerged torpedo launchers for the 533 mm Mk. IV torpedoes. 5 per each tube, 10 in total
Aircraft: 10 x Sopwith Camel 2F.1a fighters with bombs
Ammo specifications for the 18-inch gun
Sources
HMS Furious (47) - Wikipedia
United Kingdom / Britain 18"/40 (45.7 cm) Mark I - NavWeaps
Friedman, Norman (1988). British Carrier Aviation: The Evolution of the Ships and Their Aircraft. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 0-87021-054-8.
Sturtivant, Ray (1990). British Naval Aviation: The Fleet Air Arm, 1917–1990. London: Arms & Armour Press. ISBN 0-85368-938-5.
Campbell, N. J. M. (1978). Battle Cruisers: The Design and Development of British and German Battlecruisers of the First World War Era. Warship Special. Vol. 1. Greenwich: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-130-0. OCLC 5991550.
Jenkins, C. A. (1972). HMS Furious/Aircraft Carrier 1917–1948: Part II: 1925–1948. Warship Profile. Vol. 24. Windsor, UK: Profile Publications. OCLC 10154565.
McBride, Keith (1990). “The Weird Sisters”. In Gardiner, Robert (ed.). Warship. Vol. 1990. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. pp. 102–117. ISBN 1-55750-903-4.