Second World War Archives - Page 9 of 40

Vultee XP-54 Swoose Goose

Vultee XP-54 Swoose Goose resulted from United States Army Air Corps proposal R-40C issued on 27 November 1939 for aircraft with improved performance, armament, and pilot visibility over existing fighters; it specifically allowed for unconventional aircraft designs. Also designed to this request were the Curtiss XP-55 Ascender and the Northrop XP-56 Black Bullet.

Initially designed as a low-altitude interceptor, this was changed to a high-altitude interceptor. The resulting addition of a pressurized cockpit led to a unique pilot entry method, where the seat acted as an elevator. The seat was lowered and raised electrically while the pilot at it it. Bail out was also complicated by the pusher propellors and a downward firing ejector seat was installed.

Two prototypes were built (41-1210 and 42-108994, although the second was wrongly marked 42-1211). Performance fell short of design expectations, which combined with project delays and increased costs led to its cancellation. Both aircraft saw out their days as experimental airframes until a lock of spare parts led to their grounding.

British Aircraft Carrier HMS Vengeance

Photos of HMS Vengeance

HMS Vengeance in Service

Completed on 15 January 1945, HMS Vengeance was a Colossus-class aircraft carrier built for the Royal Navy. Vengeance arrived in Sydney Australia in July 1945, but was still in port when the Japanese surrendered and therefore saw no action during the Second World War.

Post war she was converted for Arctic conditions, and from 5 February 1949 to 8 March 1949 operated in Arctic waters as part of Operation Rusty: an experimental cruise to determine how well ships, aircraft, and personnel functioned in extreme cold.

When the construction of the Australian aircraft carrier HMAS Melbourne was delayed, Vengeance was loaned to the Royal Australian Navy and commissioned as HMAS Vengeance on 13 November 1952.

Vengeance was returned to the Royal Navy on 25 October 1955, but was not reactivated. Instead she was sold to Brazil on 14 December 1956 and commissioned into the Marinha do Brasil (MB, Brazilian Navy) as NAeL Minas Gerais on 6 December 1960.

HMS Vengeance (R-71) underway, 1945 — HMS Vengeance in 1945

Arctic Trials

Aircraft Operations

de Havilland Sea Hornet

de Havilland Sea Vampire

Fairey Barracuda

Fairey Firefly

Hawker Sea Fury

Supermarine Seafire

Vought Corsair

Canadian Aircraft Carrier HMCS Warrior

Canadian Aircraft Carrier HMCS Warrior

Laid down on 12 December 1942 as HMS Warrior, a Colossus-class light-aircraft carrier for the Royal Navy, the ship was loaned to the Royal Canadian Navy as HMCS Warrior. Commissioned on 24 January 1946, she lacked heating for some of the onboard equipment, as the Royal Navy had intended her to be used in the tropics where heating was unnecessary. Unfortunately, the Royal Canadian Navy operated in a much colder climate, which made her unsuitable for service in the north. Combined with defense cuts, it was decided to only operate one aircraft carrier (the other being HMCS Magnificent which would shortly be available) and Warrior was returned to the Royal Navy on 23 March 1948.

While operated by the RCN, Warrior embarked 803 (Supermarine Seafires and 825 Squadrons (Fairey Fireflies). In August 1947, the squadrons were re-equipped with Firefly Mark IV and Hawker Sea Fury aircraft.

After a period of service with the Royal Navy, she was sold to Argentina as ARA Independencia.