HMS Ark Royal (91) is a British aircraft carrier of the interwar period and World War II. The keel for this installation was laid in September 1935, launched in April 1937, and entered service with the Royal Navy in December 1938. The total length of the ship at the time of launching was 240 m, overall width was approximately 29 m, with a draft of 9.6 meters. The full displacement, on the contrary, was about 28,200 tons, and the maximum speed was up to 30 knots. The aircraft carrier could accommodate up to 72 aircraft, but actually operated 50-60 aircraft. Auxiliary armament consisted, in particular, of: 16 guns of 114 mm caliber or 32 guns of 40 mm caliber (so-called pompons). HMS Ark Royal (91) was built at Cammell Laird and Company's shipyard in Birkenhead to a design developed back in 1934, and taking into account the limitations of the Washington Treaty. The featured vessel was undoubtedly a novelty in the Royal Navy on many levels. First of all, it was the first British aircraft carrier whose flight deck was an integral part of the entire ship. From the outset, the unit was also designed to carry as many aircraft as possible, which was also largely successful. On the other hand, it was inferior in this area to, for example, the Japanese units "Akagi" or "Kaga". Since the start of the Second World War, HMS Ark Royal (91) has been widely used by the Royal Navy and has been involved in a large number of naval operations since the beginning of that military conflict. First of all, she took an active part in the operation in Norway in April-June 1940, as well as in the operation "Catapult" (1940) in the Mediterranean Sea. HMS Ark Royal (91) also saw limited action at the Battle of Cape Spartivento (November 1940). From the end of 1940 to the end of 1941, the aircraft carrier operated in the Mediterranean basin and most often covered British convoys headed for Malta. The unit was sunk in a torpedo attack by U-81 on 14 November 1941 near the base at Gibraltar. By the way, we can add that based on this fact, the commander of the unit was accused of dereliction of duty and sent to a military court.
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