CV · Aircraft Carrier
| Flight Deck: | H |
| Call Sign: | GKZL |
| Shipyard: | BAE Systems (Vickers) |
Timeline
| Date | |
|---|---|
| Jun 21, 1944 | as HMS Elephant, Yard No. 928 |
| Feb 16, 1953 | |
| Nov 25, 1959 | as HMS Hermes and based at HMNB Portsmouth |
| Nov 26, 1959 | departed HMNB Portsmouth for Gibraltar for work up and returned to home waters to continue. |
| Jul 5, 1960 | until Aug 1961 Whirlwind HAS.7 of 814 NAS embarked |
| Oct 1960 | temporary assignment of 824 NAS Whirlwinds until 17 Oct Exercise Rum Tub III |
| Oct 7, 1960 | 814 NAS Whirlwind HAS.7 XN313/282-H w/o Lough Foyle while HMS Hermes was operating in the Irish Sea. (Replaced on unit strength by XN386 as /282-H later in the same month). Accident |
| Nov 7, 1960 | departed HMNB Portsmouth for exercises in Mediterranean with HMS Ark Royal and HMS Victorious, sailed on 3 Dec for Far East station to relieve HMS Albion, returned to UK on 19 Apr 1961 |
| Nov 30, 1960 | joint US-UK exercise in Western Mediterranean, including HMS Ark Royal, HMS Victorious, USS Independence, USS Intrepid and USS Saratoga. Exercise Royal Flush IV |
| Dec 3, 1960 | exercising in Mediterranean with HMS Ark Royal and HMS Victorious |
| Feb 3, 1961 | 814 Sq Whirlwind HAS.7 XN312/281-H ditched and sank during recovery approach, S of Hong Kong on 3 Feb 1961 Accident |
| Mar 1961 | relieved of Far East duty by HMS Victorious, towards end of the month |
| Jun 29, 1961 |  Gibraltar Harbour Ordered to Gibraltar as a precautionary re-inforcement to units engaged in Operation Vantage off Kuwait, until mid Jul. Standby |
| Aug 5, 1961 | HMNB Portsmouth present at Portsmouth Navy Days 1961, with the last public display for her embarked 814 NAS Whirlwinds, before re-equipping with Wessex. Navy Days 1961 |
| Sep 11, 1961 | Major refit in Portsmouth which included arrangements for operating the Wessex, until 20 Apr 1962 |
| Apr 1962 | allocated Whirlwind HAS.7 XL852 as SAR Flt / 985-H until c Feb 1964 SAR Flt |
| May 1962 | until Aug 1963 Wessex HAS.1 of 814 NAS embarked |
| May 25, 1962 | departed HMNB Portsmouth for 5 month Mediterranean work-up deployment, returning 5 Oct. |
| Aug 1962 | operating off Portugal with HMS Centaur, USS Enterprise and USS Forrestal during, Exercise RipTide II. Exercise Rip Tide II |
| Nov 13, 1962 | departed HMNB Portsmouth for 10 month Indian Ocean and Far East deployment via the Mediterranean, based from Singapore. Wessex HAS.1 of 814 NAS embarked. Relieved by HMS Ark Royal in Jul 1963 and sailed for the UK. Ordered to remain off Aden, she was replaced there by HMS Victorious in Red Sea, continuing on 21 Jul and returned Aug 1963. Konfrontasi |
| Nov 13, 1962 | HMD Portsmouth prior to deployment for Far East later that day while still in the English Channel, the Fairey Swordfish which had been hoisted aboard for the Taranto Day celebrations on 11 Nov, flew off. Last departure of a Swordfish from a carrier. Departure |
| Nov 16, 1962 | SAR Flt Whirlwind XN360/986-H ditched and sank in the Irish Sea, en route Brawdy. Accident |
| Dec 8, 1962 |  off Aden Whirlwind XK935 SAR Flt/985 since Oct 1962, ditched and sank, 23nm SW of Aden. Accident |
| Jan 15, 1963 |  Subic Bay Harbour lost 814Sq Wessex HAS.1 XM924/344-H when ditched and sank 15 Jan 1963, while operating off Philippines. Accident |
| Jul 1963 | Disembarked 814 NAS and replaced them in her air group by 819 NAS Wessex from Hal Far, until Feb 1964. |
| Aug 12, 1963 | Lost 814Sq Wessex XM922/344-H when ditched and sank, 12 Aug 1963 while operating off Aden Accident |
| Oct 4, 1963 | Central Mediterranean lost 819 Sq Wessex HAS.1 XP145/323-H, when ditched and sank while operating S of Crete. Accident |
| Feb 1964 | refit at HMD Devonport for c 2 years, emerging Spring 1966, able to host ASW Helicopters |
| Aug 1, 1964 | HMD Devonport present at Plymouth Navy Days 1964, in refit Navy Days 1964 |
| Aug 1965 | HMD Devonport present at Plymouth Navy Days 1965, in refit Navy Days 1965 |
| Mar 1966 | assigned Whirlwind HAR.9 XN258 to SAR Flt/336-H until c Nov 1966. |
| Sep 1966 | until Feb 1968 Wessex HAS.1 of 826 NAS embarked and 2 SAR Flt Whirlwinds |
| Sep 21, 1966 | departed HMNB Portsmouth for North Sea work-up, returning 18 Nov |
| Jan 16, 1967 | departed HMNB Portsmouth for 9 month Indian Ocean and Far East deployment. Relieved HMS Victorious off Aden in Apr. Ordered back to Aden from Gan on 3 Jun as the Middle East six day war broke out. Reached Far East base at Singapore on 22 Jun. Departed Singapore on 4 Sep for the UK via Cape Town and arrived in Portsmouth on 2 Oct. |
| Jan 23, 1967 | West Mediterranean en route Malta from Gibraltar, 892Sq Sea Vixen ditched immediately following launch by catapult. 826 NAS Planeguard Wessex HAS.1 XS883/346-H on scene, was struck by the ship and lost. Accident |
| Apr 1967 | Eastern Mediterranean, after Greek military coup in Athens |
| Jun 1967 | assigned to Eastern Task Force off Aden, guarding interests during Middle East Six Day War. |
| Jun 22, 1967 | mid-deployment maintenance in Singapore, until 17 Jul. |
| Aug 1967 | following Cultural Revolution in China, reinforced Hong Kong after rioting continued. |
| Aug 9, 1967 | Subic Bay Harbour 826Sq Wessex HAS.1 XS879/342-H ditched and sank while HMS Hermes operating off Subic Bay, Philippines Accident |
| Aug 28, 1967 |  Fremantle Harbour 7 day visit to Fremantle, departing 4 Sep for UK via Cape of Good Hope. Fremantle |
| Oct 31, 1967 | departed HMNB Portsmouth for Middle East deployment, via Cape of Good Hope. After operating with HMS Bulwark and HMS Devonshire, she returned to Portsmouth on 19 Feb 1968. |
| Mar 1968 | short refit at HMD Portsmouth. Recommissioning on 17 May with many of the Ships Company from HMS Victorious. |
| May 31, 1968 | until Jun 1970 Wessex HAS.3 of 814 NAS embarked |
| Jul 1968 | departed UK for 9 month Indian Ocean and Far East deployment. Arrived Singapore on 31 Aug and returned to Portsmouth on 1 Apr 1969. |
| Sep 30, 1968 | participated in Exercise Coral Sands (after joining with Amphibious Task Force in the Celebes Sea, earlier), until 13 Oct Exercise Exercise Coral Sands |
| Oct 14, 1968 | HMAS Kuttabul extended visit to Sydney, departed 31 Oct and re-embarked her Air Group from RANAS Nowra, in Jervis Bay. Sydney |
| Oct 1969 | departed UK for Mediterranean deployment; returned to HMNB Portsmouth on 22 Jun 1970 |
| Oct 1970 | towed from HMNB Portsmouth to HMNB Devonport, to await refit. |
| Mar 1, 1971 | HMD Devonport until 17 Aug 1973 at HMD Devonport to convert to Commando Carrier. Include removal of her Type 984 3D radar. Commando refit air search radar Type 965 |
| Aug 28, 1971 | HMD Devonport present (in refit) at Plymouth Navy Days 1971. Navy Days 1971 |
| Aug 1973 | until Oct 1979 Sea King of 814 NAS embarked |
| Aug 1973 | until 1977 Wessex HU.5 from various detachments of 845 NAS embarked |
| Sep 22, 1973 | 824 NAS Sea Kings assigned to HMS Hermes until Apr 1974 |
| 1974 | In Gibraltar |
| Feb 1974 | departed UK for Western Atlantic deployment to Caribbean and Canada with Wessex HU.5 of 845 NAS embarked. |
| Jul 1974 |  Akrotiri Bay Disembarked 41 Commando RM (from Malta) on Cyprus during the emergency, while Sea Kings from 814 NAS assisted evacuation of civilians from a beach near Kyrenia Akrotiri Partition of Cyprus |
| Dec 1974 | alongside at HMD Devonport for an extended period of maintenance, until Feb 1975 |
| Sep 1, 1975 | Eastern Mediterranean departed HMNB Devonport for Mediterranean & North Sea deployment, until Dec. |
| Nov 17, 1975 | Sea King XV695 accident, North Sea Accident |
| 1976 | to convert for Anti-Submarine helicopter operations ASW Carrier refit |
| Aug 28, 1976 | HMD Devonport present at Plymouth Navy Days 1976. Navy Days 1976 |
| Jun 1977 | until Jul 1977 Wessex HU.5 of 846 NAS embarked |
| Jun 25, 1977 | Present at Silver Jubilee Fleet Review, off Ryde Sand Fleet Review: Silver Jubilee of HM The Queen |
| Aug 27, 1977 | HMD Devonport present at Plymouth Navy Days 1977 Navy Days 1977 |
| May 31, 1979 | operated HMS Aurora Flight Wasp XT420 on loan for a month. |
| Jan 1980 | until Mar 1980 Sea King HAS.2 of 820 NAS embarked |
| Mar 20, 1980 | to convert for Sea Harrier operations with ski-jump deck, until May 1981 Ski jump refit |
| 1981 | until 1983 Sea King HC.4 from various detatchments of 846 NAS embarked |
| 1981 | until 1984 Wessex HU.5 from various detatchments of 845 NAS embarked |
| May 1981 | until Jul 1982 Sea King HAS.5 of 826 NAS embarked |
| Aug 29, 1981 | HMNB Portsmouth present at Portsmouth Navy Days 1981, Sea King HAS.5 XZ919 / 141-H on deck. Navy Days 1981 |
| Sep 2, 1981 | departed HMNB Portsmouth for N Atlantic and eastern USA deployment, returned Dec. |
| Apr 1982 | Admiral Woodward s flagship for Operation Corporate in South Atlantic |
| Apr 5, 1982 |  South Atlantic Flag ship for the large UK task force (Carrier Battle Group was designated Task Force 317.8) despatched to retake the Falklands. Departed HMNB Portsmouth on 5 Apr with nine of 846 NAS Sea King HC.4 on deck. Her air group was maximised with as many RN Sea Harriers as could be mustered. Operation Corporate |
| Apr 23, 1982 | Sea King HC.4 ZA311 of 846 NAS/VP ditched and sank in poor visibility inside the Falkands Total Exclusion Zone. Accident |
| May 17, 1982 | Detached Sea King HC.4 ZA290 / VC of 846 NAS to HMS Invincible to take part in Operation Plum Duff. Operation Plum Duff Operation Corporate |
| Jul 3, 1982 | Port William in Port William Sound to launch and recover aircraft for Port Stanley flypast |
| Aug 1982 | alongside maintenance at HMD Portsmouth, which was extended to include South Atlantic repairs, until Nov 1982. |
| Jan 1983 | embarked Sea Kings of 814 NAS as part of her Air Group until c Jun 1983 |
| Sep 1983 | departed HMNB Portsmouth for Mediterranean deployment with mixed aviation assets of 845 NAS (Wessex) and 846 NAS (Sea King) embarked. Returned to UK on 22 Nov for the last time, to pay off. |
| Apr 1984 | |
| 1985 | to India |