Building ordered in April 1916, laid down at the Harland&Wolff shipyard, Belfast, Ireland as the heavy cruiser of the Hawkins-class Cavendish with yard number 500 on 29 June 1915, decided to be completed as an aircraft carrier in June 1917, launched on 29 January 1918, renamed Vindictive in June 1918, sea trials executed on 21 September 1918, completed on 19 October 1918, commissioned on 1 October 1918, converted back into a cruiser in 1924, training ship since 1937, repair ship since 1939, destroyer depot ship in 1944, paid off in 8 September 1945 and finally broken up on 24 January 1946 which was done at Blyth.
As an aircraft carrier were several guns removed or replaced. There was a hangar with the dimensions of 23,8 x 14,9 metres or 78 x 49 feet made able to store 6 reconnaissance aircraft. The hangar roof which was extended was used as a flying deck with a length of 32 metres or 106 feet. Aft was the landing deck with as dimensions58,5 x 17,4 metres or 193 x 57 feet.
Technical specifications as an aircraft carrier. A displacement of 9.545 tons/9.394 long tons (light)-12.600 tons/12.400 long tons (deep load) with as dimensions 184,4 (over all) x 19,8 x 5,9 (mean) metres or 605 x 65 x 19.3 feet. The 12 Yarrow boilers and 4 Parsons geared steam turbines supplied via 4 shafts 60.000 shp allowing a speed of 29,12 knots (trial with 63.600 shp)) and with a speed of 14 knots a range of 5.400 nautical miles. Her crew numbered 548 men. The armour consisted of a 3,8-10,2cm/1,5-4” thick waterline belt, a deck of 2,5-3,8cm/1-1.5” and the conning tower was protected by 7,6cm/3” thick armour. The armament consisted of 4-19cm/7.5”Mk VI guns, 4-“7,6cm/3”20 cwt quick firing Low Angle guns, 4-7,6cm/3” 20cwet quick firing anti aircraft guns and 6-53cm/21” torpedo tubes.
