British battle cruiser HMS Glorious 1915-1940

Original design as battle cruiser

German battle cruiser Scharnhorst

Of the Courageous-class battle cruisers with as sister ships Courageous and Furious which were of a special design with in fact hardly armour and just a few heavy guns especially for service in the Baltic area. Also indicated as large light cruisers. Preceded by the Renown-class and succeeded by the Admiral-class.

Building ordered on 14 March 1915, laid down by Harland and Wolff, Belfast, Ireland with yard number 482-484 on 1 May 1915, launched on 20 May 1916, completed on 31 December 1916, commissioned in January 1917, converted into an aircraft carrier between February 1924-March 1930 and finally sunk by the German battle cruisers Scharnhorst and Gneisenau in the North Sea when she was evacuating British aircraft from Norway on 8 June 1940. Building costs 1.967.223 pound sterling. Nicknamed Laborious.

Original technical specifications as battle cruiser.
Displacement 19.488 tons/19.180 long tons (standard)-22.719 tons/22.360 long tons (full load) and as dimensions 239,8 (over all) x 24,7 x 7,9 metres or 786.9 x 81 x 25.10 feet. The 4 geared steam turbines and 18 Yarrow small-tube boilers supplied 4 shafts 90.000 shp allowing a speed of 32 knots. Fuel oil bunker capacity 760 tons (normal)-3.210 (maximum) tons allowing with a speed of 20 knots a maximum range of 6.000 nautical miles. Her crew numbered 842 men. The armour consisted of a 6,1-7,6cm/2-3” thick belt, 1,9-7,6cm/0.75-3” thick decks, 2,5-3,8cm/1-1.5” thick torpedo bulkheads with the barbettes, gun turrets and conning tower protected by respectively 7,6-17,8cm/3-7”, 17,8-22,9cm/7-9” and 25,4cm/10”. The armament consisted of 2x2-38,1cn/15” Mark I guns, 6x3-10,2cm/4“Mark IX guns, 2x1-7,6cm/3” anti aircraft guns and 2x1-53,3cm/21” submerged torpedo tubes (for which 10 torpedoes were taken with her)

Technical specifications as aircraft carrier.
Displacement 25.370/24.790 long tons (normal)-27.859/27,419 long tons (deep load) and as dimensions 224,1 (between perpendiculars)-239,8 (over all) x 27,6 (waterline) x 8,5 metres or 735.1½-786.9 x 90.6 x 27.75 feet. The 4 Parsons geared steam turbines and 18 Yarrow boilers supplied via 4 shaft 90.000 shp allowing a speed of 30 knots and with a speed of 16 knots a range of 5.850 nautical miles. Her crew numbered 793 excluded the air group. The armament consisted of 16x1-12cm/4.7” anti aircraft guns and carried 48 aircraft with her