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HMS Campania (1914)

1915 WORLD WAR 1

History of HMS Campania (1914)

Like other early aircraft carriers that appeared during the First World War (1914-1918), the HMS Campania was a hasty refit of the upcoming ocean-going passenger ship RMS Campania. War compels this accelerated adventure, especially since control of the seas is vital to both sides of the conflict. For the British, HMS Campania was born on an aging ocean liner recycled by the Royal Navy for war service - originally an armed merchant ship before her role was rewritten. Her keel was first laid in 1892 and launched on September 8 of that year. The Royal Navy brought her into stock on November 27, 1914, when the war in Europe showed little sign of ending soon.

On April 17, 1915, she took the seaplane tender/aircraft carrier role to the best of her ability and was commissioned for military service.

After her modifications, the finished section was 622 feet long, 65 feet beam, and had a draft of 28 feet 5 inches. Her propulsion system continued to consist of 2 Vertical Triple Expansion (VTE) 5-cylinder steam engines driving 28,000 hp on twin shafts. Under ideal conditions, the Campania achieved a top speed of 19.5 knots.

Her displacement is 20,900 tons (short). The completed crew consisted of 600 officers and sailors. Local defense is provided by 6 x 4.7 in (120 mm) QF guns and 1 x 3 in (76 mm) anti-aircraft (AA) guns. The airborne store initially consisted of seven aircraft, which were launched through a single "takeoff" deck above the bow.

Her silhouette is recognizable from the presence of two in-line chimneys in her designs, one of which is near her bridge superstructure.

On August 6, 1915, a Sopwith Schneider took off from her cockpit to commemorate her first aircraft launch. The Schneider is a seaplane with racing origins dating back to 1913, adopted by the Royal Flying Corps and the Royal Naval Air Service.

Because of its seaplane landing gear, the plane is launched from a trolley instead of using traditional wheeled landing gear.

After some time at sea, design changes were ordered, including lengthening and raising the flight deck to improve takeoff. The runway extension forced the front stacks to split in two, and the flight deck ran between and over the bridges - a rather awkward addition.

At the end of their careers, there was room for more aircraft - as many as a dozen different sizes. Work took place from November 1915 to April of the following year, temporarily keeping Campania out of the war.

During the war, Campania did not sail with the Grand Fleet when she participated in the Battle of Jutland from 31 May to 1 June 1916. Campania eventually went to the battlefield some time later, but was repelled by the threat of German U-boats reportedly operating in the area.

Her only wartime operations included anti-Zeppelin and anti-submarine patrols with her aircraft.

Since then, HMS Campania has been relegated to training service due to problems with the propulsion system and increasing age. In April 1918, she was transferred from Scapa Flow, Orkney, Scotland, to Rosyth, Firth of Forth, Scotland, which would be her doom. HMS Campania's career came to an abrupt end on November 5, 1918, when a sudden gust of wind struck her and other ships moored in the Firth of Forth.

Her hull was thrown around and badly damaged, forcing her into the water and sinking. Although no one was killed (all were saved), the ship was written off and became a wreck. It was placed under monument protection in 2001.

The initial success of the HMS Campania aircraft launch resulted in a notable development, the production of a purpose-built carrier-based reconnaissance aircraft, the Fairey Campania. The single-engine, two-seat patrol/reconnaissance aircraft first flew in February 1917, with 62 prototypes transferred between the Royal Air Force (RAF) and the Royal Naval Air Service.