Hermes displaced 11,000 tons (standard) and up to 14,000 tons under load. Her propulsion system consisted of 6 x water-tube boiler units feeding 2 x geared steam turbines driving 2 x shafts at 40,000 shaft horsepower. She could make headway in ideal conditions at 25 knots and range out to 6,400 miles.
Since Hermes was not a true warship per se, her armament suite suited her intended battlefield role - mainly defensive in nature as her aircraft were to provide the offensive arm and support would be from accompanying surface ships surrounding the valuable vessel. As such, she carried weaponry in the form of 6 x 5.5" main guns that offered a light measure against attacking surface ships and 4 x 4" Anti-Aircraft (AA) guns for point defense against incoming aerial threats. As designed, HMS Hermes held a limited aircraft-carrying capability - typically numbering 12 fighters. A maximum of 20 could be carried if pressed.
HMS Hermes' ocean-going career during the 1920s and 1930s were rather low key and she was reclassified as a training platform on July 16th, 1938. It wasn't until the lead-up to World War 2 (1939-1945) that her value was increased exponentially as she was given a refit in August of 1939 just one month prior to the German invasion of Poland (on September 1st). With that she was then recommissioned for service and given a dozen Fairey Swordfish torpedo bomber biplanes for her onboard inventory later that month. With the war in full swing for September 1939, Hermes used her aircraft to seek out and destroy German submarine threats.
As an interesting aside, the merchant vessel SS Mamari III was heavily modified as a decoy of HMS Hermes to help confuse enemy spotters as to the true operating location of the British vessel. This warship's career itself ended in June of 1941 when she was sunk by raiding German aircraft at Cromer, Norfolk.
From the first shots of the war in September 1939, HMS Hermes partook in various actions serving the Allies and Royal Navy. She blockaded enemy ports, engaged enemy shipping when possible and hunted submarines threatening Allied shipping. She was also used to support land-based forces offshore by way of her air arm. Her career ended against the Japanese at Ceylon on April 9th, 1942 when IJN carriers attacked with fighters and dive bombers - her sinking taking 307 of her crew with her. The Australian destroyer HMAS Vampire was also lost in the attack.
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