World War II Database

The Argus was originally an Italian ship. In 1916 the Beardmore commercial yard purchased the incomplete hull (originally destined to be the passenger liner Conte Rosso) to complete as a WW1-era carrier. She was the first carrier in the world to have a full-length flight deck. She was commissioned shortly before the end of the war, thus did not see much action. Her original civilian design gave her a slow speed, therefore during the inter-war years she served as a training carrier instead of a combat ship.

At the start of WW2, she continued her role as a training carrier, but the war quickly sent her on to combat duties. She carried Sea Hurricanes and Fulmars to defend transport shipping in the Mediterranean, though never really gave up her long-held duty as a training ship for practicing deck landing. She also participated in the Allied landings in North Africa in November 1942 as a part of Force H. In late 1943, her role was converted to an accommodation ship.

After the war, she was sold on 5 December 1946 and scrapped in 1947.

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