She was laid down on June 21, 1944, launched by Lady (then Mrs.) Winston Churchill on February 16, 1953, and she was accepted for service in November 1959.

Known as the Hermes (Modernised) Class, to distinguish her from the Centaur Class, of which she was originally a sister ship, she was of 22,500 tons standard displacement. Her length is 74 and a quarter ft. (o.a.), and her overall beam is 130ft. Draught is 28 ft. She can carry 45 aircraft. Her total complement is 1,400.

The ship's angled flight deck, steam catapult, mirror-landing sight and 3-D radar makes her first rate operationally. Every effort has been made to ensure that accommodation for officers and men will compare favourably with any other warship, and she has cheerful well-lit messes with comfortable bunks which can be collapsed during daytime so as to provide maximum recreational space.

In accepting the ship on behalf of the Admiralty from her builders, Capt, Tibbitts said, "I am very pleased and proud of HMS Hermes."

The builders, the designers and the workmen are very proud of Hermes and it is with the courtesy of Messrs. Armstrong Whitworths that we are able to publish the cutaway picture in the supplement in this issue.

The last Hermes was also built by Messers. Armstong Whitworths between January, 1918, and February, 1924. She had an overall length of 598ft and she carried 20 aeroplanes.

The aircraft complement of Hermes includes Supermarine Scimitar Strike fighters (nuclear and cannon armament), De Haviland Sea Vixen all weather fighters fitted with firestreak air-to-air missiles, Westland Whirlwind and Wessex anti-submarine helicopters and a flight of Fairey Gannet Airborne Early Warning aircraft.