Shipbucket

I present to you the Argentinian navy 25 de Mayo in het last outfit. This was right before she got emptied for departure to the scrapyards.
This ship started her life as HMS Venerable, later sold to the Royal Netherlands navy as HNLMS Karel Doorman.
In 1955-1958 this ship got a major rebuild where she gained a new angled deck, new conning tower/bridge and new radars.
In 1968 she was sold to Argentinia after a major engine fire, after which she gained new machinery from a incomplete sistership HMS Leviathan.

She was renamed Veinticinco de Mayo and started her service from 1969 on in the Argentinian navy as the flag ship of their navy.
Many plans where drawn up to change this ship for new aircraft, one of was the Harrier's in 1970's.
This never happened however.

Instead they came up with a new plan way later in the timeframe. It is 1986-1989 (Somewhere between) when the Admiralty wanted to refit her with gasturbines as propulsion machinery, and some steam auxiliary for the steam catapults.
This after the fact that her main machinery died constantly and where unreliable.
Next to this plan was the enlargement of space nearby the hangar, aswell as the enlargement of her flight deck for bigger aircraft (super etendard).
For these bigger planes they also needed a new catapult (more powerfull) and this also needed more space for the catapult machinery.
They also wanted to refit her already outstanding radar system with new systems. These became the LW08 and DA08 radars.

To perform this plan they had to go in major lengths to enlarge her flight deck, you can see this back in the drawing.
But she was also enlarged on the opposite side (one i might draw later in the future).

The idea was to move the forward petty officer dorms and bedrooms to the sides of the ship where some old storage rooms where.
This freed space for the new auxiliary/catapult machinery. But also some space for new spare parts storage nearby the hangar (this used to be far away).
They exchanged the starboard mirror room (Landing mirror) for more space of officers and petty officers to make even more room nearby the hangar.

Above deck they enlarged the deck around the conning tower and over the starboard mirror extention. Here they could now park the deck vehicles to make space on the flight deck itself.
Just aft above the two ships boats they enlarged a sidewalkpath to create a new space for a stronger crane (You cant see it on the drawing).
On portside they made the angled deck longer/wider on the end, and they made a parking spot and new extention for the more modern deck mirror.
Added to this was also a new pilothouse for landing.

It is unknown when all these changes where performed, and it is also unknown how long it took and what yard did these works.
All is known that its after 1986...

What i do know, somewhere around 1988-1989 her machinery was removed in the forward and aft machinery room and preparations where made for new gas turbines.
I do not know which ones!
If these gas turbines where fitted, it wouldve meant she would be sailing on quite some time after.


Her compliment of aircraft has also changed quite some time. But around 1992-1997 she had A4Q skyhawks and Super etenard.
Added to this where Alouette III and Seakings.

-The last air group that embarked the ARA-25 de Mayo in 1987 was composed of
(8) SUE, (5) A-4Q Skyhawk (4) S-2 Tracker, (4) Sea King and (2) AS-316 Alouette III
-The drawing is missing the Tracker


Greetings

Can i ask you where you got this from? All the pictures from the last years in service she never has an S-2

-Do not look for photos, look for videos, the air group that marked you is the one that was used in some very famous maneuvers because the president of the Nation Don Raul Alfonsin participated in them, who just took off from the aircraft carrier aboard an S- 2 Tracker, was catapulted from the POMA, already been the only president of the democratic nation to have this privilege

Video (1986): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KmP1LIrB1WY



Saludos