The design of these smaller carriers was to be as basic as possible to enable as fast a building times as possible. The single 4" came from the stockpile being used for all sorts of ships from escorts to these CVL's. Only one director was fitted to control the 4". When firing on both sides one side would be controlled the other side would be manual control. The best part of the armament was the ten twin 40mm Bofors mountings with radar predictors. Over double the original power plant was required to get the ships to 32 knots. This was helped with the hydronomically designed bow section.
1943 and the Themiscyra and Areto join the Fleet - TF69. They are both full of Strike aircraft that they will swap with the Fleet carriers for their ASW and CAP aircraft. The ASW aircraft were specially converted Grumman Avengers while the CAP aircraft were Chance-Vought Corsairs. The Corsairs also had the night fighter radar equipment installed on some.
The Areto was the only ship of the class lost when a Japanese submarine penetrated the screen and put two torpedoes into it. These ships were virtually unarmoured and relied on their hull compartmentalisation to provide underwater protection. Two torpedo hits were too much and the Areto started heeling to port to the point where it capsized and sunk.
The last two ships under construction were suspended while their designs were altered to give better underwater protection. Neither was completed till post war. Their priorities were slowed while the Sisterhood decided what level of Naval protection the Empire would require post war. It was decided that the latest modernised versions of the class would be kept and completed. One in 1947 the other in 1949. It was expected with peace time usage that both ships should be able to serve between 30-40 years. The other five were sold.
During the 1950's they continued their role as ASW and CAP carriers. Aircraft during this period were the Gannet and Wessex helicopters for the ASW role, and the Sea Fury then Sea Vampire fighters for the CAP. The fighters had a low enough landing speed not to need the angled deck fitted to the big carriers to help with the supersonic fighters operating from them.
Four new carriers to replace the existing four (2 X Toxophone and 2 x Themiscyra) had been ordered for completion in the early 1980's. Late orders and cost overruns kept pushing the completion dates further and further out. This meant the existing ships would have to last longer in service than otherwise wanted. Keeping them in service was costing more and more in refit/repair costs. Their final refit took place in 1979-80 when the two ships were converted to operate Sea Harrier fighter bombers and Sea King helicopters. This kept them operating in the ASW and CAP roles. They were not demilitarised until 1990 on completion of the two new Cnemsis class carriers
