Victory at Sea: HMS Ark Royal early-war The original Flower-class Corvettes were

The original Flower-class Corvettes were armed with a 4-inch gun on the bow

and cheaper aircraft

with many units earning reputations as fierce fighters

and armed with a 47mm main gun backed up by up to four 8mm machine guns

Small and agile this is ideal for scouting but it's weak armour makes it unsuitable for engaging in firefights

Victory at Sea: HMS Ark Royal early-war The original Flower-class Corvettes wereOne of the most famous carriers of the war, the HMS Ark Royal received many battle honours in its service. The first enemy aircraft shot down by the Fleet Air Arm was with one of her Blackburn Skuas, while her bombers sank the German cruiser Knigsberg, the first example of a capital ship being sunk by an attack from the air. Better remembered is the Ark Royals role in the sinking of the Bismarck, where her Fairey Swordfish launched a torpedo attack