Hms ark royal pennant number 91 was an aircraft carrier of the royal navy that served during the second world war designed in 1934 to fit the restrictions of the washington naval treaty ark royal was built by cammell laird and company ltd at birkenhead england and completed in november 1938. Hms ark royal was a light aircraft carrier and former flagship of the royal navy she was the third and final vessel of invincible class she was built by swan hunter on the river tyne and launched by them in 1981. The german merchant uhenfels 7603 grt is captured in the mid atlantic by the british aircraft carrier hms ark royal capt aj power cvo rn and several destroyers 29 jan 1940 around noon hms dorsetshire capt bcs martin rn and hms shropshire capt. Hms ark royal an invincible class carrier was decommissioned in 2011 by the time hms queen elizabeth goes on her first deployment britain will have been without an aircraft carrier for more