HMS Pioneer (R76)
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HMS_Pioneer_(R76).jpg
HMS Pioneer
HMS Pioneer (R76) was a Colossus-class aircraft carrier of the Royal Navy laid down on 2 December 1942, launched on 20 May 1944 and commissioned on 8 February 1945. She was originally named Ethalion, then Mars. Pioneer was not completed to her original design. With the success of the maintenance aircraft carrier Unicorn, Pioneer's design was modified to that of an aircraft maintenance ship.
Pioneer was at Manaus when the Japanese in that area surrendered to the British forces. After the surrender, Pioneer returned to the United Kingdom, and was then laid up in reserve for seven years. In 1953, Pioneer was reactivated for service as a ferry carrier. However, that duty lasted only until September 1954, when the ship was decommissioned and sold for scrap.
See HMS Pioneer for other ships of this name.