Comparing Hermes with the wartime Colossus class tests whether the earlier ship was too small to perform useful carrier duties. Hermes displaced 10,850 long tons standard and 13,700 at deep load, with a 600-foot overall length and a beam of 70 feet 3 inches. Colossus was longer and heavier, at about 690 feet and 13,200 tons standard, and its wider beam provided more operating space. Both designs had a nominal 40,000 shaft horsepower and 25-knot speed. Hermes's stated range was 5,600 nautical miles at 10 knots. She was a credible starting point for a light fleet carrier, although her age and singleton status limited her contribution in the Second World War. A class operating in pairs or threes could instead have supported convoys and surface-raider searches, taking secondary duties from scarce fleet carriers.
Chapter · 16:01-20:29
Hermes already contains the outline of a light fleet carrier
A comparison of Hermes with the later Colossus class shows that her size, speed, and machinery were credible foundations for a family of useful small carriers.