HMS Hermes as a cruiser-carrier presence ship

Hermes displaced 11,020 tons standard and combined 40,000-shaft-horsepower machinery, a 25-knot speed, cruiser-like guns, and a nominal twenty-aircraft capacity. In practice she usually carried twelve to eighteen aircraft, commonly Fairey IIID or IIIF reconnaissance types, sometimes joined by fighters or torpedo-spotter-reconnaissance aircraft. A large crane and the stern arrangement preserved a design expectation that she would handle seaplanes. Her 7,000 imperial gallons of aviation fuel, long range, and good heavy-weather stability supported distant operations, although her large sail area made low-speed handling in a crosswind difficult. Armstrong Whitworth's yard closed in 1919, so completion moved to Devonport and included testing of island and flush-deck arrangements. Deployments to China, Hawaii, and other distant stations made this cruiser-carrier useful for reconnaissance and visible presence while the fleet carriers stayed with the principal fleets.