Editing Courageous-class aircraft carrier (section)

=== Armament ===
[[File:British gun, skansin (Faroe Islands).jpg|thumb|left|300px|One of the 5.5-inch guns from ''Furious'', redeployed in the Faeroes]]
''Furious'' retained ten of her original eleven [[breech-loading]] [[BL 5.5 inch Mark I naval gun|BL 5.5-inch Mk I]] guns, five on each side, for self-defence from enemy warships.<ref name=b69 /> They fired {{convert|82|lb|kg|adj=on}} projectiles at a [[muzzle velocity]] of {{convert|2790|ft/s|m/s|abbr=on}}. Their maximum range was {{convert|16000|yd|m}} at their maximum elevation of 25°, and the rate of fire was 12 rounds per minute.<ref>Campbell, p. 40</ref>

Half a dozen [[QF 4 inch Mk V naval gun|QF 4-inch Mark V]] guns replaced her original [[Anti-aircraft warfare|anti-aircraft]] guns. Four were mounted on the sides of the flying-off deck and two on the [[quarterdeck]].<ref>Burt 2012, p. 267</ref> They had a maximum depression of −5° and a maximum elevation of 80°. The guns fired a {{convert|31|lb|kg|adj=on}} [[Explosive material#High explosives|high explosive]] (HE) shell at a muzzle velocity of {{convert|2387|ft/s|m/s|abbr=on}} at a rate of 10 to 15 rounds per minute. The guns had a maximum ceiling of {{convert|31000|ft|m|abbr=on}}, but an effective range of much less.<ref>Campbell, p. 58</ref> The four guns on the flying-off deck were removed during trials of the lower flight deck in 1926–1927, but only two were replaced when the trials were concluded.<ref name=f9>Friedman, p. 109</ref>

Four single [[QF 2 pounder naval gun|QF 2-pounder ''pom-poms'']] were installed by 1927.<ref name=f9 /> During ''Furious''{{'}}s September 1930 – February 1932 refit, her anti-aircraft outfit was changed by the substitution of two 8-barrel 2-pounder ''pom-pom'' mounts for the forward 4-inch guns on the flying-off deck removed earlier.<ref name=b69>Burt 2012, p. 276</ref> The Mark V mount could depress to −10° and elevate to a maximum of 80°. The Mark VIII 2-pounder gun fired a {{convert|40|mm|adj=on|order=flip}} {{convert|0.91|lb|kg|adj=on}} shell at a muzzle velocity of {{convert|1920|ft/s|m/s|abbr=on}} to a distance of {{convert|3800|yd|m}}. The gun's rate of fire was approximately 96–98 rounds per minute.<ref>Campbell, pp. 71–74</ref>

The {{convert|5.5|in|adj=on}} and {{convert|4|in|adj=on|0}} guns were replaced during ''Furious''{{'}}s refit in early 1939 by a dozen [[QF 4 inch Mk XVI naval gun|QF 4-inch Mk XVI guns]] in twin [[dual purpose gun|dual-purpose]] Mark XIX mounts. One mount each was on the former flying-off deck and the quarterdeck while the other four were mounted two per side.<ref>Burt 2012, pp. 268–269, 276</ref> The Mark XIX mount could depress to −10° and elevate to a maximum of 80°. The Mark XVI gun fired  fifteen to twenty {{convert|35|lb|kg|adj=on}} HE shells per minute at a muzzle velocity of {{convert|2660|ft/s|m/s|abbr=on}}. Against surface targets it had a range of {{convert|19850|yd|m|abbr=on}} and a maximum ceiling of {{convert|31000|ft|m|abbr=on}}, but an effective anti-aircraft range of much less.<ref>Campbell, p. 56</ref> Two more Mark V 2-pounder mounts were added fore and aft of the newly added island at the same time.<ref name=b69 />

During the Second World War, ''Furious'', the only surviving ship of the three, received an eventual total of 22 manually operated automatic [[Oerlikon 20 mm cannon|20&nbsp;mm Oerlikon]] light anti-aircraft (AA) guns, which replaced the single quadruple Vickers 0.50-calibre machine gun mount.<ref name=f9 /> The Oerlikon fired a {{convert|0.272|lb|adj=on}} HE shell at a muzzle velocity of {{convert|2750|ft/s|m/s|abbr=on}}. The maximum ceiling was 10,000&nbsp;ft and the maximum range was {{convert|4800|yd|abbr=on}} although the effective range was under {{convert|1000|yd|abbr=on}}. The cyclic rate of fire was 450 rounds per minute, but the practical rate was between 250 and 320 rounds per minute owing to the need to reload [[magazine (firearms)|magazines]].<ref>Campbell, pp. 75–76</ref>

A mix of single-purpose anti-surface and anti-aircraft guns in various sizes was considered for ''Courageous'' and ''Glorious'' by the [[British Admiralty|Admiralty]], but was ultimately rejected for a dual-purpose armament of sixteen [[QF 4.7 inch Mk VIII naval gun|QF 4.7-inch Mark VIII]] guns in single high-angle mounts. One mount was on each side of the lower flight deck and a pair were on the quarterdeck. The remaining twelve mounts were distributed along the sides of each ship.<ref name=b83 /> These mounts could depress to −5° and elevate to a maximum of 90°. The Mark VIII guns fired a {{convert|50|lb|kg|adj=on}} HE shell at a muzzle velocity of {{convert|2457|ft/s|m/s|abbr=on}} at a rate of 8–12 rounds per minute. The guns had a maximum ceiling of {{convert|32000|ft|m|abbr=on}}, but an effective range of much less. They had a maximum range of {{convert|16160|yd|m|abbr=on}} against surface targets.<ref>Campbell, p. 51</ref>

During refits in the mid-1930s, both ships received multiple 2-pounder ''pom-pom'' mounts. ''Courageous'' received three quadruple Mark VII mounts, one on each side of the flying-off deck, forward of the 4.7-inch guns, and one behind the island on the flight deck (two of these were transferred from the battleship {{HMS|Royal Sovereign|05|2}}). ''Glorious'' received three octuple Mark VI mounts in the same locations. Both ships received four water-cooled [[Vickers .50 machine gun|0.50-calibre Mark III]] [[machine gun]]s in a single quadruple mounting.<ref>Burt 2012, pp. 157, 286</ref> This mount could depress to −10° and elevate to a maximum of 70°. The machine guns fired a {{convert|1.326|oz|adj=on}} bullet at a muzzle velocity of {{convert|2520|ft/s|m/s|abbr=on}}. This gave the gun a maximum range of about {{convert|5000|yd|m|abbr=on}}, although its effective range was only {{convert|800|yd|m|abbr=on}}.<ref>Campbell, p. 78</ref> Neither ship had any further guns added before they were sunk early in the war,<ref name=f9 /> in 1939 and 1940, respectively.