HMS Glorious (R77) was the second of the Courageous-class cruisers built for the Royal Navy during the First World War. Designed to support the Baltic Project championed by the First Sea Lord, Lord Fisher, they were very lightly armoured and armed with only a few heavy guns. Glorious was completed in late 1916 and spent the war patrolling the North Sea. She participated in the Second Battle of Heligoland Bight in November 1917 and was present when the German High Seas Fleet surrendered a year later.
Glorious was paid off after the end of the war, but was rebuilt as an aircraft carrier at Rosyth from July 10th 1922 to April 10th 1926. For her (and her sister ships') conversions, the ships had their main turrets and superstructure removed and a hanger deck, full-length flight deck and control island added in their place. They also had anti-torpedo bulges added to improve stability, and an impressive anti-aircraft armament for the time.
On June 14th 1930, the Admiralty in London decided to put the three Courageous-class carriers in for a major rebuild to address design issues. The ships were slightly unstable at speed and had poor handling in Atlantic weather. As a result, the ships would go into dock one at a time to have the bow and stern sections lengthened, and bulges added to improve stability and steaming efficiency, as well as for the hanger to be extended forward and the stern to be raised by one deck, along with the removal of the 4.7" anti-ship guns, and additional anti-aircraft guns added. Any other work that is located will also be dealt with at the same time. Glorious's rebuild would last from February 1933 to December 1934.
After the start of the Second World War, Glorious supported several operations in the Mediterranean, including the invasion of Italy in Operation Market Garden.
Glorious was en route to Britain from Gibraltar when she struck a mine which damaged her steering and fuel-handling. She was then towed to the Shetland Islands where she was sunk in a live-fire test of the Mk. VI Guided Bomb.