ist ible , ▁but ▁was ▁renamed ▁Ark ▁Royal ▁prior ▁to ▁launch . ▁The ▁immediately ▁previous ▁Ark ▁Royal , ▁also ▁an ▁aircraft ▁car rier , ▁was ▁tor ped o ed ▁off ▁Gib ral tar ▁on ▁ 1 4 ▁November ▁ 1 9 4 1 ▁with ▁the ▁loss ▁of ▁one ▁member ▁of ▁the ▁ship ' s ▁company . ▁ ▁She ▁was ▁launched ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 0 , ▁and ▁her ▁completion ▁took ▁five ▁more ▁years . ▁She ▁was ▁commission ed ▁on ▁ 2 2 ▁February ▁ 1 9 5 5 ▁[ N aval ▁A viation ▁News ]. ▁▁ ▁In ▁this ▁time , ▁she ▁under w ent ▁red es ign ▁and , ▁when ▁completed , ▁she ▁was ▁marked ly ▁different ▁from ▁her ▁sister ▁ship . ▁Short ly ▁before ▁her ▁launch ▁from ▁the ▁C amm ell ▁La ird ▁ship yard , ▁an ▁image ▁of ▁the ▁ship ▁painted ▁with ▁her ▁white ▁under co at ▁was ▁captured ▁by ▁the ▁p ict orial ist ▁photograph er ▁E . ▁Ch amb ré ▁Hard man . ▁This ▁has ▁been ▁exhib ited ▁many ▁times ▁under ▁the ▁name ▁' Where ▁Great ▁Sh ips ▁Are ▁Bu ilt ' ▁and ▁later ▁' B irth ▁of ▁the ▁Ark ▁Royal '. ▁When ▁commission ed , ▁she ▁had ▁a ▁ 5 . 5 ° ▁partially ▁ang led ▁flight ▁deck , ▁two ▁steam ▁cat ap ult s ▁capable ▁of ▁launch ing ▁aircraft ▁we igh ing ▁up ▁to ▁, ▁a ▁deck - edge ▁lift ▁on ▁the ▁port ▁side ▁( the ▁first ▁British ▁ship ▁to ▁be ▁fitted ▁with ▁such ▁a ▁device