Part 2 of the FAA Wank...
The Fleet Air Arm 1923-39 ITTL
The Size of the Fleet Air Arm
Capacity of the Aircraft Carriers 1923-34
For the purposes of this essay I'm rating the carrying capacity of the OTL carriers as follows:
6 Vindictive (completed October 1918)
12 Hermes (completed July 1923)
18 Argus (completed September 1918)
18 Eagle (completed February 1924)
48 Courageous (conversion to aircraft carrier completed May 1928)
48 Furious instead of 36 (conversion to flush deck aircraft carrier completed September 1925)
48 Glorious (conversion to flush deck aircraft carrier completed March 1930)
ITTL the conversion of the Three Follies to flush-deck aircraft carriers was different. The main flight deck extended all the way to the bow. It didn't increase the capacity of the hangars, but it did mean that the flight deck was longer allowing longer take-off and landing runs, more aircraft to be assembled on deck for take-off and larger deck parks when they were belatedly introduced.
Expansion of the FAA 1923-34 IOTL
IOTL Eagle was completed 18 months late and Hermes was completed 2 years late. Meanwhile the conversions of the Follies which were scheduled to take 2 years each all took between 4 and 5 years. I had thought that it was all due to lack of money, but when I was reading through my copy of Freidman checking some facts I came across a passage saying that the completions and conversions were given high priority by the Admiralty. He went onto saying that this was the cause of great embarrassment to the Admiralty because they were pressing the Air Ministry for more carrier aircraft, but weren't providing the aircraft carriers. For example:
- 60 aircraft in 10 flights on 31/03/23 when the 2 aircraft carriers (Argus and Vindictive) could accommodate 24;
- 90 aircraft in 15 flights on 31/03/24 when the 3 aircraft carriers (Argus, Eagle and Vindictive) could accommodate 42;
- 108 aircraft in 18 flights on 31/03/25 when the 4 aircraft carriers (Argus, Eagle, Hermes and Vindictive) could accommodate 54;
- 108 aircraft in 18 flights on 31/03/26 when the 5 aircraft carriers (Argus, Eagle, Furious (at 36 aircraft), Hermes and Vindictive could accommodate 90;
- There was no change by 31/03/27, but;
- 138 aircraft in 23 flights on 31/03/28 when the 5 aircraft carriers (Argus, Eagle, Furious (at 36 aircraft), Hermes and Vindictive could accommodate 90;
- 144 aircraft in 24 flights on 31/03/29 when the 6 aircraft carriers (Argus, Courageous, Eagle, Furious (at 36 aircraft), Hermes and Vindictive could accommodate 138;
- 144 aircraft in 24 flights on 31/03/30 when the 6 aircraft carriers (Argus, Courageous, Eagle, Glorious, Furious (at 36 aircraft) and Hermes could accommodate 180. I have not included Vindictive because she reverted to a cruiser in 1929.
Therefore the usual accusation that the RAF didn't want to expand the FAA doesn't appear to be valid until at least the end of the 1920s. Between April 1930 and March 1933 another 3 flights with 18 aircraft were formed bringing the total up to 162 aircraft in 27 flights. As Argus was in reserve at this time there were actually enough aircraft to keep all 5 operational aircraft carriers at full strength.
Except that when Vindictive reverted to being a cruiser in 1929 her flight became the first catapult flight and there were a total of 6 by the end of March 1933. This reduced the number of aircraft available for the aircraft carriers to 126 in 21 flights. At this time there were 6 aircraft carriers had a capacity of 180 aircraft but because Argus was in reserve only 162 were required to keep the other 5 at full strength. Therefore depending upon how you look at it the number of carrier aircraft filled 70 or 78% of the available capacity of the aircraft carriers.
There was no improvement a year later at the end of March 1934 after the 21 flights had been reorganised into 12 squadrons. At the same time the RAF's Air Defence of Great Britain Command, also known as the Home Defence Force was about 20% short of the strength it should have attained in March 1928 and was not planned to attain until March 1938. So once again I think we can't accuse the RAF of sacrificing torpedo bombers for strategic bombers.
Expansion of the FAA 1923-34 ITTL
I was going to have the Eagle, Hermes and the Follies commissioned on time and the FAA built up proportionately. One of the reasons for that was to give the RN and FAA a few extra years of operating aircraft carriers capable of operating reasonably large air groups. However, that was before I discovered that the late completion dates weren't because of lack of money or that the FAA actually expanded faster than the capacity of the aircraft carriers until the end of March 1928.
Therefore ITTL the expansion of the FAA up to 31/03/28 was the same as OTL, but between then and 31/03/30 it expanded from 144 aircraft in 24 flights to 198 aircraft in 33 flights. That is 192 carrier aircraft in 32 flights and 6 in one catapult flight. During the course of the next 3 financial years another 6 catapult flights were formed.
At 31st March 1933 there were 6 aircraft carriers in commission (Argus, Courageous, Eagle, Furious, Glorious and Hermes) with 192 aircraft in 32 flights available for them. There were also 42 catapult aircraft in 7 flights. The total force was 234 aircraft in 39 flights. The next day (1st April 1933) the 198 carrier aircraft in 32 flights were reorganised into 17 squadrons with the same number of aircraft. The preferred number of aircraft per squadron was 12, but the pairs of squadrons aboard Argus and Eagle had 9 each.
Therefore the FAA on 1st April 1933 ITTL was about 50% larger than the OTL version.
Expansion of the FAA 1934-39 ITTL
Argus did not decommission until 1933 when she was replaced by Dreadnought. During the course of the 1933-34 the FAA formed another 4 aircraft carrier squadrons and the 2 squadrons that had been aboard Argus were increased from 9 to 12 aircraft each. Thus on 31/03/34 the TTL FAA had 246 carrier aircraft in 21 squadrons compared to 126 in 12 squadrons IOTL, about double.
Eagle decommissioned in 1934 when she was replaced by Marlborough. In a repeat of the previous financial year the FAA formed another 4 aircraft carrier squadrons and the 2 squadrons that had been aboard Eagle were increased from 9 to 12 aircraft each. Thus on 31/03/35 the TTL had 300 carrier aircraft in 25 squadrons compared to 138 in 12 squadrons IOTL, about double.
Hermes decommissioned in 1935 when she was replaced by Monarch. During the course of the 1935-36 financial year the FAA formed 5 new aircraft carrier squadrons, which brought its strength at 31/03/36 to 360 carrier aircraft in 30 squadrons. This is 2.4 times more than at that time IOTL when there were 150 carrier aircraft in 13 squadrons.
Furious decommissioned in 1936 when Canopus was commissioned. She should have been scrapped under the terms of the Washington and First London Naval Treaties, but the abolition of the tonnage quotas under the Second London Treaty saved her from the breakers and she was retained in the Reserve Fleet. The FAA only formed 2 new aircraft carrier squadrons during the 1936-37 financial year, but that still brought the total up to 384 aircraft in 32 squadrons on 31/03/37. At the same time in OTL the FAA had 162 carrier aircraft in 14 squadrons.
Courageous should have been scrapped in 1937 when Benbow was commissioned to replace her. However, the abolition of tonnage quotas meant she was kept in service as a deck landing training ship without an air group of her own. In common with the previous financial year a pair of new FAA squadrons was formed in the course of 1937-38 so that there were 408 aircraft in 34 squadrons on 31/03/38. At the same time IOTL the FAA still had 162 carrier aircraft in 14 squadrons.
Glorious should have been scrapped in 1938 when Ark Royal commissioned to replace her. However, in common with her sisters she had a reprieve when the tonnage quotas were abolished. She became a deck landing training ship like Courageous with no air group of her own. In common with 1936-37 and 1937-38 a pair of new FAA squadrons was formed in the course of FY 1938-39 so that there were 432 aircraft in 36 squadrons on 31/03/38. At the same time IOTL the FAA had only grown to 174 carrier aircraft in 15 squadrons.
The Situation on 3rd September 1939
When the Admiralty took control of all ship based naval aviation in May 1939 it inherited 432 carrier aircraft in 36 squadrons instead of 174 in 15 squadrons. In common with OTL its first action was to convert about one fifth of those squadrons to training squadrons. However, new squadrons were formed over the course of the next 4 months so that the strength was back up to 432 aircraft in 36 squadrons.
All 9 aircraft carriers were in commission as follows:
- Dreadnought was in the Mediterranean Fleet instead of Glorious;
- Marlborough was on the China Station in place of Eagle;
- Monarch was in the Channel Force in place of Hermes;
- Canopus was in the Mediterranean Fleet;
- Benbow was in the Channel Force instead of Courageous;
- Ark Royal was in the Home Fleet as OTL;
- Courageous, Furious and Glorious were at Rosyth with no aircraft embarked where they formed a deck landing training squadron.
The number of catapult aircraft was increased from 69 to 81. This was because there was a squadron of 12 Walrus amphibians aboard Hermes, which was converted into a seaplane carrier in 1936. In common with OTL Argus was in commission as a depot ship for Queen Bee target drones. Eagle, converted to an aircraft maintenance ship in 1935 was in the Mediterranean supporting the aircraft carriers there.
Although the number of front-line carrier squadrons had been increased by only 2.4 times and there had been only a fractional increase in the number of catapult aircraft the second-line was trebled. There were:
- 9 deck landing training squadrons instead of 3;
- 1 seaplane training squadron as OTL;
- 15 squadrons training observers (organised into 5 schools) instead of 5;
- 15 squadrons training telegraphist air gunners (organised into 5 schools), instead of 3; and
- 3 fleet requirements squadrons instead of one.
This meant that instead of appointing a rear admiral as Flag Officer Home Air Command on 25th May 1939 the Admiralty had to appoint a vice or full admiral, whose title was a C-in-C rather than Flag Officer. Under him were: Flag Officer Naval Flying Training performing the same function as RAF Flying Training Command; Flag Officer Ground Training performing the same function as RAF Technical Training Command; and Flag Officer Reserve Aircraft performing the same function as RAF Maintenance Command. The larger FAA presence in the Mediterranean required the appointment of a flag officer to control its ground organisation. There was also a captain-in-charge for the shore based FAA units on the China Station. Contingency plans for the formation of the Eastern Fleet in the event of a war with Japan called for the upgrading of his organisation from a captain's command to a flag officers command.
Expansion Plans At The Outbreak Of World War II
The reason for the trebling of the training organisation was that the current plan was to create a total force of 720 carrier aircraft in 60 squadrons by 31st March 1941. At that time there were planned to be 13 aircraft carriers consisting of 4 Super Implacable class, 6 Dreadnought class and 3 Courageous class. Of these 10 ships would be in commission as fully operational fleet carriers, each with an air group of 72 aircraft in 6 squadrons. One of the Courageous class would be in commission as deck landing training carrier and the other pair would be in reserve.
ITTL Illustrious and Formidable were laid down at least 6 months earlier and the contracts with their builders called for delivery by 31st March 1940. As a result it was planned to form 12 squadrons by 31st March 1940 to provide their air groups. At 31/03/40 there would be 11 aircraft carriers consisting of 2 Super Implacable class, 6 Dreadnought class and 3 Courageous class. All 11 ships would be in commission but at least one of them would be on training duties.
Victorious and Formidable were laid down at the same time as OTL and were scheduled for delivery by 31st March 1941. Another 12 squadrons were scheduled to be formed in the 1940-41 financial year to provide their air groups. At 31/03/41 there would be 13 aircraft carriers as described above.
Implacable and Indefatigable were laid down in 1938 ITTL and scheduled for delivery by 31st March 1942. There would now be 15 aircraft carriers consisting of 6 Super Implacables, 6 Dreadnought class and 3 Courageous class. Courageous would be scrapped to bring the force down to 14 ships. One of the Dreadnought class would become training carrier and another would go into the Reserve Fleet.
The aircraft carriers laid down in 1939 ITTL were named Invincible and Inflexible. They were scheduled for delivery by 31st March 1943. Furious and Glorious would be scrapped leaving a force of 14 aircraft carriers consisting of 8 Super Implacable class and 6 Dreadnought class. 8 of the former and 2 of the latter would be in full commission. One Dreadnought would be in commission as deck landing training ship. The other 3 Dreadnought class would be in the Reserve Fleet.
ITTL the construction on one extra cruiser a year between 1929 and 1935 increasing the rate of construction from 3 to 4 a year meant that the number of ships planned from 1936 onwards was reduced from 7 a year to 6 a year. The money saved helped to pay for the extra cost of the Super Implacable compared to the Illustrious design. It also helped the Treasury provide the money to order 2 aircraft carriers in each of the 1938-39 and 1939-40 Estimates instead of reducing it to one in each year as OTL.