Yes its why they are relegated to shelling mud duties and left behind in the first place
Warships in need of an ATL story
- Thread starter alspug
- Start date
Yes its why they are relegated to shelling mud duties and left behind in the first place
I have been looking at the Royal Navy shipyards and in particular the Dock's used for Capital Ships . What fascinates me is the construction of RMS Queen Mary and RMS Queen Elizabeth and the fact that the same engines could have been used to make a Massive Carrier . Claim a new Cruise ship is being built . Build to Military specs up to the Hangar deck .Double bottom disguised as fuel tank . Magazines referred to as Holds for passenger cars etc . Then Build a 2 deck Hangar lower deck 3/4 length and 18 ft tall . Upper hangar full length and 20 ft tall . Each hangar deck to be 3 inch thick armour . Flight deck 3 inch thick also . Sides of hangar not armoured but built of 1 to 2 inch thick STS .
Another interesting what if is the use of the 2 liners as Carrier's after conversion . Not sure what you would have but the flight deck would be massive . 200 ft longer then an Essex class . Roughly a Midway class in size but if double hangar is used then you might be looking at 140 plus early war aircraft . If side lifts are used then hangar space is increased dramatically . Also makes construction easier . Imagine the strike on Taranto being 2 waves of 60 aircraft each . Then the possibility of larger aircraft comes in . The Sea Hurricane would be very possible even without folding wings . Probably take until mid 1940 to be ready . One conversion working and then USN would likely take Normandie and do the same . Imagine Midway with another carrier carrying 60 Wildcats , 60 Dauntless and 40 Devastator .
Another interesting what if is the use of the 2 liners as Carrier's after conversion . Not sure what you would have but the flight deck would be massive . 200 ft longer then an Essex class . Roughly a Midway class in size but if double hangar is used then you might be looking at 140 plus early war aircraft . If side lifts are used then hangar space is increased dramatically . Also makes construction easier . Imagine the strike on Taranto being 2 waves of 60 aircraft each . Then the possibility of larger aircraft comes in . The Sea Hurricane would be very possible even without folding wings . Probably take until mid 1940 to be ready . One conversion working and then USN would likely take Normandie and do the same . Imagine Midway with another carrier carrying 60 Wildcats , 60 Dauntless and 40 Devastator .
Deleted member 94680
I think the idea is ATLs for existing ships as opposed to ATL ships full stop. You know, “what if Hood got her full rebuild?” rather than “what if the G3s had been built?”
Deleted member 94680
Were there any plans for this? That and they did good work as troopships without much in the way of a rebuild (if any) so how practical would it be?
Just as an aside I love the story about how she became named Queen Mary:
Legend has it that Cunard intended to name the ship Victoria, in keeping with company tradition of giving its ships names ending in "ia", but when company representatives asked the king's permission to name the ocean liner after Britain's "greatest queen", he said his wife, Mary of Teck, would be delighted. And so, the legend goes, the delegation had of course no other choice but to report that No. 534 would be called Queen Mary.
Tweak 1940 in the Med slightly so that Calabria or another engagement escalates into a full battle line clash. A great story for the VVs, QEs and Rs.
I remember reading a story about converting it to a carrier a long time ago .
What makes them suited to a carrier conversion is the following .
Size and Mass . Their length is sufficient for any carrier aircraft currently in service and would make the B-25 able to land as well .
Deck edge lifts are designed for the Essex class so 4 of these would simplify the hangar structure .
With 200,000 SHP and a 30 knot plus speed they are fast enough to be a fleet carrier .
Most importantly all 3 are in New York Harbour and available to be used . The funnel configuration would need the most work but a bridge similar to the Lexington class.
Her hangar capacity would dwarf any other . With USN folding wings expect 200 Wildcats for example. Imagine instead of USS Wasp launch 47 spitfires . you have USS Normandie launching 100 then escorting them after landing with 100 wildcats .
What makes them suited to a carrier conversion is the following .
Size and Mass . Their length is sufficient for any carrier aircraft currently in service and would make the B-25 able to land as well .
Deck edge lifts are designed for the Essex class so 4 of these would simplify the hangar structure .
With 200,000 SHP and a 30 knot plus speed they are fast enough to be a fleet carrier .
Most importantly all 3 are in New York Harbour and available to be used . The funnel configuration would need the most work but a bridge similar to the Lexington class.
Her hangar capacity would dwarf any other . With USN folding wings expect 200 Wildcats for example. Imagine instead of USS Wasp launch 47 spitfires . you have USS Normandie launching 100 then escorting them after landing with 100 wildcats .
The IJN did adapt liners to carriers and theUS had similar ideas but the fast liners were more valuable as troop transports and at +30 knots they were at little risk from subs.
Deleted member 94680
This. It seems during the war OTL, that QM and QE were pretty much invulnerable to the U-boat threat, to the point of sailing outside of convoy on many occasions.
There’s a lot of upper works that would need to be removed to make her an aircraft carrier, I’m just not sure it’s viable in a wartime setting.
I would suggest a RN squadron, KVG, Nelson & Warspite if you really want to set off the USN....... throw in Yamato as well and Warspite has to be the only survivor of the final battle having killed Yamato by ramming out of thick smoke just to make all who would win 1 v1 BB threads totally worthless.Yes its why they are relegated to shelling mud duties and left behind in the first place
The Queens didn't sail in convoy, they always sailed alone and at high speed, they'd have escorts go out with them, and then depart, before meeting up with escorts the other side, its how the Curacao got rammed. And yeah I agree, the Queens are too far along to be converted into a Carrier, and too valuable as a troopship to bother converting.
SsgtC
Banned
That was also when Cunard and White Star were merging. I think part of the reasoning behind the new name was that it was independent of either company's traditions (Cunard names ending in ia White Star names ending in ic)
I'd love to see something more interesting happen with HMS Agincourt myself. Sold perhaps, but updated to get some speed. Bonus points for keeping all the turrets
I wonder if the Melbourne having a longer career would effect the writing of ABC.HMAS Melbourne.
