Possible rn carrier battle group ww2
- Thread starter hms malta
- Start date
1941 operation Rhine
A RAF spitfire photographs five ships leaving southern Norway. The admiralty send three hunter groups. 1: The aircraft carriers courageous and glorious, the battle-cruiser hood, the heavy cruiser Suffolk, the light cruiser Curlew and eight destroyers including two tribal class asw destroyers.
2: The aircraft carriers ark royal and furious, the battle-cruisers repulse and renown, the heavy cruiser Norfolk and the light cruiser Coventry, eight destroyers including two tribal class asw destroyers.
3: The aircraft carriers Illustrious and victorious, the battleships KGV and POW, the heavy cruiser Gloucestershire and the light cruiser Manchester and eight destroyers including two tribal class asw destroyers.
A RAF spitfire photographs five ships leaving southern Norway. The admiralty send three hunter groups. 1: The aircraft carriers courageous and glorious, the battle-cruiser hood, the heavy cruiser Suffolk, the light cruiser Curlew and eight destroyers including two tribal class asw destroyers.
2: The aircraft carriers ark royal and furious, the battle-cruisers repulse and renown, the heavy cruiser Norfolk and the light cruiser Coventry, eight destroyers including two tribal class asw destroyers.
3: The aircraft carriers Illustrious and victorious, the battleships KGV and POW, the heavy cruiser Gloucestershire and the light cruiser Manchester and eight destroyers including two tribal class asw destroyers.
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There's nothing stopping the RN operating a 3-carrier group, they practised this in the 30's.
The bigger issue is that there would be limited aircraft. Thanks to the Air Ministry (on whom be a plague of boils unto the 10th generation), they couldnt give 3 carriers + Ark Royal a full loading of planes, let alone have any in reserve for damae.
The bigger issue is that there would be limited aircraft. Thanks to the Air Ministry (on whom be a plague of boils unto the 10th generation), they couldnt give 3 carriers + Ark Royal a full loading of planes, let alone have any in reserve for damae.
I would have also taken "Hello sweetie." 
The Furious I would think could be used to kind of do what the IJN did with its smaller carriers post Midway. They would carry the fighters whilst the larger carriers would devote more to strike aircraft. This approach could be used with the Hermes and Eagle, have the Hermes carry a pure fighter group whilst moving what would be her strike craft to the Eagle to expand them at the cost of swapping some of her fighters out and giving them to Hermes in return.
The Furious I would think could be used to kind of do what the IJN did with its smaller carriers post Midway. They would carry the fighters whilst the larger carriers would devote more to strike aircraft. This approach could be used with the Hermes and Eagle, have the Hermes carry a pure fighter group whilst moving what would be her strike craft to the Eagle to expand them at the cost of swapping some of her fighters out and giving them to Hermes in return.