The first Super Carriers
Posted: Sun Aug 03, 2008 5:27 am
HI:
Prior to the fairly successfull "Forrestal" super carriers, the interim giants were launched shortly after WWII, they were the Franklin D. Roosevelt, Coral Sea and Midway.
Midway, I think, served the longest.
All were initially constructed with straight Aircraft Decks and many 5 Inch (38 or 50 cal) arrayed along the sides, as oppossed to the traditional spots adjacent the "Island" or on separate "sponsons".
This is just a starter page and more info will be added.
It was a help to have modeled these formidable ships while, at least, the Midway remained in service.
Even so, the class exceeded any in previous US or Present foreign service in displacement and most other categories.
FDR appears to have gotten the short end of the stick in modernaizations and general condition when the Time came to determine her fate when the Forrestal Class ships began to come on line.
The Class were built on the Hulls of the "Super Iowa" Montana class Battleships, never completed as such, much as the US's pre WWII carriers were completed on discontinued Battlecruiser hulls.
The Washington Treaty forbade dreadnought contruction based on a scale for the major naval powers of the time so the cancelled Battle Cruiser Hull designs were used.
j
Prior to the fairly successfull "Forrestal" super carriers, the interim giants were launched shortly after WWII, they were the Franklin D. Roosevelt, Coral Sea and Midway.
Midway, I think, served the longest.
All were initially constructed with straight Aircraft Decks and many 5 Inch (38 or 50 cal) arrayed along the sides, as oppossed to the traditional spots adjacent the "Island" or on separate "sponsons".
This is just a starter page and more info will be added.
It was a help to have modeled these formidable ships while, at least, the Midway remained in service.
Even so, the class exceeded any in previous US or Present foreign service in displacement and most other categories.
FDR appears to have gotten the short end of the stick in modernaizations and general condition when the Time came to determine her fate when the Forrestal Class ships began to come on line.
The Class were built on the Hulls of the "Super Iowa" Montana class Battleships, never completed as such, much as the US's pre WWII carriers were completed on discontinued Battlecruiser hulls.
The Washington Treaty forbade dreadnought contruction based on a scale for the major naval powers of the time so the cancelled Battle Cruiser Hull designs were used.
j