Ark Royal class

Historical what if discussions, hypothetical operations, battleship vs. battleship engagements, design your own warship, etc.
User avatar
tameraire01
Member
Posts: 115
Joined: Sun May 11, 2014 11:56 pm

Ark Royal class

Post by tameraire01 »

In 1932 the admiralty proposes the return of the RNAS to the Navy. To do so they plan to build six large fleet carriers of 22 000 tonnes to replace the ageing battleships of the battle fleet. The designs of the new fleet carriers are finalized and the plans for the FAA aircraft to fly off them are put to tender.

24/05/1941

HMS Ark Royal, HMS Ocean fleet carriers are with HMS hood and HMS Prince of Wales in the Denmark straight waiting for KMS Bismarck and KMS Prinz Eugan. With the two heavy cruisers HMS Norfolk and Suffolk tailing the battleship and heavy cruiser the aircraft carriers are able to launch there 120 aircraft 30 miles away. First off the deck are the 40 swordfish bi-planes armed with a single torpedo ,40 hurricane dive bombers armed with two 500lb bombs and finally 40 spitfire fighters leaving ten as a cap. The swordfish drop to 100 feet and in less than an hour make contact with Bismarck the first five swordfish attack Bismarck who is firing every gun she has at the incoming bi-planes. The other swordfish launch there single torpedoes at Prinz Eugan and Bismarck. Bismarck is hit by five torpedos which punches three holes in her hull and stops her dead in the water, the Hurricanes drop from 1000 feet in a steep dive at 100 feet they drop there 500lb bombs and leave for the carriers. When the smoke clears Bismarck is a floating wreck and Prinz Eugan listing to port at a eight degree angle. The remaining Swordfish with torpedoes remaining attack from all angles after ten minutes Bismarck is sinking fast her bow is blown off and she is split into, her stern is slowly sinking. Her 15inch guns fire one last salvo before she sinks into the cold abyss of the North Atlantic.

The FAA has come of age , what would happen next to the FAA.
Ideas are more powerful than guns. We would not let our enemies have guns, why should we let them have ideas. Joseph Stalin
Tom17
Member
Posts: 47
Joined: Mon Sep 02, 2013 2:38 pm
Location: Middlesbrough, England

Re: Ark Royal class

Post by Tom17 »

Why would they need a CAP?
Tom
Steve Crandell
Senior Member
Posts: 954
Joined: Wed Feb 05, 2014 7:05 pm

Re: Ark Royal class

Post by Steve Crandell »

Hurricanes are not dive bombers. They didn't have dive brakes and couldn't bomb using a dive bomber attack profile.

The USN had 280 aircraft in the first wave of the attack on Yamato. The second wave had 100 aircraft. There were TBMs carrying more powerful torpedoes than the Swordfish carried, and there were dive bombers carrying 1,000 lb AP bombs. All told, Yamato was hit by about 10 torpedoes and 7 bombs.

You are going to sink Bismarck with how many aircraft, carrying relatively less powerful torpedoes and bombs? I realize Bismarck is not Yamato, but I think you are being optimistic about sinking her AND Prinz Eugene.
User avatar
tommy303
Senior Member
Posts: 1528
Joined: Mon Oct 18, 2004 4:19 pm
Location: Arizona
Contact:

Re: Ark Royal class

Post by tommy303 »

I would suggest that the primary FAA dive bomber in 1941 would probably have been the Blackburn Skua. As for fighters, Sea Hurricanes and Sea Spitfires were not available at the time of the hunt for the Bismarck, becoming operational only in July 1941 and October 1942 respectively. While both had been considered candidates for navalization in the late 1930s, the RAF, charged with defence of the British Isles, had first priority; this was probably the correct move given what happened in the summer of 1940 (Battle of Britain). Instead, the Fulmar was the primary FAA naval fighter during this time period, and did take part in the pursuit of the Bismarck where its long range proved useful. The lend-lease Grumman Wildcat (Martlet Mk1) was already in service operating from shore bases, but the folding wing MkII, which allowed for its operation from carriers, was not available until August 1941.

Their shoulders held the sky suspended;
They stood and Earth's foundations stay;
What God abandoned these defended;
And saved the sum of things for pay.
User avatar
tameraire01
Member
Posts: 115
Joined: Sun May 11, 2014 11:56 pm

Re: Ark Royal class

Post by tameraire01 »

They are some differences in the timeline thanks to the Admiralty getting the FAA from the RAF. For one the fulmars are built as single seat fighters, two the skua is built as dive bombers and not fighter bombers, three the swordfish is built as is.
Ideas are more powerful than guns. We would not let our enemies have guns, why should we let them have ideas. Joseph Stalin
Post Reply