They were too fast and expensive to be ecort carriers, and President Rooseveltīecame concerned that not enough fleet carriers would be available to coverĬombat losses while waiting for the arrival of the Essex’s, and demandedĬompromise vessels. Reluctant navy as a stopgap even before combat began. )Īmerican version of a ‘wartime emergency’ design was the light fleet cruiserĬonversions known as the Independence class.
Only the 4 Sangamon class conversionsįrom fleet oilers actually demonstrated combat survivability – see USS Chenango. Tended to respond in the unfortunate fashion of Japanese carriers – see Liscombe Bay for instance – not what Have been a ‘European waters’ thing, but most American escort carriers when hit It is worth noting however that theīritish were horrified by the lack of fire safety on American escort carriers,Īnd insisted on refitting them to higher standards before using them. Were conversions, and most of the American ones purpose built. Some of the British, and most of the Japanese escort carriers
This worked wellįor the British in the Meditteranean and Indian Oceans, and for the Americans Trole was to use them as floating airbases to cover invasions. Good little ships for convoy escort andĪircraft transport, but not suitable for fleet work. Of her air-group, would otherwise suggest. War, so her flexibility in combat was never as great as her size, or the size She also had only one working lift for most of the Went down to about 70 (equivalent to ships less than half her size) as part of Procedures as the war went on, but it is notable that her aircraft capacity To survive two torpedo hits and a Kamizaze attack, despite having been put intoĭrydock for months on each occasion. Lexington was lost not directlyįrom a torpedo hit, but from the similar weaknesses in safety and damage control Kaga and Akagi were incapable of withstandingīomb hits, and their aviation fuel systems were easily primed bombs. Re-arming processes a disastrous weakpoint. Torpedo’s, and the sheer size of the air-wings made their refuelling and They were too big and unmaneouvrable to avoid
Japanese and American monsters were twice the size of British conversions, butĪll proved very vulnerable.
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