Second World War Aircraft Carrier Challenge

[karlik]

My entry, the Insuperable Class.
Armament:
4x4 0.5in Vickers machine-guns

Hi!
In my opinion there are 8 machine guns in your picture.
Best regards!

[reytuerto]

Good morning, Hood:
Oh, another magnificent drawing! A muscle (very ) carrier. And in this one, the british flavor was "Insuperable"! Cheers!

[matedow]

Hancock-class CVL Conversion

The armored cruiser Tolland was moored in Pearl Harbor on 7 December where she took two torpedoes and sunk to the bottom with her main deck exposed. She was raised and towed to the Puget Sound NSY for permanent repairs. Upon arrival it was decided to convert her to a light carrier with the mission of supporting amphibious operations. Her turrets and superstructure were removed and the hanger and flight decks were constructed. The main battery magazines were converted to bomb storage, while the secondary battery magazines were converted for avgas stowage.

Her first operation was the invasion of the Marshall Islands where her dive bombers hit ground targets in support of ground troops, and she participated in every amphibious operation of the war after that point.



Hancock, United States Armored Cruiser laid down 1907 (Engine 1929)

Displacement:
16,634 t light; 17,670 t standard; 19,631 t normal; 21,200 t full load

Dimensions: Length (overall / waterline) x beam x draught (normal/deep)
(636.00 ft / 620.00 ft) x 79.00 ft x (25.05 / 26.64 ft)

Armament:
8 - 10.0"/45 cal guns - 510.00lbs shells, 120 per gun
Breech loading guns in turret on barbette mounts, 1905 Model
4 x Twin mounts on centerline ends, evenly spread
2 raised mounts - superfiring
10 - 7.0"/45 cal guns - 165.00lbs shells, 240 per gun
Breech loading guns in casemate mounts, 1900 Model
6 x Single mounts on sides, forward deck aft
4 x Single mounts on sides, aft deck forward
8 - 5.0"/25 cal guns - 53.86lbs shells, 450 per gun
Anti-air guns in deck mounts, 1921 Model
8 x Single mounts on sides, forward deck aft
8 raised mounts
16 - 1.1"/75 cal guns - 0.93lbs shells, 5,000 per gun
Anti-air guns in deck mounts, 1929 Model
2 x Quad mounts on sides, aft deck forward
2 raised mounts
2 x Quad mounts on sides, forward deck aft
2 double raised mounts
7 - 0.50"/90 cal guns - 0.11lbs shells, 5,000 per gun
Machine guns in deck mounts, 1920 Model
7 x Single mounts on centerline, evenly spread
7 double raised mounts
Weight of broadside 6,176 lbs

Armour:
- Belts: Width (max) Length (avg) Height (avg)
Main: 8.50" 405.00 ft 14.00 ft
Ends: 3.00" 200.00 ft 8.00 ft
15.00 ft Unarmored ends
Main Belt covers 100 % of normal length

- Torpedo Bulkhead - Additional damage containing bulkheads:
2.00" 405.00 ft 20.00 ft
Beam between torpedo bulkheads 45.00 ft

- Gun armour: Face (max) Other gunhouse (avg) Barbette/hoist (max)
Main: 9.00" 6.00" 8.00"
2nd: 4.00" 1.00" 6.00"
3rd: - 0.25" -
4th: - 0.25" -
5th: - 0.13" -

- Armored deck - multiple decks:
Fore and Aft decks: 3.50"
Forecastle: 0.75"
Quarterdeck: 2.25"

- Conning tower: Forward 8.00"

Machinery:
Oil fired boilers, steam turbines, geared drive,
4 shafts, 50,000 shp = 24.99 kts
Range 10,090nm at 15.00 kts
Bunker at max displacement = 3,531 tons

Complement:
829 - 1,078

Distribution of weights at normal displacement:
Armament: 1,201 tons, 6.1 %
- Guns: 1,201 tons, 6.1 %
Armor: 6,273 tons, 32.0 %
- Belts: 2,210 tons, 11.3 %
- Torpedo bulkhead: 599 tons, 3.1 %
- Armament: 1,322 tons, 6.7 %
- Armor Deck: 2,017 tons, 10.3 %
- Conning Tower: 125 tons, 0.6 %
Machinery: 1,536 tons, 7.8 %
Hull, fittings & equipment: 6,664 tons, 33.9 %
Fuel, ammunition & stores: 2,997 tons, 15.3 %
Miscellaneous weights: 960 tons, 4.9 %
- Hull below water: 180 tons
- Hull above water: 50 tons
- On freeboard deck: 270 tons
- Above deck: 460 tons

Overall survivability and seakeeping ability:
Survivability (Non-critical penetrating hits needed to sink ship):
42,551 lbs = 85.1 x 10.0" shells or 7.8 torpedoes
Metacentric height 4.2 ft
Roll period: 16.1 seconds

Hull form characteristics:
Hull has a flush deck, a ram bow and a cruiser stern
Block coefficient (normal/deep): 0.560 / 0.569
Length to Beam Ratio: 7.85 : 1
'Natural speed' for length: 24.90 kts
Power going to wave formation at top speed: 47 %
Bow angle (Positive = bow angles forward): -13.00 degrees
Stern overhang: 6.00 ft / 1.83 m
Freeboard (% = length of deck as a percentage of waterline length):
Fore end, Aft end
- Forecastle: 20.00 %, 25.95 ft , 23.95 ft
- Forward deck: 30.00 %, 23.95 ft , 21.95 ft
- Aft deck: 35.00 %, 21.95 ft , 21.95 ft
- Quarter deck: 15.00 %, 21.95 ft , 23.95 ft
- Average freeboard: 22.96 ft
Ship tends to be wet forward

Ship space, strength and comments:
Waterplane Area: 34,505 Square feet or 3,206 Square metres
Displacement factor (Displacement / loading): 133 %
Structure weight / hull surface area: 140 lbs/sq ft or 684 Kg/sq metre

Adequate machinery, storage, compartmentation space
Excellent accommodation and workspace room
Ship has slow, easy roll, a good, steady gun platform
Excellent seaboat, comfortable, can fire her guns in the heaviest weather





Hancock, Light Carrier Conversion

Displacement:
17,753 t light; 18,399 t standard; 20,360 t normal; 21,929 t full load

Dimensions: Length (overall / waterline) x beam x draught (normal/deep)
(636.00 ft / 620.00 ft) x 79.00 ft x (25.98 / 27.57 ft)

Armament:
40 - 40.0 mm/56 cal guns - 1.98lbs / 0.90kg shells, 5,000 per gun
Anti-air guns in deck mounts, 1942 Model
10 x Quad mounts on sides, evenly spread
10 double raised mounts
24 - 20.0 mm/70 cal guns

Armor:
- Belts: Width (max) Length (avg) Height (avg)
Main: 8.50" 405.00 ft 14.00 ft
Ends: 3.00" 200.00 ft 8.00 ft / 2.44 m


- Torpedo Bulkhead - Additional damage containing bulkheads:
2.00" 405.00 ft 20.00 ft
Beam between torpedo bulkheads 45.00 ft

- Armored deck - multiple decks:
Fore and Aft decks: 3.50"
Forecastle: 0.75"
Quarterdeck: 2.25"

Machinery:
Oil fired boilers, steam turbines, geared drive,
4 shafts, 50,000 shp = 24.86 kts
Range 9,875nm at 15.00 kts
Bunker at max displacement = 3,530 tons

Complement:
851 - 1,107

Distribution of weights at normal displacement:
Armament: 25 tons, 0.1 %
- Guns: 25 tons, 0.1 %
Armor: 5,064 tons, 24.9 %
- Belts: 2,210 tons, 10.9 %
- Torpedo bulkhead: 599 tons, 2.9 %
- Armament: 37 tons, 0.2 %
- Armour Deck: 2,217 tons, 10.9 %
Machinery: 1,536 tons, 7.5 %
Hull, fittings & equipment: 7,123 tons, 35.0 %
Fuel, ammunition & stores: 2,607 tons, 12.8 %
Miscellaneous weights: 4,006 tons, 19.7 %
- Hull below water: 250 tons
- Hull above water: 60 tons
- On freeboard deck: 1,456 tons
- Above deck: 2,240 tons

Overall survivability and seakeeping ability:
Metacentric height 3.7 ft
Roll period: 17.3 seconds

Hull form characteristics:
Hull has low forecastle, low quarterdeck , a ram bow and a cruiser stern
Block coefficient (normal/deep): 0.560 / 0.568
Length to Beam Ratio: 7.85 : 1
'Natural speed' for length: 24.90 kts
Power going to wave formation at top speed: 47 %

[odysseus1980]

Similar with real life Indepedence Class, but based on an older hull. Nice idea.

[emperor_andreas]

Interesting design...I like it!

[bugsier_060]

most of the ships shown here in this thread do have a MUCH HIGHER artistic level than the colored drawings in -for example - "Profil Morskie", which I do own several copies of, to say the least. Some of the drawings here are really breathtaking!

[Cargil48]

This is my idea of a then modern aircraft carrier for Germany's navy in the early 40's. This is a "Graf Zeppelin" class because of the overall dimensions, although several changes have been made, the builders having learned from the building experience gained from the first carrier.The dimensions are more or less equal, the funnel is different, to accomodate more exhaust pipes from the twelve (!) high pressure boilers built in. These (from Wagner) supply steam to eight one stage turbines from Brown Boveri, double geared and paired by two, each pair driving one shaft and the respective screw. Thus, for travelling, only half the boilers must be in use, to feed four turbines, each on its shaft, while the others are off. The other two are on for feeding four power turbines, linked to generators. The exhaust steam of all turbines is also used to pass through heat exchangers to produce warm water for the ship's crew and for heating purposes before returning to the boiler after having passed through the respective condensers. The installed power - with all boilers lit to maximum pressure - is 25.000 shp for each propulsion turbine, totalling 200.000 shp.

The island accomodates four levels. Beginning from the lower one, it accomodates the Admiral of fleet's working room plus his staff. Here is where all the informations regarding orders received by radio from the "Kommandostelle" on shore come together, and where the admiral (and his aides) can have contact with other ships of the fleet. Here the upper levels direct their own information to, to enable the staff to get an accrate view of the current situation. In the background there is also a small eating area when there is no time for all to leave for the respective messes. Obviously this area has several maps tables and boards with pins where the necessary data is pinned to.

Aft of the funnel and on the same level are the working spaces for the deck's operations: preparing the planes for launching, coordinate the movement of the planes to the two launching catapults, get them airborne, pass them over to the air traffic combat coordination once they are airborne and track the planes returning to land, giving them the necessary information, either to land or to go to the holding pattern. With the radar on top of the office the staff is able to give the airplane's pilots precise infomations when visibility is not sufficient, guiding them from as far as 12 miles away and assisting them with the glidepath pattern (at certain points away from the ship's stern the planes must have a certain altitude, descending step by step as they come closer to the landing area. For visual approach there are two poles, one on each side of the strip, with the usual lights to allow the pilots to judge the pattern visually.

On deck nr. two is the ship's command bridge, with the navigation and communication rooms behind. The navigatioon room has access to all navigation radar on board, but only as "stand by". The necessary information they get normally from the "crow's nest" high up on the mast, on level four. On deck nr. three, one up the bridge, is located the operational combat command zone. Here the communication staff are constantly in voice contact with the crews flying to the target areas or with scout planes, should any be in the air. Here eventual SAR operations are also coordinated.

Armament consists only of AA gunnery, since the philosophy followed is that an aircraft carrier must be able to defend itself from airborne attackers but not from ennemy ships or submarines. This is the task of the accompannying fleet's ships (normally one heavy cruiser, two light cruisers and four destroyers), plus four oilers and one repair ship with a complete repair shop. AA gunnery are double radar guided 10,5cm guns in watertight turrets and with telephone lines to the combat (defence) room, quadruple 3,7cm shielded guns and 20mm individual guns for close support.

Airplanes used are:

- one extended Junkers Ju 87 T diving bomber squadron (Staffel) with 16 planes (four groups of four)
- one Staffel with 12 Focke-Wulf Fw 190 E6 fighter-bombers with two 250 kg bombs under the wings, and
- one extended Staffel with 16 units of a special version of the Fw 190 A4 T1 as a carrier version of the land based fighter A4
- one extended Staffel with 16 Arado 196 torpedo bombers (new version derived from the plane with floats used on other ships)
- 2 navalized Me 110 heavy fighters normally carrying in seat nr. two the airborne operational officer.
- 4 Fieseler "Storch" as liaison planes to get to shore when the a/c is less than 100 miles away and need arises to someone go on land.

All airplanes have folding wings and self-inflatable dinghies should one go down on the sea.

[emperor_andreas]

That funnel brings to mind a German version of the Lexington. Awesome work!

[Cargil48]

That funnel brings to mind a German version of the Lexington. Awesome work!

Thank you, emperor, sir! Yes, the idea came from the Lexington, Yorktown etc. and for a reason: more streamlined...

[Vossiej]

Don't forget to add the artist's name (both DG-Alpha and yourself) to the drawing!

Also, there seem to be some coloring issues near the bridge, mainly around the railings.