What-If Bismark-class Carrier

[Guest]

Okay here's my scenario...

In 1942, Germany lays down a third Bismark class ship but when they surrender, the incomplete hull is given to the US as war reprimandations. Only being completed up to the second deck, the US decide to build her as a carrier. She is given a hanger and a flight deck and a modified Esex class Island. The rest is up to you.

[ingura]

....

[Sr. Gopher]

It would be impractical, seeing that the US already had enough carriers. Maybe Germany would get permission to make it a carrier from their conquerors. Or, the Soviet Union. The idea is a good one, but the US and Britain would not even try to. I'm thinking the most likely would be France though. They would probably request it be built in the US, so you could peculate that it would look very much like a US carrier.

[USS California BB44]

Okay so it's built in the US for France... Anyone have any drawings to throw around? I'm thinking Essex style island with a single 5''/38 superfiring over a twin mount with an enlarged Independence class flight deck.

[Seasick]

France would have finished her themselves, however they would have purchased equipment and technical support from the USN and Royal Navy. The scenario has a problem in that Bismarck's machinery was large and the hull was not optimal for it. The ship would have been scrapped by anyone who took it.

As a theoretical exercise, take a Bismarck class 1/700 kit and build the hull. and then take measurements to figure out how large a hanger you could fit on top of it. Build it as a commando/helecoptor carrier.

[Sr. Gopher]

An LPH sounds good to me! I don't have the Bismarck kit, so I can't really say much about it, but I can say that a ship that size could hold say about 2,000 soldiers. That would mean approximately 35 helos would be needed.


I do have another idea, but it's not a carrier: A missile battleship. I know, I know, it's kind of strange hearing the words "missile" and "battleship" from me in the same sentence, but with the Stalingrad and K-1000 rumors of the time, like the Kentucky, it would be considered as a possible candidate for conversion.

[USS California BB44]

I've got an extra Bismark hull floating around somewhere. I'll have to see if I can dig it out soon. This may take a while though.
Dragon Scharnhorst is a greater priority.

[James Hood]

Seasick, would you please elaborate on Bismarck's machinery being too large and the hull not optimized for it?

Intriguing concept. Thank you.