Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 3:05:13-3:06:37

Admiral-class carrier conversions would inherit battlecruiser armor

Converted Admiral-class hulls could resemble larger, faster Lexingtons, pairing with battlecruisers while using deck-edge lifts to preserve existing armor and internal structure.

Admiral Class BattlecruisersAircraft CarriersBattlecruisersShip ConversionShip Design
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Question

How might additional Admiral-class battlecruiser hulls have worked as carrier conversions?

Short answer

They could have become larger, faster Lexington-like carriers paired with battlecruisers, probably using deck-edge lifts to work around retained armor and structure.

Notes

Additional Admiral-class hulls are imagined as carriers broadly comparable to the Lexington class but somewhat larger and faster. Their natural operating partners would be Hood, Renown, or Repulse, producing mixed battlecruiser-carrier groups. Because the hulls already carried more armor than Courageous, Glorious, or Furious, conversion designers might preserve armored separation between hangar and machinery rather than strip the ship extensively. Deck-edge lifts would then be attractive because they could serve the hangar without cutting large openings through that retained structure.