Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 50:37-51:09

An Austro-Hungarian carrier modeled on HMS Hermes

If Austria-Hungary had survived into the early carrier era, its first purpose-built design might plausibly have resembled HMS Hermes rather than a later German concept.

Aircraft CarriersAlternate HistoryAustro-Hungarian NavyHMS HermesNaval Architecture
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Question

What might an Austro-Hungarian or Ottoman aircraft carrier have looked like if those states had survived into the carrier era?

Short answer

For Austria-Hungary, probably something closer to HMS Hermes than to Graf Zeppelin.

Notes

The question imagines carrier development by Austria-Hungary or the Ottoman Empire if both states had continued after the First World War. The answer sketches the Austro-Hungarian case without trying to define both fleets. An early postwar ship would probably resemble HMS Hermes, the first carrier designed for the purpose, more than Graf Zeppelin. The comparison anchors the counterfactual in the carrier technology and design language available at the time.