Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 1:22:33-1:23:04

Why two Béarns would still be emergency escort carriers

A second Béarn would double an awkward capability, and turning either hull into a fast 30,000-ton fleet carrier would require building a new ship in everything but name.

Aircraft CarriersBearnFrench NavyWarship Conversion
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Question

How would two Béarn-class carriers affect France, and could Béarn be rebuilt into a fast fleet carrier?

Short answer

Two would provide emergency escort-carrier capacity, but a fast 30,000-ton rebuild would really be a new ship.

Notes

Two Béarns would give France more carrier hulls without correcting the limitations of the original conversion. In wartime they could perform escort-carrier duties when no better ship was available. A proposal to lengthen and widen Béarn for 31.5 knots and forty to fifty aircraft changes the hull, machinery, displacement, and aviation facilities together. That modernization creates a wholly new carrier rather than a realistic rebuild of Béarn.