Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 1:24:29-1:27:09

Without the First World War, Britain's first carrier is still Hermes

Without wartime hulls available for conversion, the Royal Navy would likely build HMS Hermes earlier and develop later carriers from that purpose-built pattern.

Aircraft CarriersAlternate HistoryHMS HermesNaval AviationRoyal Navy
Watch at this timeFull video guide
Question

If Britain began carrier construction without the First World War, would its first ship be purpose-built or converted?

Short answer

Purpose-built: HMS Hermes would probably appear earlier, then provide the evolutionary basis for later British carrier designs.

Notes

The absence of wartime construction removes Courageous, Glorious, and Furious as conversion candidates. Chile would also retain its ordered battleships. That makes a purpose-built HMS Hermes the natural first step. Continued development from an island-equipped Hermes could prevent the Royal Navy's historical experiment with islandless flight decks because pilots quickly use the island as a landing reference.