Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 1:54:25-1:58:59

Carrier choices after losing the Courageous class

Without Courageous and Glorious, Britain could convert incomplete G3 hulls, but severe battle losses would more likely prioritize new fast capital ships.

Aircraft CarriersAlternate HistoryCourageous Class Warship LineageG3 Class BattlecruisersRoyal NavyWashington Naval Treaty
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Question

If Courageous and Glorious were sunk in a 1918 death ride, what would Britain convert into carriers?

Short answer

G3 hulls would be the available conversion candidates, but Britain might instead build purpose-designed carriers and prioritize new fast capital ships.

Notes

Furious, Argus, Eagle, Hermes, and another experimental hull already offered varied carrier experience, so further conversions were unnecessary. Incomplete G3 hulls would be the most obvious candidates if Britain still wanted conversions. At the stage imagined, this could amount to little more than reusing keel plates, allowing most of the carrier to be purpose-designed. Conversions were inefficient compromises, and the Royal Navy held back purpose-built construction while working out what a carrier needed to do. The losses would create stronger pressure for fast replacement capital ships with better protection, drawing on the G3 or F3 concepts, and a different treaty settlement.