Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 2:01:28-2:05:10

A Colossus-sized angled-deck carrier would buy time, not longevity

The 1945 concept could operate contemporary aircraft, but its air group and growth margin would make it a short-term bridge to larger carriers.

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Question

How useful would a Colossus-sized angled-deck carrier designed in 1945 have been?

Short answer

Useful for contemporary aircraft and as a bridge, but too small in air group and growth margin to remain a first-line carrier for long.

Notes

The proposed Colossus-hull carrier used an angled deck and two large centerline lifts, giving it a credible configuration for the immediate postwar air group. Its weakness was scale. A small air group limits sortie generation, redundancy, and the ability to absorb rapidly growing jet aircraft. This makes it a practical way to preserve carrier aviation for perhaps a decade rather than the foundation of a long-lived fleet. It could bridge the service to a later generation, but it would not remove the need for larger hulls.