Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 39:27-40:14

Which cruiser hulls offered the best carrier conversions

The Town class led the British candidates, while large American and Japanese cruisers offered more useful proportions than squat designs such as the Deutschlands.

Aircraft CarriersCruisersShip ConversionTone Class CruisersTown Class Light Cruisers (1936)
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Question

Which cruiser classes were best suited for conversion into fleet carriers during the 1930s and 1940s?

Short answer

British Town-class and some large American or Japanese cruisers were plausible, with Tone a stronger candidate than the squat Deutschland design.

Notes

For Britain, the Town class emerges ahead of the County class as the most promising cruiser conversion. American heavy cruisers with three or more main turrets also provide enough hull length and volume to consider. Among Japanese ships, the Tone class looks plausible, whereas the Deutschland design is too squat for an attractive flight-deck conversion. These are only hull candidates: the following discussion explains why pilots, aircraft, escorts, and training still prevent a navy from converting every suitable cruiser.