Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 1:12:21-1:16:20

Would larger Courageous-class ships become carriers?

A 30,000-ton Courageous design with six or more 15-inch guns looks more like a useful super-Renown - and is less likely to be surrendered for carrier conversion.

BattlecruisersCarrier ConversionsCourageous Class Warship LineageRoyal NavyWashington Naval Treaty
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Question

Would 30,000-ton Courageous-class ships still be converted into aircraft carriers?

Short answer

Possibly, but ships with six or more heavy guns would be useful enough that the Royal Navy would be more likely to retain them as fast capital ships.

Notes

Making the class larger and conventionally armed removes much of the historical reason to discard or convert it. A 30,000-ton Courageous or Glorious would probably carry at least six 15-inch guns and resemble a more powerful Renown. Furious at the same scale could carry six 18-inch guns, making her strategically valuable in gunship form. Retaining that battery would also complicate treaty efforts to establish a 16-inch ceiling and could change the negotiated capital-ship ratios.