Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 2:45:09-2:45:30

The planned sequence of Unicorn follow-on ships

Unicorn was intended to begin a recurring annual program, but wartime priorities displaced the follow-ons before the 1942 light-fleet-carrier program emerged.

Aviation Support ShipsCarrier ProcurementFleet Air ArmHMS UnicornRoyal Navy
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Question

Were there plans to build more than one HMS Unicorn before the war?

Short answer

Yes; follow-on orders were expected annually, but wartime decisions displaced the program before light fleet carriers appeared for a different purpose.

Notes

HMS Unicorn was not conceived as the only ship of her support-carrier type. The planned sequence appears to have included additional orders in 1940, 1941, and 1942. Decisions surrounding the outbreak of war interrupted that peacetime program. The later 1942 light-fleet-carrier design met a different emergency need rather than simply continuing the original schedule.