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DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY -- NAVAL HISTORICAL CENTER
805 KIDDER BREESE SE -- WASHINGTON NAVY YARD
WASHINGTON DC 20374-5060
Online Library of Selected Images -- Photo Albums
Bureau of Ships' "Spring Styles" Book # 3 (1939-1944)
-- (Naval Historical Center Lot # S-511) --
Aircraft Carrier Preliminary Design Drawings
Seventeen of the 75 preliminary design drawings in the 1939-1944
"Spring Styles" Book are related to aircraft carriers
and ships with characteristics similar to aircraft carriers. These
plans relate to several different studies, beginning (during December
1939 - January 1940) with three final attempts to generate a satisfactory
"flight deck cruiser" and two schemes for what became
the Essex (CV-9) class.
Another Essex class drawing is dated, apparently "after
the fact", in September 1941.
There were also three plans of relatively "small"
aircraft carriers, beginning (in July 1940) with what was essentially
an improved version of USS Wasp
(CV-7). In an unrelated study, in August and September 1941
two drawings were submitted for a carrier conversion of the numerous
Cleveland (CL-55) class light cruisers. These ultimately
led to the nine-ship Independence
(CVL-22) class, but are rather different from the design finally
decided upon.
In the wake of early World War II experiences, other conversions
of gun-armed warships were also studied between January and August
1942, among them a large cruiser
(CB-1 class), an Iowa
(BB-61) class battleship and a heavy cruiser (CA-68 class).
Only the last of these led anywhere, becoming (with many changes)
the "built for the purpose" Saipan
(CVL-48) class, for which a preliminary design (from August
1943) is also included.
Other early wartime experiences, especially those of the British
in the Mediterranean, prompted studies of a large aircraft carrier
with an armored flight deck. Four "Spring Styles" drawings
for such ships are in this album, dated from December 1940 to
September 1941. This effort eventually produced the Midway
(CVB-41) class, the largest carriers built by the Navy during
the World War II years.
Lastly, in March 1942 designs were examined for high-speed
(20-knot) oilers. One of these was for a ship similar in many
ways to the larger types of wartime escort aircraft carriers (CVE),
but faster, larger and with a smaller aircraft hangar.
This page features those 1939-1944 Bureau of Ships "Spring
Styles" plans that concern aircraft carriers.
For general information on this album, see:
Bureau of Ships' "Spring Styles"
Book # 3 (1939-1944) -- General Description.
On the picture data sheets referenced
from this page, click on the thumbnail image (small photograph)
to prompt a larger view of the same image.
The Aircraft Carrier drawings included in this album are:
-- Three proposed designs for a Flight Deck Cruiser ("CF"),
an abortive ship type that would have combined the features of
an aircraft carrier and a gun-armed cruiser in a single hull:
S-511-9: "Proposed
Flight Deck Cruiser". Plan dated 8 December 1939 for
a 12,000 ton flight deck cruiser ("CF") with a main
battery of three 8" guns.
S-511-4: "Proposed
Flight Deck Cruiser". Plan dated 19 December 1939 for
a 12,000 ton flight deck cruiser ("CF") with a main
battery of three 8" guns.
S-511-5: "Proposed
Flight Deck Cruiser, CF-2". Plan dated 31 January 1940
for a 12,200 ton flight deck cruiser ("CF") with a main
battery of six 6" guns.
-- Three drawings representing studies made during the development
of the Essex (CV-9)
class:
S-511-8:
"Proposed Aircraft Carrier - Scheme CV-9E". Plan
dated 6 December 1939 for a 24,250 ton aircraft carrier, with
partial plans for two related schemes.
S-511-10: "Proposed
Aircraft Carrier - Scheme CV-9E". Plan dated 4 January
1940 for a 25,000 ton aircraft carrier. This is a modification
of the design seen in S-511-8.
S-511-45: "CV
9-19 Aircraft Carrier". Plan dated 23 September 1941,
apparently showing the arrangement finally accepted for the Essex
(CV-9) class aircraft carriers. It was probably prepared "after
the fact".
-- One plan, representing an improved version of the relatively
small aircraft carrier Wasp
(CV-7):
S-511-20: "15000-Ton
Aircraft Carrier (CVX) Study". Plan dated 20 July 1940
for a ship similar to USS Wasp (CV-7), but with greater
speed. A design developed in response to a request from the General
Board for smaller carrier design possibilities.
-- Two drawings of proposed conversions of Cleveland
(CL-55) class light cruisers to small aircraft carriers, during
consideration of what became the Independence
(CVL-22) class design:
S-511-43: "Aircraft
Carrier Converted from 6" Cruiser (Class CL55)".
Plan dated 25 August 1941. It features a conventional island and
an anti-aircraft battery of four quadruple 40mm gun mounts.
S-511-44: "Aircraft
Carrier Converted from 6" Cruiser Class CL55". Plan
dated 4 September 1941. Similar to S-511-43, but with an anti-aircraft
battery of eight twin 40mm gun mounts.
-- Three plans of proposed conversions of other warship
types to aircraft carriers:
S-511-50: "Aircraft
Carrier, Converted from 12" Cruiser (Class CB 1-6)".
Plan dated 3 January 1942 for converting an Alaska
class large cruiser to an aircraft carrier.
S-511-54: "Aircraft
Carrier, Converted from BB 61-66 Class". Plan dated June
1942 for converting an Iowa
(BB-61) class battleship to an aircraft carrier.
S-511-54-A: "Proposed
Conversion of CA 68 Class to CV". Plan dated 4 June 1942
(the date of the Battle
of Midway!) for converting a Baltimore class heavy
cruiser to an aircraft carrier. It is generally similar to what
became the Saipan (CVL-48)
class, but with less freeboard.
-- One plan, prepared during the developement of the Saipan (CVL-48) class
small aircraft carrier design:
S-511-63: "Aircraft
Carrier - 1943 CVL Type". Plan dated 28 August 1943 (with
alterations through 27 September 1943).
-- Four drawings representing studies made during the process
leading to the Midway (CVB-41) class design:
S-511-28: "Aircraft
Carrier Study - Scheme "B"". Plan dated 10
December 1940. This 38,500-ton design carries 6"/47 dual-purpose
guns and has a lightly-armored flight deck.
S-511-34-A: "Aircraft
Carrier Study - Scheme "A"". Plan dated 5 June
1941. This 44,500-ton ship has a lightly armored flight deck and
three triple eight-inch gun turrets on a hull too wide to pass
through the existing Panama Canal locks.
S-511-41: "CV-D
-Aircraft Carrier". Plan dated 12 July 1941. This 28,000-ton
ship has a 1.5-inch armored flight deck on a relatively short
(788-foot) hull. This ship, whose displacement approximated that
of the Essex (CV-9) class, was too small to operate a full-sized
air group.
S-511-42: "Aircraft
Carrier Study - Scheme "CV-E"". Plan dated
22 September 1941. This 45,000-ton ship has two-inch thick flight
deck armor and a hull too wide to pass through the existing Panama
Canal locks. The actual Midway class design was generally
based on this scheme.
-- One plan of a proposed high-speed (20-knot) oiler with
aircraft carrier features:
S-511-53: "20
Knot Flightdeck Oiler - Preliminary Study". Plan dated
21 March 1942 for a 30,000 ton high-speed oiler with similar configuration
to an escort aircraft carrier, but rather larger and with a relatively
small hangar.
For general information on this album, see:
Bureau of Ships' "Spring Styles"
Book # 3 (1939-1944) -- General Description.
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