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Photo # S-511-34-A:  Preliminary design plan for a 44,500 ton aircraft carrier with a lightly armored flight deck and 8-inch guns, 5 June 1941

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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.

    If you want higher resolution reproductions than the "Online Library's" digital images, see: "How to Obtain Photographic Reproductions."


    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.


    If you want higher resolution reproductions than the "Online Library's" digital images, see: "How to Obtain Photographic Reproductions."


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    Page made 30 March 2005