Fleet Air Arm (1938-1945)

Back to Commonwealth Ships List.
 

1919 and the Royal Flying Corps and the Naval Air Service are joined together and called the Royal Air Force. It wasn't till 1924 that the Navy got a branch of its own to fly the aircraft from the carriers and defend its shore facilities. But... and its a big but - all the aircraft for the Navy were chosen for it by the Air Force. This made sure that the Naval Service had second class aircraft, right through till mid-1939 when the Navy finally regained control of its air service to create the Fleet Air Arm. In real life this meant that the Navy had, on the outbreak of war, the Fairey Swordfish as its main strike aircraft, the Gloster Gladiator as a fighter and the Blackburn Skua as a fighter/dive bomber. All were totally outclassed by their opposition. That they did as well as they did, in time of war, was as much to the courage of the pilots as anything else. That does not suit me too much so I give the Fleet Air Arm back to the Navy in 1930. That allows the Navy to commission its own aircraft from that point onwards. By 1939 the shape of the Fleet Air Arm is much different.

Fighters

The Sea Gladiator had been the main fighter for the Fleet Air Arm 1934 to 1938, and only a few squadrons were left in service by the time World War Two started.



 

General characteristics

• Crew: 1
• Length: 27 ft 5 in (8.36 m)
• Wingspan: 32 ft 3 in (9.83 m)
• Height: 11 ft 9 in (3.58 m)
• Wing area: 323 ft (30.0 m)
• Empty weight: 3,217 lb (1,462 kg)
• Loaded weight: 4,594 lb (2,088 kg)
• Powerplant: 1 × Bristol Mercury IX radial engine, 830 hp (619 kW)

Performance

• Maximum speed: 253 mph (220 knots, 407 km/h) at 14,500 ft (4,400 m)
• Cruise speed: 210 mph
• Stall speed: 53 mph (46 knots, 85 km/h)
• Endurance: 2 hours
• Service ceiling: 32,800 ft (10,000 m)
• Rate of climb: 2,300 ft/min (11.7 m/s)
• Climb to 10,000 ft (3,050 m): 4.75 min

Armament
 Four .303 calibre M1919 Browning machine guns; two synchronised guns in fuselage sides and one beneath each lower wing.

The Gladiator was replaced in service by another Gloster aircraft that had started life as specification F5-34 and was called the Griffon by Gloster. This was the first all metal monoplane for the Fleet Air Arm. The Griffon entered service in 1937 and was a contemporary of the Hawker Hurricane. The Gloster Griffon gave the Fleet Air Arm a fighter equal to any in the world at the time. Its great power to weight ratio meant it could fly off all of the carriers, even the baby escort carriers. Production went through to 1943 and the Griffon probably served on all of the RN's carrier fleet. Various upgrades were given, the major one being to increase the engine power from the original 1000hp out to 1200hp with an increase in speed from 345mph to 365mph.




The Gloster Griffon served everywhere and proved a handful for the Me109's and Japanese Zeros. It outperformed the lesser Italian aircraft.

General characteristics

• Crew: 1
• Length: 32 ft (9.76 m)
• Wingspan: 38 ft 2 in (11.63 m)
• Height: 10 ft 2 in (3.09 m)
• Empty weight: 4,190 lb (1,900 kg)
• Loaded weight: 5,400 lb (2,449 kg)
• Powerplant: 1 × Bristol Mercury IX nine-cylinder radial engine, 1000 hp

Performance

• Maximum speed: 300 knots (345 mph, 509 km/h) at 16,000 ft (4,875 m)
• Service ceiling: 32,500 ft (9,910 m)
• Power/mass: 0.156 hp/lb (0.256 kW/kg)
• Time to 20,000 ft (6,100 m): 11 min

Armament
Guns: Eight 0.303-in (7.7-mm) Browning machine guns (1937-41)
from 1941, four x 20mm Hispano cannons.

Mk-1 Gloster Griffon with eight gun wings.
 

While Gloster was producing the Griffon as fast as it could, the demand for aircraft for both the aircraft carrier squadrons and the naval installations (ports etc) outstripped production. The Royal navy at that time (1940) took over an order for Grumman Wildcat fighters for France, that were no longer able to be delivered due to the Fall of France in July 1940. The RN took those 200 aircraft and ordered a further 200 from Grumman. In RN service this fighter was called the Martlet. It proved a very sturdy aircraft and mainly operated off the smaller CVL and CVE types. With the Martlets the Royal Navy ordered a navalised version of the Hawker Hurricane (Sea Hurricane). The RAF had no problem in letting Hawker produce the Sea Hurricane from the older Mk-1A/B Hurricanes which were being phased out of RAF service in favour of the C and D models with the uprated engines and armaments.

General characteristics

• Crew: 1
• Length: 28 ft 9 in (8.76 m)
• Wingspan: 38 ft (11.58 m)
• Height: 11 ft 10 in (3.60 m)
• Empty weight: 4,907 lb (2,226 kg)
• Loaded weight: 7,423 lb (3,367 kg)
• Powerplant: 1 × Pratt & Whitney R-1830-76 double-row radial engine, 1,200 hp (900 kW)

Performance

• Maximum speed: 331 mph (531 km/h)
• Range: 845 mi (1,360 km)
• Service ceiling: 39,500 ft (12,000 m)
• Rate of climb: 2,303 ft/min (11.7 m/s)

Armament

• Guns: 4 × 0.50 in (12.7 mm) AN/M2 Browning machine guns with 450 rounds per gun
• Bombs: 2 × 100 lb (45 kg) bombs and/or 2 × 58 gal (220 L) drop tanks

Probably the most interesting design, and the only twin engined fighter for the RAN till the De Havilland Sea Hornet of 1945-46, was the development of the Mk-2 Westland Whirlwind. This work was done in Australis by the CAC factory to improve the Mk-I Whirlwind to a navalised, long range, fighter able to operate from the Australis Endeavour Class aircraft carriers and later the RN's Illustrious class aircraft carriers when they started working in the Pacific. What they came up with was (to my eyes anyway) one of nicest looking aircraft of the time. The Whirlwind Mk-2 was introduced into service in October 1941 and enough were released to the first two Endeavour class carriers to make the difference in the evacuation of Singapore in early 1942.




Photo is of a Mk-1 which shows the differences between the 1 and 2. Cockpit forward, Merlins replace Peregrines.

General characteristics

• Crew: One pilot
• Length: 32 ft 3 in (9.83 m)
• Wingspan: 43 ft 0 in (13.72 m)
• Height: 11 ft 0 in (3.35 m)
• Loaded weight: 11,356 lb
• Max. takeoff weight: 12,445 lb
• Powerplant: 2 × Rolls-Royce Merlin V12 engine, 1100 hp at 10,000 ft (3,050 m) with 100 octane fuel each

Performance

• Maximum speed: 400 mph at 15,000 ft (4,570 m)
• Stall speed: 90 mph (flaps down)
• Range: 1000 miles more with drop tanks
• Service ceiling: 30,300 ft (9,240 m)

Armament

• Guns: 4 × Hispano 20 mm cannon with 80 rounds per gun
• Bombs: 2 × 250 lb (115 kg) or 500 lb (230 kg) bombs or two drop tanks

From 1943 the Gloster Griffon was at the edge of its upgrade limits. It needed to be replaced. Gloster had nothing in the pipeline as a replacement, but Hawker and CAC both had aircraft that would make admirable replacements of the venerable Griffon. Hawker offered the RN a navalised version of the new Tempest design which they called the Sea Fury. The CAC had a new design Ca-15 Kangaroo. Also with the two home grown fighters, orders of the American F4U - Corsair aircraft started arriving and being loaded aboard the big carriers. The Griffon remained in service on the smaller carriers (CVE and CVL) that were unable to operate the big new fighters.



 

General characteristics

• Crew: One
• Length: 34 ft 8 in (10.56 m)
• Wingspan: 38 ft 4​ in (11.69 m)
• Height: 15 ft 10​ in (4.84 m)
• Empty weight: 9,240 lb (4,191 kg)
• Loaded weight: 12,350 lb (5,602 kg)
• Max. takeoff weight: 14,650 lb (6,645 kg)
• Powerplant: 1 × Bristol Centaurus 18 18-cylinder twin-row radial engine, 2,480 hp (1,850 kW) (take-off)

Performance

• Maximum speed: 460 mph (400 knots, 740 km/h) at 18,000 ft (5,500 m)
• Range: 700 mi (609 nmi, 1,126 km) with internal fuel; 1,040 mi (904 nmi, 1,674 km) with two drop tanks
• Service ceiling: 35,800 ft (10,910 m)
• Rate of climb: 4,320 ft/min (21.9 m/s)

Armament

• Guns: 4 × 20 mm (.79 in) Hispano Mk V cannon
• Rockets: 12 × 3 in (76.2 mm) rockets or
• Bombs: 2,000 lb (907 kg) of bombs or drop tanks

The CA-15 Kangaroo was the Australis Navies answer to replacing the near obsolete Gloster Griffon Fighters.

General characteristics

• Crew: one
• Length: 36 ft 2in (11.04 m)
• Wingspan: 36 ft 0 in (10.97 m)
• Height: 14 ft 2 in (4.32 m)
• Empty weight: 7,540 lb (3427 kg)
• Loaded weight: 9,500 lb (4,309 kg)
• Max. takeoff weight: 12,340 lb (5,597 kg)
• Powerplant: 1 × Rolls-Royce Griffon liquid-cooled V12 engine, 2,035 hp (1,517 kW) at 7,000 ft (2,134 m)

Performance

• Maximum speed: 448 mph (390 knots, 721 km/h) at 26,400 ft (8,050 m)
• Range: 1,150 mi (1,000 nmi, 1,850 km) on internal fuel
• Service ceiling: 39,000 ft (11,887 m)
• Rate of climb: 4,900 ft/min (24.9 m/s)

Armament

• Guns: 4 × 20 mm (.79 in) Hispano Mk V cannon
• Rockets: provision for 10 × rockets
• Bombs: 2 × 1,000 (450 kg) bombs

The Corsair was a big powerful aircraft, that for some reason was not liked as much by the USN as it was by the RN.

General characteristics

• Crew: One
• Length: 33 ft 8 in (10.26 m)
• Wingspan: 41 ft 0 in (12.50 m)
• Height: 14 ft 9 in (4.50 m)
• Empty weight: 9,205 lb (4,175 kg)
• Powerplant: 1 × Pratt & Whitney R-2800-18W radial engine, 2,380 hp (1,770 kW)
• Propellers: 4-bladed

Performance

• Maximum speed: 446 mph (718 km/h; 388 kn)
• Stall speed: 89 mph (143 km/h; 77 kn)
• Range: 1,005 mi (873 nmi; 1,617 km)
• Combat range: 328 mi (285 nmi; 528 km)
• Service ceiling: 41,500 ft (12,600 m)
• Rate of climb: 4,360 ft/min (22.1 m/s)

Armament

• Guns:
  • 4 × 0.79 in (20 mm) AN/M3 cannon, 231 rounds per gun
• Rockets: 8 × 5 in (12.7 cm) high velocity aircraft rockets and/or
• Bombs: 4,000 pounds (1,800 kg) or drop tanks

The last fighter that made it into service before the end of the war was the de Havilland Sea Hornet. This was a magnificent aircraft and was the fastest piston engined fighter of its time, it was an advance on the previous Mosquito and took that type to the next level.. An aim for the aircraft was to conduct long range fighter operations in the Pacific Theatre against the Empire of Japan. While it conducted the same duties as the Whirlwind 2, the Hornet was just a better all round aircraft and replaced the Whirlwind in service. Where the Sea Hornet also excelled was as a nightfighter. Room was made in the fuselage for a radar operator. While doing this page I would note that in 10 years from the Sea Gladiator of 1935 with a maximum speed of 253mph the Fleet Air Arm had the Sea Hornet, which cruised at 270mph and a maximum speed 200mph faster. War really does compress technology advances.

General characteristics

• Crew: 1 (or 2 as Nightfighter version)
• Length: 35 ft, 6 in (10.82 m)
• Wingspan: 45 ft (13.72 m)
• Height: 14 ft 2 in (4.32 m)
• Empty weight: 11,292 lb (5,122 kg)
• Loaded weight: 15,820 lb (7,176 kg)
• Max. takeoff weight: 18,250 lb (2 x 200 gal drop tanks) (8,278 kg)
• Powerplant: Four blade, 12-foot (3.7 m) diameter "handed" de Havilland propellers: Two × Rolls-Royce Merlin 130/131 12-cylinder engines, 2,070 hp (1,544 kW) each

Performance

• Maximum speed: 475 mph at 21,000 ft (764 km/h at 6,400 m)
• Cruise speed: 270 mph at 20,000 ft (435 km/h at 6,096 m)
• Range: 1,480 mi (2,600 mi max) (2,382 km (4,184 km max))
• Service ceiling: 41,500 ft (12,650 m)
• Rate of climb: 4 minutes to 20,000 ft. Average 5,000 ft/min (25.4 m/s)

Armament

• 4 × 20 mm (.79 in) Hispano Mk. V cannon (with 190 rpg) in lower fuselage nose
• 2 × 1,000 lb (454 kg) bombs under wing, outboard of engines or drop tanks.
• 8 × 60 lb (27 kg) RP-3 unguided rockets.

Avionics
ASH radar fitted in Sea Hornet NF Mk 21.

Sea Hornet Night fighter with radar in the nose.


Hornet in flight showing off the beautiful lines of the type.


Dive Bombers:

Only one real type of dive bomber served the Royal Navy in the Second World War, and that was the Blackburn Skua. The Blackburn B-24 Skua (O.27/34) was a carrier-based low-wing, two-seater, single-radial engine aircraft operated by the British Fleet Air Arm. Originally the aircraft was to have dual functions of both dive-bomber and fighter. The acceptance of the Gloster Griffon (F5/34) as the Navies fighter, meant that the Skua only had to concentrate on its dive bomber function. To simplify logistics aboard ship, both the Skua and Griffon shared the same power plant. It was felt by the Navy that the slow, 260mph, speed of the Skua made it obsolete from about 1940-41 and the Navy had phased out the Skua by the end of 1941 aboard the front line carriers. There was no replacement for the Skua until the introduction of the Fairey Spearfish (1945) which was supposed to be a Torpedo/Dive bomber, the RN doing its usual trick of trying to get one aircraft to do more than one job - usually poorly. This compares to the Ju-87 Stuka which soldiered on right through to the end of the war despite that aircraft being obsolete from about 1940. Both the Japanese and United States both used dive bombers right through the war, upgrading the different types with new aircraft as necessary. Why? Because the dive bomber was a precision attack aircraft. Bombers tend to 'spray' their bombs in the hope that one to some may land on the target. Something the Royal Navy missed.

In my AU world the Skua lasts through to the end of 1943, with the same uprated engines (to 1200hp) being fitted as the Griffon, both types resulting from 1934 specifications being phased out at the same time. So the time between the Skua and the Spearfish is kept down to as short a time aspossible.

General characteristics

• Crew: two
• Length: 35 ft 7 in (10.85 m)
• Wingspan: 46 ft 2 in (14.08 m)
• Height: 12 ft 6 in (3.81 m)
• Empty weight: 5,496 lb (2,498 kg)
• Loaded weight: 8,228 lb (3,740 kg)
• Powerplant: 1 × Bristol Mercury IX nine-cylinder radial engine, 1000 hp

Performance

• Maximum speed: 250 mph at 6,500 ft (1,980 m)
• Cruise speed: 187 mph (163 knots, 301 km/h)
• Range: 760 mi (660 nmi, 1223 km)
• Service ceiling: 20,200 ft (6,160 m)
• Rate of climb: 1,580 ft/min (8.0 m/s)

Armament

• Guns:
  • 4 × 0.303 in (7.7 mm) forward-firing Browning machine guns with 600 rounds per gun
  • 1 × 0.303 in (7.7 mm) Lewis or Vickers K machine gun on flexible mount in rear cockpit
• Bombs: 1 × 500 lb (later 1,000lb)  semi-armour piercing bomb under fuselage or 8 × 30 lb (14 kg) practice bombs under wings
                   ^{or drop tank(s) or 60lb rockets under wings.}

Half a squadron of Skuas readying for launch off an Ark Royal Class aircraft carrier.





Bombers:

At the start of World War Two, the main bomber aboard the RN carriers was the Fairey Sea Battle. However the obsolescent Fairey Swordfish was still being used aboard the smaller CVE and CVL type carriers that were just not big enough to launch and recover the big Sea Battles. The Sea Battle force was greatly enlarged after 1940 by the navalisation of the remaining RAF Battle aircraft after the type had proved to be sitting ducks for the Me-109 and even Me-110 fighters. The Battle was supposed to be a 'day' bomber that could always make it through. The Maastricht Bridges proved that one to be false. Out at sea where there was less chance of being intercepted without fighter cover was much less, the Sea Battle proved to be a winner. The Swordfish also proved to be durable and was used aboard the CVE's in the North Atlantic and elsewhere throughout the war. not being replaced in service till enough Grumman Avengers were received to replace not only the Swordfish but the Sea Battle as well. Lastly in late 1944 early 1945 the Fairey Spearfish made it into service.

The Allied navies never had enough aircraft carriers (even with my AU help) so that the small CVE's and CVL's were drafted in to battles to act as air support carriers. In real life the most famous of these battles is at Salerno and Anzio where no large fleet carriers were available and the support was provided by CVE's trying to operate high speed Seafires. It ended up with more Seafires being lost during the war to 'accidental' causes than enemy action.

By the end of the war, the Swordfish held the distinction of having caused the destruction of a greater tonnage of Axis shipping than any other Allied aircraft. The Swordfish remained in front-line service until V-E Day, having outlived multiple aircraft that had been intended to replace it in service.

General characteristics

• Crew: Three (pilot, observer, and radio operator/rear gunner; observer's position frequently replaced with auxiliary fuel tank)
• Length: 35 ft 8 in (10.87 m)
• Wingspan: 45 ft 6 in (13.87 m)
• Height: 12 ft 4 in (3.76 m)
• Empty weight: 4,195 lb (1,900 kg)
• Loaded weight: 7,580 lb  (3,450 kg)
• Powerplant: 1 × Bristol Pegasus IIIM.3 radial engine, 690 hp (510 kW)

Performance

• Maximum speed: 143 mph with torpedo at 7,580 lb (230 km/h, 124 knots) at 5,000 ft (1,450 m)
• Range: 522 mi (840 km, 455 nmi) normal fuel, carrying torpedo
• Endurance: 5.5 hr
• Service ceiling: 16,500 ft at 7,580 lb (5,030 m)
• Rate of climb: 870 ft/min (4.42 m/s) at sea level at 7,580 lb. (690 ft/min (3.5 m/s) at 5000 ft (1,524 m) at 7,580 lb)

Armament

• Guns:
  • 1 × fixed, forward-firing .303 in (7.7 mm) Vickers machine gun in upper right fuselage, breech in cockpit, firing over engine cowling
  • 1 × .303 in (7.7 mm) Lewis or Vickers K machine gun in rear cockpit
• Rockets: 8 × "60 lb" RP-3 rocket projectiles (Mk.II and later)
• Bombs: 1 × 1,670 lb (760 kg) torpedo or 1,500 lb (700 kg) mine under fuselage or 1,500 lb total of bombs under fuselage and wings.

Royal Air Force Battle in France 1939. Within twelve months the same aircraft would be flying off an aircraft carrier.


Probably the most important aircraft the RN Fleet Air Arm sourced from America was the Grumman TBF Avenger. A big, robust aircraft, it had the good manners to be able to be operated from even the smallest CVE's, something the Sea battle was never quite able to do. As stated for the Swordfish, the RN actually started replacing the Sea Battle on the main Fleet Carriers long before the Escort Carriers in RN service got a chance to have them aboard.

General characteristics

• Crew: 3
• Length: 40 ft 11.5 in (12.48 m)
• Wingspan: 54 ft 2 in (16.51 m)
• Height: 15 ft 5 in (4.70 m)
• Empty weight: 10,545 lb (4,783 kg)
• Loaded weight: 17,893 lb (8,115 kg)
• Powerplant: 1 × Wright R-2600-20 Twin Cyclone radial engine, 1,900 hp (1,420 kW)

Performance

• Maximum speed: 275 mph (442 km/h)
• Range: 1,000 mi (1,610 km)
• Service ceiling: 30,100 ft (9,170 m)
• Rate of climb: 2,060 ft/min (10.5 m/s)
• Power/mass: 0.11 hp/lb (0.17 kW/kg)

Armament

• Guns:
  • 1 × 0.30 in (7.62 mm) nose-mounted M1919 Browning machine gun (on early models) or 2 × 0.50 in (12.7 mm) wing-mounted M2 Browning machine guns
  • 1 × 0.50 in (12.7 mm) dorsal-mounted M2 Browning machine gun
  • 1 × 0.30 in (7.62 mm) ventral-mounted M1919 Browning machine gun
• Rockets:
  • up to eight 3.5-Inch Forward Firing Aircraft Rockets, 5-Inch Forward Firing Aircraft Rockets or High Velocity Aerial Rockets
• Bombs:
  • Up to 2,000 lb (907 kg) of bombs or
  • 1 × 2,000 lb (907 kg) Mark 13 torpedo

The Fairey Spearfish was a British carrier-based, single-engined, torpedo bomber/dive bomber that was ordered from Fairey Aviation for the Fleet Air Arm during World War II. Designed during the war, the prototype did not fly until July 1945. Much larger than earlier naval bombers, it was designed for use aboard the large Malta-class aircraft carriers that were cancelled after the war and was itself cancelled thereafter. Seven prototypes were ordered, but only five were built, of which four actually flew. They were mostly used for experimental work until the last aircraft was scrapped in 1952. Don't you just hate real life. For my AU purposes, the Spearfish flies in 1944 and is rushed into service aboard my large carriers as they head for the Pacific in 1945.


General characteristics

• Crew: two
• Length: 44 ft 7 in (13.59 m)
• Wingspan: 60 ft 3 in (18.36 m)
• Height: 13 ft 6 in (4.11 m)
• Empty weight: 15,200 lb (6,895 kg)
• Gross weight: 21,642 lb (9,817 kg)
• Max takeoff weight: 22,083 lb (10,017 kg)
• Fuel capacity: 409 imperial gallons (1,860 l; 491 US gal)
• Powerplant: 1 × Bristol Centaurus 57 18-cylinder radial engine, 2,825 hp (2,107 kW)
• Propellers: 5-bladed Rotol VH 65, 14 ft (4.3 m) diameter

Performance

• Maximum speed: 292 mph (470 km/h; 254 kn)
• Cruise speed: 196 mph (315 km/h; 170 kn)
• Range: 1,036 mi (900 nmi; 1,667 km)
• Combat range: 349 mi (303 nmi; 562 km)
• Service ceiling: 25,000 ft (7,600 m)
• Time to altitude: 7.75 minutes to 10,000 feet (3,048 m)

Armament

• Guns: 4 × 20 mm (.79 in) Hispano Mk. V cannon (with 190 rpg), in the wings and two .50 in (12.7 mm) M2 Browning machine guns in a Frazer-Nash FN95 remote-controlled dorsal barbette
• Rockets: 16 × RP-3 rocket projectiles on underwing rails
• Bombs: carried in an internal weapons bay; either:
  • 1 × torpedo or
  • 2,000 lb (907 kg) of bombs or depth charges

Other bomber aircraft that just missed the war but owed its design to WW2, was the Fairey Gannet that provided sterling service as the Navies first true ASW aircraft are worth a small mention, and because I just happen to have an FD scale drawing handy. That it was capable of carrying a small nuclear device did not hurt either.




Miscellaneous Aircraft:

Lots of aircraft fall into this category as the Navy was like any other service and grabbed whatever it could to fill a particular need at the time. This goes as much for frontline aircraft like the Grumman Martlet and Fairey battle. Mana from heaven comes in many shapes and sizes. Most of the miscellaneous aircraft here will be about the seaplane / floatplanes / amphibians that were carried aboard the major warships of the Navy. The many different types of transport planes etc used by the Navy are outside the scope of what I want to do with this site. Aircraft like the Sunderland and Catalina were operated by Coastal Command a division of the RAF but were often based at Royal Navy bases or Area Defense Vessel's at overseas stations.


The Shark was obsolete by the start of WW2 but like a lot of Fleet Air Arm aircraft the Shark just had to soldier on till it could be replaced by either Swordfish floatplanes or Walrus amphibians.


The Swordfish, Walrus and Seafox were the standard shipborne aircraft on the cruisers and capital ships. Where they also proved more than useful was on the ADV's for coastal patrols.


The Walrus was probably the best of the non-carrier borne aircraft and was useful for local ASW patrols. Any escort ship to the convoys that could launch aircraft was a great help. At least until there were enough escort carriers to go around.


Mainly used aboard the early 1930's light cruisers, with one or two notable exceptions. The bottom right shows the Seafox placed aboard HMS Asturias. Asturias was sent to the Newport News shipyard in America to be refitted. An aircraft hangar and catapult were installed, which necessitated the removal of the mainmast and the after part of the superstructure, and new guns were fitted. Early in 1942, Asturias returned to service, being sent to Freetown to patrol in the South Atlantic. Asturias being an armed merchant cruiser, and was also used on the convoy routes between Southern Africa and Sierra Leone.


The Kingfisher started being sourced from the USN in 1942 as a patrol aircraft launched from cruisers. (See Enterprise)


The first jet to enter RN service was the Vampire, though the first jet trials were with the Gloster Meteor.






 

NOTE: the "General Characteristics" have been sourced from Wikipaedia, but often the stats have been altered to fall in with some idea of mine for the AU they may be in.


 

Back to Commonwealth Ships List