RZS Eriador (CV-1924)

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The Eriador had had its construction postponed since 1917. Almost as soon as World War One had ended the order was given for the Eriador to be scrapped. 14" battlecruisers were going to be of little use against the latest ships being laid down and completed in Japan, America and the Royal Navy. No sooner than the order was given than it was rescinded as news of the RN's plans to convert its uncompleted battlecruiser hulls to the new type of ship used for the operation at sea of wheeled aircraft (as opposed to floatplanes), the Aircraft Carrier.

The Zealandian Navy was made privy to the plans not on for the RN's BC conversions but also the work having been done so far on the Eagle, Argus and the new build from the keel up, soon to be launched as the Hermes. The Zealandian Navy designers pored over these plans, taking what they considered the best bits from each to do the conversion of the Eriador. The RN idea of the extra run off deck for launching more aircraft direct from the hangar was looked at and dismissed as it would require reducing the size of the hangar parking area considerably. The enclosed bow of the Hermes was deemed a good idea and was to be copied to Eriador. But where the Hermes had quite low freeboard and would have spray/wave interference with launching and recovering aircraft, the Eriador's high freeboard hull would eradicate a lot of this problem.

It was a considerable asset to have the Australian Navy just a few hundred miles away. Both Commonwealth countries wargamed each others navy, both learning how to operate their aircraft carriers and the aircraft types being carried aboard. The list of major work to be carried out on the ship, grew, and grew. Only having the one carrier limited the amount of time the Eriador could stay in port. It was not until the completion of the first of the Arnor class aircraft carriers that the Eriador could finally be brought in for an eighteen month rebuild.

The main problem for the Eriador had always been topweight. To help cure this problem and to add some measure of anti-torpedo defence, a set of bulges were fitted. The very large spotting top structure was removed and replaced with a modern tripod with Radar, homing aid, and various other navigational aids was fitted in its place. Probably the biggest job after the bulges was to enlarge the elevators/lifts to take the newly aquired Fairey Sea Battle bombers. The old fashioned ten single 6" broadside guns were removed, it would be up to the Eriadors escort to provide the heavy gun armaments. The 6" were replaced with twin 4" AA mountings in eight of the sponsons while sponsons 9 & 10 were fitted with quad 2pd mountings. Dual purpose HA/LA directors were fitted to control the 4". Radar predictors for the 2pd mountings would be fitted in 1941. Space would be found to fit 24 x 20mm guns in singles and twins were fitted 1940-42.

Aircraft of the Zealandian Navy 1938-1941. After Pearl Harbour, the Zealandians were able to start sourcing American made aircraft which helped with Eriador's service in the Pacific.

 

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