German aircraft carrier I (1942)
Encyclopedia
The German aircraft carrier I was a planned conversion of the transport ship Europa during World War II
. The loss of the battleship Bismarck
and near torpedoing of her sistership Tirpitz
in May 1941 and March 1942, respectively, spurred the Kriegsmarine
to acquire aircraft carriers. Europa was one of several vessels selected for conversion into auxiliary aircraft carriers. As designed, the ship would have had an air complement of 24 Bf 109T fighters and 18 Ju 87C Stuka dive-bombers.
Conversion planning began in May 1942, and had the conversion been finished, she would have been the largest German aircraft carrier, longer even than the purpose-built s. The work was canceled in November 1942, however, after design problems, including serious instability and structural weaknesses, proved to be irreconcilable. No work was done on the ship, which was eventually seized by the US Army and used as a troop transport following the end of the war.
shipping company. Starting in 1939, the ship was used as a floating barracks; the ship was requisitioned by the Kriegsmarine
for use in the planned Operation Sea Lion, but the operation was abandoned when the Luftwaffe
failed to achieve air superiority in the Battle of Britain
. Following the loss of the battleship Bismarck
in May 1941 and the near torpedoing of her sistership Tirpitz
in March 1942, the Kriegsmarine was convinced of the need to acquire aircraft carriers. Several vessels were selected for conversion, including the incomplete heavy cruiser Seydlitz
and several passenger liners. Planning for the conversion of Europa into an auxiliary aircraft carrier was started in May 1942.
The ship would have been faster and larger than any of the other ships Germany intended to convert into auxiliary carriers. However, a number of design problems emerged as the drawing up of the conversion plan progressed. Her speed and capacity advantages were offset by several serious practical problems. These included structural weakness, caused by the need to recess the hangar deck into the primary structural deck; instability, normally resolved by adding bulges; and high fuel consumption. Another significant obstacle was the unwillingness of Hermann Göring
, the commander in chief of the Luftwaffe, to provide the Kriegsmarine with sufficient aircraft and pilots. By the time the design was completed in November 1942, these problems had proved impossible to rectify, and so the project was abandoned. As a result, no construction work began. After the end of the war, Europa was seized by the US Army and commissioned as a troop transport under the name AP 177 before being transferred to France, where she resumed her commercial duties.
was divided into 16 watertight compartments and was equipped with a double bottom. The percentage of the length of the hull the double bottom
extended is unknown. The ship's flight deck was 276 m (905.5 ft) long and 30 m (98.4 ft) wide. There was a single hangar that was 216 m (708.7 ft) long, 25 m (82 ft) wide forward, and 30 m (98.4 ft) wide aft. No armor was to have been added to the ship during the conversion process.
The ship was propelled by four sets of Blohm & Voss geared turbines that drove four shafts, each with a four-bladed screw that was 5 m (16.4 ft) in diameter. The turbines were powered by 24 double-ended narrow water tube boilers that produced up to 21 atmospheres of pressure. The engines were rated for 100000 shp, and provided a top speed of 26.5 knots (14.4 m/s). At the maximum speed, the ship could steam for 5000 nautical miles (9,260 km); at a cruising speed of 19 kn (10.3 m/s), the cruising range doubled, to 10000 nmi (18,520 km). The ship was designed to store up to 6500 MT (6,397.3 LT) of fuel oil, but total fuel bunkerage was 8500 MT (8,365.7 LT). I had only one rudder. The electrical power plant comprised four diesel generators that provided 520 kilowatts and two emergency generators that provided 100 kW each. The total power output was 2,280 kW at 230 volts.
anti-aircraft guns in six twin mounts, three forward and three aft of the island and funnel. These guns had a total of 4,800 rounds, or 400 rounds per gun. The 10.5 cm guns fired two types of projectiles: a 58.4 kg (128.7 lb) high explosive shell and a 51.8 kg (114.2 lb) incendiary round. Both types of ammunition used a single propellant charge: the 11.46 kg (25.3 lb) RPC/32 charge. The guns could elevate to 80 degrees, and could hit targets flying at 12500 m (13,670.2 yd). When the guns were used to engage surface targets, they could hit targets 17700 m (19,357 yd) away, at an elevation of 45 degrees.
There were also to have been twenty 37 millimetres (1.5 in) anti-aircraft guns
, also in double mounts. These guns were placed along both sides of the flight deck, and had a total of 40,000 shells. The 3.7 cm guns fired 0.742 kg (1.6 lb) high-explosive shells at a rate of fire
of about 30 rounds per minute, and a muzzle velocity
of 1,000 m/s (3,281 ft/s). The guns could elevate to 85 degrees and hit targets flying at 6800 m (7,436.6 yd), although the tracer
s were limited to 4800 m (5,249.3 yd).
The anti-aircraft battery was rounded out by twenty-eight to thirty-six 20 mm (0.78740157480315 in) guns in the usual Flakvierling quadruple mounts, supplied by a store of up to 72,000 rounds. These guns fired at a rate of 480 shells per minute cyclic, but were limited in practice to around 200 rounds per minute. The shells were fired at a muzzle velocity of between 800–835 m/s (2,625–2,740 ft/s), depending on the type of shell fired. The effective ceiling of the guns was 3700 m (4,046.4 yd) at 85 degrees elevation.
The ship was designed to carry 18 Ju 87
"Stuka" dive-bombers and 24 Bf 109
. The Ju 87s were to have been the "E" variant, which was a navalized version of the Ju 87D, and were modified for catapult
launches and were equipped with arresting gear
. The Bf 109 fighters were a navalized version of the "E" model, designated as Bf 109T. Their wings were longer than the land-based model to allow for shorter take-off.
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. The loss of the battleship Bismarck
German battleship Bismarck
Bismarck was the first of two s built for the German Kriegsmarine during World War II. Named after Chancellor Otto von Bismarck, the primary force behind the German unification in 1871, the ship was laid down at the Blohm & Voss shipyard in Hamburg in July 1936 and launched nearly three years later...
and near torpedoing of her sistership Tirpitz
German battleship Tirpitz
Tirpitz was the second of two s built for the German Kriegsmarine during World War II. Named after Grand Admiral Alfred von Tirpitz, the architect of the Imperial Navy, the ship was laid down at the Kriegsmarinewerft in Wilhelmshaven in November 1936 and launched two and a half years later in April...
in May 1941 and March 1942, respectively, spurred the Kriegsmarine
Kriegsmarine
The Kriegsmarine was the name of the German Navy during the Nazi regime . It superseded the Kaiserliche Marine of World War I and the post-war Reichsmarine. The Kriegsmarine was one of three official branches of the Wehrmacht, the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany.The Kriegsmarine grew rapidly...
to acquire aircraft carriers. Europa was one of several vessels selected for conversion into auxiliary aircraft carriers. As designed, the ship would have had an air complement of 24 Bf 109T fighters and 18 Ju 87C Stuka dive-bombers.
Conversion planning began in May 1942, and had the conversion been finished, she would have been the largest German aircraft carrier, longer even than the purpose-built s. The work was canceled in November 1942, however, after design problems, including serious instability and structural weaknesses, proved to be irreconcilable. No work was done on the ship, which was eventually seized by the US Army and used as a troop transport following the end of the war.
Design
The carrier I was a conversion proposal for the transport ship Europa. The ship was launched on 16 August 1928 and entered service on 19 March 1930 for the German Norddeutscher LloydNorddeutscher Lloyd
Norddeutsche Lloyd was a German shipping company. It was founded by Hermann Henrich Meier and Eduard Crüsemann in Bremen on February 20, 1857. It developed into one of the most important German shipping companies of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and was instrumental in the economic...
shipping company. Starting in 1939, the ship was used as a floating barracks; the ship was requisitioned by the Kriegsmarine
Kriegsmarine
The Kriegsmarine was the name of the German Navy during the Nazi regime . It superseded the Kaiserliche Marine of World War I and the post-war Reichsmarine. The Kriegsmarine was one of three official branches of the Wehrmacht, the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany.The Kriegsmarine grew rapidly...
for use in the planned Operation Sea Lion, but the operation was abandoned when the Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1935 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956....
failed to achieve air superiority in the Battle of Britain
Battle of Britain
The Battle of Britain is the name given to the World War II air campaign waged by the German Air Force against the United Kingdom during the summer and autumn of 1940...
. Following the loss of the battleship Bismarck
German battleship Bismarck
Bismarck was the first of two s built for the German Kriegsmarine during World War II. Named after Chancellor Otto von Bismarck, the primary force behind the German unification in 1871, the ship was laid down at the Blohm & Voss shipyard in Hamburg in July 1936 and launched nearly three years later...
in May 1941 and the near torpedoing of her sistership Tirpitz
German battleship Tirpitz
Tirpitz was the second of two s built for the German Kriegsmarine during World War II. Named after Grand Admiral Alfred von Tirpitz, the architect of the Imperial Navy, the ship was laid down at the Kriegsmarinewerft in Wilhelmshaven in November 1936 and launched two and a half years later in April...
in March 1942, the Kriegsmarine was convinced of the need to acquire aircraft carriers. Several vessels were selected for conversion, including the incomplete heavy cruiser Seydlitz
German cruiser Seydlitz
Seydlitz was a heavy cruiser of the German Kriegsmarine, fourth in the , but was never completed. The ship was laid down in December 1936 and launched in January 1939, but the outbreak of World War II interrupted her completion at approximately 95 percent...
and several passenger liners. Planning for the conversion of Europa into an auxiliary aircraft carrier was started in May 1942.
The ship would have been faster and larger than any of the other ships Germany intended to convert into auxiliary carriers. However, a number of design problems emerged as the drawing up of the conversion plan progressed. Her speed and capacity advantages were offset by several serious practical problems. These included structural weakness, caused by the need to recess the hangar deck into the primary structural deck; instability, normally resolved by adding bulges; and high fuel consumption. Another significant obstacle was the unwillingness of Hermann Göring
Hermann Göring
Hermann Wilhelm Göring, was a German politician, military leader, and a leading member of the Nazi Party. He was a veteran of World War I as an ace fighter pilot, and a recipient of the coveted Pour le Mérite, also known as "The Blue Max"...
, the commander in chief of the Luftwaffe, to provide the Kriegsmarine with sufficient aircraft and pilots. By the time the design was completed in November 1942, these problems had proved impossible to rectify, and so the project was abandoned. As a result, no construction work began. After the end of the war, Europa was seized by the US Army and commissioned as a troop transport under the name AP 177 before being transferred to France, where she resumed her commercial duties.
General characteristics and machinery
I was 280 metres (918.6 ft) long at the waterline, and 291.5 m (956.4 ft) long overall, which was approximately 30 m (98.4 ft) longer than the s. The ship initially had a beam of 31 m (101.7 ft), but bulges added during the design process to help stability increased the beam to 37 m (121.4 ft). The ship had a draft of 8.5 m (27.9 ft) as designed, but the conversion would have increased it to 10.3 m (33.8 ft). I displaced 44000 metric tons (43,305 LT) at the designed weight, and up to 56500 MT (55,607.5 LT) at maximum displacement. The ship's hullHull (watercraft)
A hull is the watertight body of a ship or boat. Above the hull is the superstructure and/or deckhouse, where present. The line where the hull meets the water surface is called the waterline.The structure of the hull varies depending on the vessel type...
was divided into 16 watertight compartments and was equipped with a double bottom. The percentage of the length of the hull the double bottom
Double bottom
A double bottom is a ship hull design and construction method where the bottom of the ship has two complete layers of watertight hull surface: one outer layer forming the normal hull of the ship, and a second inner hull which is somewhat higher in the ship, perhaps a few feet, which forms a...
extended is unknown. The ship's flight deck was 276 m (905.5 ft) long and 30 m (98.4 ft) wide. There was a single hangar that was 216 m (708.7 ft) long, 25 m (82 ft) wide forward, and 30 m (98.4 ft) wide aft. No armor was to have been added to the ship during the conversion process.
The ship was propelled by four sets of Blohm & Voss geared turbines that drove four shafts, each with a four-bladed screw that was 5 m (16.4 ft) in diameter. The turbines were powered by 24 double-ended narrow water tube boilers that produced up to 21 atmospheres of pressure. The engines were rated for 100000 shp, and provided a top speed of 26.5 knots (14.4 m/s). At the maximum speed, the ship could steam for 5000 nautical miles (9,260 km); at a cruising speed of 19 kn (10.3 m/s), the cruising range doubled, to 10000 nmi (18,520 km). The ship was designed to store up to 6500 MT (6,397.3 LT) of fuel oil, but total fuel bunkerage was 8500 MT (8,365.7 LT). I had only one rudder. The electrical power plant comprised four diesel generators that provided 520 kilowatts and two emergency generators that provided 100 kW each. The total power output was 2,280 kW at 230 volts.
Armament
The ship was to have been armed with twelve 10.5 centimetres (4.1 in) L/6510.5 cm FlaK 38
The 10.5 cm SK C/33 was a German anti-aircraft gun used during World War II by the Kriegsmarine on a number of their larger capital ships. It was later adapted for Luftwaffe as a competitor to the famed 8.8 cm FlaK 18 as the 10.5 cm FlaK 38...
anti-aircraft guns in six twin mounts, three forward and three aft of the island and funnel. These guns had a total of 4,800 rounds, or 400 rounds per gun. The 10.5 cm guns fired two types of projectiles: a 58.4 kg (128.7 lb) high explosive shell and a 51.8 kg (114.2 lb) incendiary round. Both types of ammunition used a single propellant charge: the 11.46 kg (25.3 lb) RPC/32 charge. The guns could elevate to 80 degrees, and could hit targets flying at 12500 m (13,670.2 yd). When the guns were used to engage surface targets, they could hit targets 17700 m (19,357 yd) away, at an elevation of 45 degrees.
There were also to have been twenty 37 millimetres (1.5 in) anti-aircraft guns
3.7 cm FlaK 43
The 3.7 cm Flak 18/36/37/43 were series of anti-aircraft cannon produced by Nazi Germany, which saw widespread service in the Second World War. The cannon was fully automatic and effective against aircraft flying at altitudes up to 4200 meters. The cannon was produced in both towed and...
, also in double mounts. These guns were placed along both sides of the flight deck, and had a total of 40,000 shells. The 3.7 cm guns fired 0.742 kg (1.6 lb) high-explosive shells at a rate of fire
Rate of fire
Rate of fire is the frequency at which a specific weapon can fire or launch its projectiles. It is usually measured in rounds per minute , or per second .-Overview:...
of about 30 rounds per minute, and a muzzle velocity
Muzzle velocity
Muzzle velocity is the speed a projectile has at the moment it leaves the muzzle of the gun. Muzzle velocities range from approximately to in black powder muskets , to more than in modern rifles with high-performance cartridges such as the .220 Swift and .204 Ruger, all the way to for tank guns...
of 1,000 m/s (3,281 ft/s). The guns could elevate to 85 degrees and hit targets flying at 6800 m (7,436.6 yd), although the tracer
Tracer ammunition
Tracer ammunition are bullets that are built with a small pyrotechnic charge in their base. Ignited by the burning powder, the phosphorus tail burns very brightly, making the projectile visible to the naked eye...
s were limited to 4800 m (5,249.3 yd).
The anti-aircraft battery was rounded out by twenty-eight to thirty-six 20 mm (0.78740157480315 in) guns in the usual Flakvierling quadruple mounts, supplied by a store of up to 72,000 rounds. These guns fired at a rate of 480 shells per minute cyclic, but were limited in practice to around 200 rounds per minute. The shells were fired at a muzzle velocity of between 800–835 m/s (2,625–2,740 ft/s), depending on the type of shell fired. The effective ceiling of the guns was 3700 m (4,046.4 yd) at 85 degrees elevation.
The ship was designed to carry 18 Ju 87
Junkers Ju 87
The Junkers Ju 87 or Stuka was a two-man German ground-attack aircraft...
"Stuka" dive-bombers and 24 Bf 109
Messerschmitt Bf 109
The Messerschmitt Bf 109, often called Me 109, was a German World War II fighter aircraft designed by Willy Messerschmitt and Robert Lusser during the early to mid 1930s...
. The Ju 87s were to have been the "E" variant, which was a navalized version of the Ju 87D, and were modified for catapult
Aircraft catapult
An aircraft catapult is a device used to launch aircraft from ships—in particular aircraft carriers—as a form of assisted take off. It consists of a track built into the flight deck, below which is a large piston or shuttle that is attached through the track to the nose gear of the aircraft, or in...
launches and were equipped with arresting gear
Arresting gear
Arresting gear, or arrestor gear, is the name used for mechanical systems designed to rapidly decelerate an aircraft as it lands. Arresting gear on aircraft carriers is an essential component of naval aviation, and it is most commonly used on CATOBAR and STOBAR aircraft carriers. Similar systems...
. The Bf 109 fighters were a navalized version of the "E" model, designated as Bf 109T. Their wings were longer than the land-based model to allow for shorter take-off.