by Werner » Thu Aug 17, 2006 2:54 pm
There is a perverse logic about the hanger issue which was developed in all those Newport wargames.
Cruisers would likely serve on detached missions or scout into unfavorable weather. The float planes are an essential part of the scouting mission. The hangers therefore have important warfighting value
The battleships use float planes for spotting at extreme ranges. Since many battleships always operate together (in theory), the essential nature of each floatplane is lost. Other battleships or the screen cruisers and their floatplanes (the Omahas), the destroyers or the attached carrier's planes could also serve this role. Note that the Omaha as a screen cruiser does not have hangers either.
The US 8-inch heavy cruiser evolved as the distant scout for the battle force. As such, it's other mission was to protect the carrier, the other part of the scouting force against the Japanese cruisers.
In the older battleships, airplanes were added long after the design. To carve out hangers would destroy "officer's country" aft. On modern battleships, there is insufficient depth there because of the tunnel stern. A large open space aft would disrupt watertight protection and weaken the ships structure.
Only the high, square sterned cruisers of the late '30s and '40s have hangers aft. This led to some surprises, particularly in the way these ships responded to strong winds. Designs in process when the war started would have moved hangers and aircraft back amidships.
There is a perverse logic about the hanger issue which was developed in all those Newport wargames.
Cruisers would likely serve on detached missions or scout into unfavorable weather. The float planes are an essential part of the scouting mission. The hangers therefore have important warfighting value
The battleships use float planes for spotting at extreme ranges. Since many battleships always operate together (in theory), the essential nature of each floatplane is lost. Other battleships or the screen cruisers and their floatplanes (the [i]Omaha[/i]s), the destroyers or the attached carrier's planes could also serve this role. Note that the [i]Omaha[/i] as a [u]screen[/u] cruiser does not have hangers either.
The US 8-inch heavy cruiser evolved as the distant scout for the battle force. As such, it's other mission was to protect the carrier, the other part of the scouting force against the Japanese cruisers.
In the older battleships, airplanes were added long after the design. To carve out hangers would destroy "officer's country" aft. On modern battleships, there is insufficient depth there because of the tunnel stern. A large open space aft would disrupt watertight protection and weaken the ships structure.
Only the high, square sterned cruisers of the late '30s and '40s have hangers aft. This led to some surprises, particularly in the way these ships responded to strong winds. Designs in process when the war started would have moved hangers and aircraft back amidships.