Comments by "John Lucas" (@johnlucas8479) on "Drachinifel" channel.

@LaraineBouguer The Franklin survived the attack and sailed all the way back to New York.
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Hi Drachinifel, regards US Dive Bombers operated by US Navy in 1939, they were using 3 different types across their carriers, the Bi Plane Curtiss SBC ( Last squadron VB 8 & VS 8 USS Hornet in1941) , also mono wings Northrop BT-1 used by VB 5 (USS Yorktown July 1938) and VB 6 ( USS Enterprise Nov 1938 )mono wing Vought SB2U-1 VB 3 (USS Saratoga Dec 1937) and Vought SB2U-2 VB 4 (USS Ranger Dec 1938). All will be replace eventually by Douglas SBD Dauntless. Only the USS Lexington did not have a mono plane Dive Bomber squadron in 1939 Source US Navy and Marine Carriers based Aircraft of WW2 by Bert Kinzey and Rock Roszak and Allied Wings No3 Northrop BT-1 by Phil Listemann
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Drachinifel I when to a food at sea exhibition and one of the talks was from a cook on a submarine from 80's. He explained that he needed to plan his menu for the full 60 days so that the item needed for the 60th day menu was stored first, 59th day second etc.
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The US only lost 4 prewar Carriers ( Lexington and Hornet by a combination of bombs and torpedoes, Yorktown bombs , torpedoes and final by Submarine attack, Wasp by submarine Attack) and 1 wartime built CVL Princeton bombs. No Essex class carriers were lost. The British lost 5 prewar Carriers (Ark Royal, Courageous, Eagle by submarine attacks, Glorious by shell fire, Hermes by bombs (Japanese)). The biggest killer of Carriers was torpedoes. US were not Morons, they had plans for armoured flight decks versions of both Yorktown and Essex classes and as all design have tradeoff their final design they went with was based on the design that best meet their needs within the overall design limitations at the time. The last planned British Carrier the Malta was design without an armoured flight deck.
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The biggest threat was torpedo's 5 British Carriers sunk (excluding Escort Carriers): Courageous (U-Boat), Glorious (Shell Fire) Ark Royal (U-boat) Eagle (U-Boat) Hermes (Dive Bombers) 5 US Carriers: Lexington (combination Torpedo and Dive Bombers) Yorktown (Torpedo and Dive Bomber and final sunk by Submarine) Wasp (Submarine) Hornet (Torpedo and Dive Bombers plus shell fire and finally Destroyer's torpedo), Princton (Bomb) Of the 10 only 2 were sunk by bombs alone, 4 by submarines, 1 by shell fire and 3 by combination of torpedoes and bombs. Japanese lost 17 Carriers (Fleet and Light) 5 by Submarines, 4 at Midway (2 by bombs and 2 by bombs and Japanese destroyers) 8 by airstrike (Torpedo and Bombers)
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The issue with the RAN during 1920's and 1930's would be the Treaty limits as RAN ships were included in the RN Limits. For RAN to have 3 County Class would means 1 less County for the RN. I wonder if extra funds were available that its be invested in infrastructure to support RN Pacific Fleet as a backup to Singapore.
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Michael I seen footage of the Franklin sailing into Ne York under its own power
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@McRocket USS Franklin was fully repaired was stricken in 1st Oct 1964, USS Bunker Hill Stricken 1st Nov 1966 USS Ticonderoga stricken Nov 1973. Yes the Midway did have an armoured flight deck As you say the Malta change from Armoured to unarmoured because of the need to launch a huge first strike, the same reason the US went with an unarmoured Yorktown and Essex class.
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@McRocket The Franklin was decommissioned in 47, by 1947 13 other Essex class carriers, Enterprise, Ranger and Saratoga were all decommissioned. In the same period the US Navy Commissioned 3 Midway class and 7 Essex Class. At The end of the war US had 19 Fleet carriers in commission and by end of 1947 12 Fleet Carriers in commission. All but 2 of the decommission Essex class were recommission between 1950 to 1955. By 1947 all 6 British Armoured carriers were either in reserve or training carriers. Only the Victorious would be modernised and have a front-line role. The RN in that period commission 4 Colossus class light carriers for a total of 8. 1 was handed over to RCN, 1 place on the disposal list leaving 6 being operated by RN. Clearly both navies were downsizing their respective fleets.
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@McRocket I do not agree with your statement “But the point was that by that stage of the war - mid '44? There was almost no enemy left to worry about armoring the deck for.” At the battle of Philippines Sea 19th -20th June 1944 the Japanese deployed 5 Fleet and 4 Light Carriers carrying 437 aircraft (The standard of the aircrew was below their counterparts of 42 and 43). Clearly was threat that could not be discounted. The Kamikaze attacks only started in Oct 1944, clearly unamoured Malta if they were operation off Japan in 1945 would have been just as vulnerable to the Kamikazes as the Essex Class. The Midways would have been just as survivable as the British carriers.
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