Comments by "Steve Valley" (@stevevalley7835) on "HMS Argus - Guide 318" video.

  1. Argus was one of the carriers classified "experimental" by the Washington Treaty. That meant she could be replaced at the Admiralty's convenience, rather than waiting until she was 20 years old. I have read that the Admiralty had a plan to replace Argus, Hermes, and Eagle with new carriers in the early 30s, as they were all classified "experimental". Going by the standard displacements listed in Wiki, the carriers in service in the late 20s displaced a total of 118,830 tons, of the UK's 135,000 ton quota. Not enough displacement remained of the quota to build Ark Royal. Even though laid up, Argus was still classified as a carrier. She was taken in hand in 36 for conversion to a mother ship for target drones, which included removing her armament. As an unarmed non-combatant upon recommissioning in August 38, her tonnage became available for Ark Royal, which commissioned in December, 38. This was the same scheme the USN adopted for Langley, converting her to a seaplane tender, to free the tonnage for Wasp. Unfortunately, budget constraints in the 30s prevented the Admiralty completing their plan, replacing Hermes and Eagle with additional Ark Royal class carriers.
    44
  2.  @gregorywright4918  the USN had no choice with Wasp. They only had 15,000 tons available under the treaty, because Langley was the only one old enough to be classified as "experimental". All the treaty carriers were compromised. I have read comments that Ark Royal was lost due to inadequate compartmentalization, to save weight. The Yorktowns were compromised by not having staggered boiler and engine rooms. If Yorktown and Hornet had had staggered boiler and engine rooms, like the Essex did, they might have been able to limp away, rather than sitting, dead in the water, until the Japanese arrived to finish them off. Of course, that brings the alt history question, if Yorktown and Enterprise were built to the treaty limit at that time, 27,000, about the same as Essex, they could have had staggered boiler and engine rooms. Then we don't get Wasp, which made itself useful in the Atlantic, but was too vulnerable to survive in the Pacific. But, with a 27,000 ton design in hand, the USN may have laid down two carriers as soon as Congress authorized them in 38, so they would both be completed in 41, rather than Hornet being ready, but Essex delayed, due to the need to design from a clean sheet.
    6
  3.  @connormccue2353  Looking at a web site that gives Argus' movement on a month by month basis, seems her trips to supply Malta were nearly continuous in 40-42, about 9 trips. Sometimes, she would transfer the planes to a faster carrier in Gibraltar. Sometimes, she would carry the planes to their launch point for Malta herself. She also made aircraft deliveries to West Africa and Russia. Larger aircraft could fly directly to Malta. For a while, twin engine Bristol Beaufort torpedo bombers would routinely take off from Alexandria, attack a Libya bound Italian convoy, then land to refuel and rearm at Malta, then attack another Italian convoy on their way back to Alexandria. Hurricanes and Spits were short range, so seems all of them were given a lift partway to Malta by carriers. USS Wasp made a couple of those delivery trips too.
    3
  4.  @chrissouthgate4554  yes, I have read that 100-110lb limit for one man to handle. Reality seems to have been, yes, a man could lift a shell that size, once, maybe twice, but fatigue will become an issue very quickly. The British 4.5 had fixed ammo, with the complete round weighing 87lbs, and they had crew fatigue issues. Enter the 5.25": semi-fixed ammo, but the shell alone weighed 80lbs, so they did not improve the human factors. The USN 5/38 had semi-fixed ammo, and the shell only weighed 55lbs.
    2