Modelling > Scenarios
Post War West German Aircraft Carrier
GTX_Admin:
Folks,
Here's a question for you: If I wanted to give West Germany an aircraft carrier capability in the mid '60s onwards, which way do you reckon we should go? Please note that I am thinking that this would be a light-medium carrier, perhaps even a STOVL type or even a LHA/LHD. I would imagine the key roles would be:
* Provide a movable airfield that is thus less prone to Soviet/WarPac first strike knockout
* Provide a basis for/support to amphibious landings in Baltic Sea...and elsewhere if need be
* Post Cold war, provide a useful expeditionary force capability
TurboCoupeTurbo:
Maybe the Graf Zeppelin was completed late in the war, but never sortied due to Allied domination of the Baltic. Then surrenders to the US/UK as the Soviets closed in on Berlin.
Then the ship is upgraded and used by US/UK for a few years before being returned to West Germany as a light carrier flying early jets? She maybe too small for a angled deck mod though, but she could get a steel deck and operate Harriers and ASW helos? Maybe similar to the Spanish Dedalo in only the aft part of the flight deck is steel for landings?
Or the Germans could copy Spain or France and receive an Independence post war.
GTX_Admin:
I was trying to avoid the Graf Zeppelin altogether. My idea is that the Bundesmarine decides to get at least one (maybe two at most) smallish carrier for the above mentioned roles. This could be a donated US/UK design or it could be something new. It could either be a dedicated carrier/amphibious ship or maybe something small and akin to the latter Spruance class or Sea Control Ship:
Maybe something such as a Iwo Jima-class would be workable too:
I would say that something in a similar class to the Invincible class but about 15 - 20yrs earlier.
Alvis 3.1:
I would nominate the Majestic Class carrier as a fitting ship. They served (as did the sister classes) as useful carriers for Holland, Brazil, Argentina, Australia, Canada, India and the UK for decades.
Alvis 3.1
GTX_Admin:
--- Quote from: Alvis 3.1 on December 20, 2015, 05:56:29 AM ---I would nominate the Majestic Class carrier as a fitting ship. They served (as did the sister classes) as useful carriers for Holland, Brazil, Argentina, Australia, Canada, India and the UK for decades.
--- End quote ---
That is a possibility. Maybe HMS/HMCS Magnificent which was returned to the UK in '57 and scrapped in '65. Instead of scrapping, maybe she is sold to West Germany and refitted.
Alternatively, though in keeping in with a similar thought pattern, maybe the larger HMS Centaur which was decommissioned in '65 and scrapped in '73 is sold to West Germany. Maybe it gets a refit similar to what HMS Hermes later underwent:
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