Ten years had passed since the designing and laying down of the
Furneaux class, and three years since the last one entered
service. Much had been learned about the operation of large
numbers of aircraft. The length of time it took to get them in
the air and how much fuel they might have left at that point to
go on operations with. These lessons also went into the design
of the aircraft to operate from the big carriers. Fighters with
enough range to escort the bombers to the target. Long range
scouts that could also be used as dive bombers. Find the enemy.
Then the bombers can sink the enemy. The main weapon against
shipping is the torpedo. Even the torpedo is getting better with
time and the improvements made to them. Ongoing evolutions of
all the parts that go to make up the Attack Carrier Force.
The Lennon Class were even bigger than the Furneaux class. The
first two were completed in 1939, then another three in 1940,
and the last three in 1941. These eight ships arrived just at a
point in time where the Allied forces were hard pressed and were
not keeping up with replacing the early losses caused by
unfortunate events.
One of the largest increases in size was the bridge structure.
This was done to be able to house eight squadron ready rooms,
air commander offices and control rooms, more and more radar
rooms. With eight and a half squadrons aboard, just controlling
those squadrons in the air was a major achievement in itself.
The aircraft aboard the Lennon in 1940 was three squadrons of
Albatross torpedo bombers, two squadrons of Vengeance dive
bombers, two squadrons of Scorpion fighters, one squadron of
Hornet fighters (first operational squadron) and last but not
least six Whirlwind II long range fighter/scouts. The Whirlwind
was being license built from the Commonwealth Aircraft
Corporation out of Australis.
Displacement | 31,500 tons standard, 37,000 tons full load |
Length | 862 ft |
Breadth | 106 ft hull (120 ft over sponsons) |
Draught | 31 ft |
Machinery | 4 shaft, steam turbines, 150,000shp |
Speed | 31 knots |
Range | 12000 miles at 14 knots |
Armour | 3" side, 3" deck |
Armament | As completed 20 x 4" (10x2) 56 x 40mm (12x2, 8x4) |
Aircraft | 102 |
Complement | 2650/2700 |
Notes | Major Lennon - Captain Harrison - Drum Major Starr - Major General McCartney - Captain Nelson Colonel Palmer Brigadier Garfunkel Lifeguard Wilson |
I am showing my age a bit in my choice of ship names here. The
Fab Four come first, The Beatles.
Next is Rick Nelson who was huge in the US in the early 1960's.
Robert Palmer who unfortunately passed away too young, great
musician.
Art Garfunkel, half of the duo with Paul Simon, Bridge over
troubled water is one of his best vocals.
Brian Wilson, one of the Legendary Beach Boys, so many hits, I
think they are up to Greatest Hits 4.
Music is something the world can share.