CUS Redwood (CVE-1941+)
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The Redwood type Escort Aircraft Carriers were the CUA Navies answer to the Uk's Albatross/Castle class aircraft carriers. The ships were designed specifically to escort convoys of merchantmen where high speed was not a requirement. The basic hull type was a C4 type merchantman of 500 ft pp, this allowed for a 490 foot flight deck which while the ships could not handle all of the types of aircraft in the CUA Navy inventory as escorts they only needed a few fighters and bombers to fulfill their role. Secondary roles as an aviation transport, troop transport and even a mechanized transport (tanks and trucks) were found for them.
The ships were twin screwed for ease of steering and maintaining speed. The class was built very fast and did not allow fore fine finishing. These were rough and ready to go. The type was offered to the UK/Commonwealth who kept to the Albatross type. The type was susceptible to battle damage, and those that were lost were to fires caused by the aviation spirit handling and piping facilities.
| Displacement | 9,400 tons std 12,200 tons full load |
| Length | 513 ft |
| Breadth | 65 ft hull |
| Draught | 23 ft |
| Machinery | 2 shaft 11,000 IHP; Skinner, Uniflow engines |
| Speed | 20 knots |
| Range | 10,000 miles at 12 knots |
| Armour | nil |
| Armament | 1 x 4" (1x1) 16 x 40mm (8x2) 20 x 20mm (20x1) |
| Aircraft | 28 |
| Torpedoes | nil |
| Complement | 850 |
| Notes | CUS Redwood CUS Spruce CUS Pine CUS Willow |
