CSS Phillipines (CVB-1945)

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Unfortunately for me, my Veracruz class ships have been armed with quad 15", I will have to rethink this design or just fit a quad turret in place of the two triple 12" and delete the photos of the model.

The war was nearly won and the larger ships that were not considered to be able to be completed in time were put at a much lower building status. The news that the Japanese were building or converting battleships to battle-carriers gave a reprieve to 2 of these uncompleted ships. (See also Kentucky) Both ships were converted to diferent designs to try out both methods, angled decks to both sides of a central bridge structure (Kentucky) and a then larger possible area of deck by having it angled to one side with the bridge structure offset as per a standard aircraft carrier. The Kentucky had 2 hangar levels while the Phillipines had one. Both types could accomodate 30-40 aircraft depending on type. What they had done was to mate the Escort Carrier with a battleship, battlecruiser. Completion and trials with the ships showed that with the larger jet aircraft arriving in service these ships would be impractical to operate them. During Korea both ships were operating Bearcat fighters in a nightfighter role. What saved these ships was the helicopter, then later the "Harrier - AV-7".

These ships were a much advanced version of what the British had created as the Area Defence Vessel, but with a movement and aircraft carrying capability that the British ships had lacked.

Where its pure sisterships Veracruz and Belize were sidelined early and scrapped after thoughts of conversion to anything usefull proved too expensive. This ship was lucky that its conversion was covered under the Emergency War Budgets and not under post-war budgets as completion would never have happened.

The original AA armament was much changed over the years with none of the original 5" or 40mm surviving into the 1960's. Only the triple 12" remained a constant and useful source of shore bombardment facility. The 12" guns in service proved to be an excellent weapon with good range and accuracy that was only enhanced by the updated radar fire control equipment fitted to the ship.

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