KM Goering (CVL-1943)

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German spies (or Naval Attaches) to the various major powers, up till the outbreak of war, kept their eyes firmly on the building projects of those countries naval yards. The advent of the smaller 'escort' and 'light' carriers as shown by the British/Australis Hermes and Albatross classes was firmly in mind of the German designers. The Kriegsmarine however could find no use for the smaller carriers and their first 8 or so ships were all of the large fleet sized vessels.

The only reason I can think of for building smaller light fleet carriers is for Germany to want more fighters for combat air patrols round the fleet units to leave the fleet carriers for strike duties. These ships filled with Fw-190's and their variants would have been useful for those duties. On the other hand if Germany had been able to take the British Isles and Ireland they would have needed light fleet and escort carriers. Many things needed to change for the Germans to have much of a chance of winning, the biggest being the acquisition of Spain, by treaty or direct action. Spain was the key to German success. Cut off the Mediterranean to the British through Gibraltar and North Africa would fall to the Germans. The British would not have been able to sustain the Egyptian fronts through the Red Sea. Like dominos the rest would have followed, Middle East and Turkey, accross and through India to meet the Japanese on the borders of India and Burma. With Russia surrounded there would be no last minute defence of Moscow. The Germans could take the Caucasus and Caspian areas from Turkey. Spain is definitely the key.

The Goering class were converted from the hulls of light cruisers with a single hangar with the flight deck mounted on top. Armament was carried in sponsons mounted to the side of the hangar. Two lifts were fitted, one at either end of the hangar and one catapult was fitted.

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