The two Jatavarman class were supposed to be numbers four and five of the Andranolava class cruisers. The ships were only about 10 and 15% complete when they were repurposed to become Light Fleet Carriers. Getting the hulls that early allowed the designers to do more than just plop a hangar and flightdeck on top of an already completed hull. The hulls could be built up to include the hangar walls and the bow could be enclosed much more easily. The Andranolava were big ships which turned into very good carriers.
The use of the Jatavarman as carriers, was to free up the Strike carriers from having to supply aircraft for CAP (Combat Air Patrol over the fleet) and ASW (Anti-Submarine Warfare aircraft) reducing the number of aircraft it could use for offensive missions. The CVL would carry Corsair fighters configured both as day and night fighters. Then Avenger bombers configured with depth bombs for anti-submarine work. If required both types could be armed for offensive missions with bombs, rockets and torpedoes.
The two ships ended the war credited with 2 submarines sunk and 3 assists with surface forces. But it was in shooting down Kamikazes and other Japanese aircraft that the pair excelled. Many of their pilots reaching the required 5 enemy aircraft shot down to become 'Aces'.
Both ships survived the war and were put into the 'buddy' system with a Rajaraja class ship. From then on they would be Squadron One and Squadron Two. Because of the ongoing need for continual refits for upgrading of systems, the two squadrons very rarely served together at the same time. A couple of tours off Vietnam together was about it. Lemuria did like to run a policy of one Squadron in home waters while the other carried out any overseas commitments that might be required. The two ships got their angled decks and steam catapults in the 1960's, with their buddies, and regular electronic refits happened just about every time they docked. During the period of the 1950's the ships had Fairey Gannet ASW and de Havilland Sea Vampire. During the 1960's the aircraft were Supermarine Scimitar fighters and helicopters had replaced the Gannets in the ASW role. 1976 and the need for the two ships to maintain their CAP and ASW roles led to the ships final refits to 'Harrier Carriers'.
Now I remember why I gave up doing overheads. So fiddly making sure everything lines up where it should.
The amount spent on the last refits for the four carriers meant they would be retained in service till at least 1990. All four were phased out after that, all having been removed from the active list by 1994 and scrapped by 2000.
