USS Saipan (CVL-1943)
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The US Navy quickly caught on to the use of smaller carriers to use for combat
air patrol aircraft and anti-submarine warfare aircraft. These could be carriers
that as part of a larger fleet would specialise in those areas. Suitable ships
for conversion were the Baltimore class cruisers. These ships had the size and
speed to be able to carry a useful amount of aircraft to fulfill their role.
The internal aircraft storage would be 40-44 (depending on size and type),
with a small deck park of 6-8 aircraft in the ready mode. For the first time on
US Navy aircraft carriers there were no larger AA guns of the 3"-5" fitted. Only
weapons of 40mm and 20mm size were put aboard. The ships proved extremely useful
and more were put into production, with Baltimore hulls being built especially
for the conversions.
Eventually 17 of the class were ordered with 12 being completed during the war,
2 completed post-war and 3 cancelled and scrapped.
| Displacement | 16,400 tons std 21,200 tons full load |
| Length | 673 ft, (690 ft with extended bow) |
| Breadth | 77 ft hull (115ft extreme width over sponsons) |
| Draught | 28 ft |
| Machinery | 4 shaft steam turbines 125,000shp |
| Speed | 33 knots |
| Range | 10,000 miles at 15 knots |
| Armour | 3" Belt, 2.5" Deck |
| Armament |
32 x 40mm (3x4 10x2) |
| Aircraft | 46-52 |
| Complement | 1750 |
| Notes | USS Saipan USS Wright USS Independence USS Belleau Wood USS Princeton USS Cowpens USS Monterey USS Cabot USS Langley USS Bataan USS San Jacinto USS Yale USS Harvard USS Iwo Jima USS Guadalcanal USS Solomon Islands |
The last four were completed to a slightly improved design. Enclosed bow,
four funnels replaced with two. The funnels being paired allowed for an
enlarged bridge structure post-war, a necessity if they were to be kept by
the US Navy. In the end all of the class had been sold or scrapped by 1960.
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