Скачать или смотреть Three of History's STRANGEST Aircraft Carrier Conversions

In the first half of the 20th century, a completely new type of warship was born: the aircraft carrier. But the earliest carriers weren’t purpose-built supercarriers like the ones we think of today. Instead, navies experimented with conversions—turning battleships, battlecruisers, cruisers, liners, and even colliers into makeshift carriers. Some of these conversions were ingenious, while others were bizarre dead-ends. In this video, we explore some of the strangest aircraft carrier conversions in naval history.

We begin with HMS Furious, perhaps the strangest of all. Originally designed as part of Admiral Fisher’s “large light cruisers” with absurdly heavy guns, Furious carried two single 18-inch guns. Unsuitable for fleet service, she was partially converted into a carrier during World War I, with a small flying-off deck in place of her forward gun. While this allowed aircraft to take off, they couldn’t land, and early landing experiments proved dangerous. Later, her aft gun was removed and replaced with a landing deck, creating one of the most awkward carrier layouts ever built—aircraft had to navigate around her funnels and superstructure. Though far from ideal, Furious made history by conducting the first carrier-based air raid in 1918 against Zeppelin sheds. After the war, she was fully rebuilt as a carrier, serving the Royal Navy throughout the interwar years and all of World War II, her strange origins forever marking her as unique.

Next, we look at the USS Langley, America’s first aircraft carrier. Langley began life as the collier USS Jupiter, notable for being the Navy’s first turbo-electric powered ship. Converted into an experimental carrier in the early 1920s, Langley featured a flat flight deck, one elevator, and an open-air hangar. She was the platform where the U.S. Navy learned the basics of carrier aviation, launching its first aircraft in 1922. Though outdated quickly, Langley was invaluable for training, testing, and developing doctrine. She was later converted into a seaplane tender and ultimately sunk by Japanese aircraft in 1942 while ferrying planes to the Dutch East Indies.

Finally, we examine the Ise-class battleships of Japan—perhaps the strangest conversions of all. After the catastrophic Japanese losses at Midway in 1942, the Imperial Navy tried to bolster its carrier fleet by converting older battleships Ise and Hyuga into hybrid “battlecarriers.” Their aft 14-inch gun turrets were removed and replaced with a short flight deck and catapults, allowing them to launch (but not recover) aircraft. Though visually striking, the conversions were ineffective—Japan lacked the planes and trained crews to make them useful. By the time they were committed in battle in 1944, they carried no aircraft at all. Both ships were sunk in port by American carrier aircraft in 1945.

These ships represent a fascinating chapter in naval history, when carriers were still experimental and navies were trying to figure out the future of naval warfare. Some conversions worked as stepping stones to the supercarriers of today, while others were strange dead ends. Which of these odd carriers do you find the most interesting? Let us know in the comments!

0:00 Intro
0:38 Furious
6:59 Langley
10:49 Ise Class
14:48 Conclusion

Sources/Other Reading:

https://www.amazon.com/British-Battle...

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=british+ba...

https://www.amazon.com/British-Aircra...

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=neptunes+i...

Video Information:
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