german aircraft carrier german aircraft carrier planned conversion transport ship world war loss battleship near march respectively spurred kriegsmarine acquire aircraft carriers vessels selected conversion auxiliary aircraft carriers designed ship air complement fighters dive bombers conversion planning began conversion finished largest german aircraft carrier longer purpose built class aircraft carriers work canceled november design problems including instability structural weaknesses proved work ship eventually seized army troop transport following end war design carrier conversion proposal transport ship ship launched august entered service march german lloyd shipping company starting ship floating barracks ship kriegsmarine use planned operation abandoned luftwaffe failed achieve air superiority following loss battleship near march kriegsmarine convinced need acquire aircraft carriers vessels selected conversion including incomplete heavy cruiser passenger liners planning conversion auxiliary aircraft carrier started ship faster larger ships germany intended convert auxiliary carriers number design problems emerged drawing conversion plan progressed speed capacity advantages offset practical problems included structural weakness caused need hangar deck primary structural deck instability normally resolved adding high fuel consumption significant obstacle commander chief luftwaffe provide kriegsmarine sufficient aircraft pilots time design completed november problems proved impossible project abandoned result construction work began end war seized army commissioned troop transport transferred france resumed commercial duties general characteristics machinery meters long waterline long overall approximately longer class aircraft carriers ship initially beam added design process help stability increased beam ship draft designed conversion increased displaced metric tons long tons short tons designed weight long tons short tons maximum displacement ship hull divided watertight compartments equipped double percentage length hull double extended unknown ship flight deck long wide single hangar long wide forward wide aft armor added ship conversion process ship propelled sets geared turbines drove shafts bladed screw diameter turbines powered double ended narrow water tube boilers produced pressure engines rated shaft horsepower provided speed knots mph maximum speed ship steam nautical miles cruising speed mph cruising range doubled nmi ship designed store long tons short tons fuel oil total fuel long tons short tons rudder electrical power plant comprised diesel generators provided kilowatts emergency generators provided total power output volts armament ship armed centimeter anti aircraft guns twin mounts forward aft island funnel guns total rounds rounds gun guns fired types projectiles high explosive shell round types ammunition single charge charge guns elevate degrees hit targets flying guns engage surface targets hit targets away elevation degrees millimeter anti aircraft guns double mounts guns placed sides flight deck total shells guns fired high explosive shells rate fire rounds minute muzzle velocity guns elevate degrees hit targets flying limited anti aircraft battery rounded thirty guns usual quadruple mounts supplied store rounds guns fired rate shells minute limited practice rounds minute shells fired muzzle velocity depending type shell fired effective ceiling guns degrees elevation ship designed carry dive bombers variant version modified catapult launches equipped arresting gear fighters version model designated wings longer land based model allow shorter
German aircraft carrier I (1942)