US aeroplane carrier.
1925 - THE United States aircraft carrier Saratoga, which was launched on the 7th inst. at, the Camden, N.J., yard of the New York Shipbuilding Co, was laid. down in August, 1920. This vessel was designed originally as a battle-cruiser, and she and five sister ships were listed for scrapping under the Washington Treaty. Eventually, however, it was decided to convert two of the vessels, Saratoga and Lexington, into aircraft carriers, on a reduced displacement of 33,000 tons, as compared with the original figure of 43,500 tons. No change appears to have been made in the propelling machinery, which consists of turbines with electrical transmission, designed for an output of 180,000 horse-power and a speed of 33.25 knots.
The length of the Saratoga's hull is 874ft, overall, the beam is something over 104ft., and the mean draught 22ft. From end to end the flight deck has a total length of 888ft. The uptakes from all the sixteen White-Forster boilers lead into a single very large funnel, which, with the superstructure and tripod foremast, is placed at the starboard side of the centre line, leaving the major area of the flight deck clear of obstacles.
Provision is made for storing and handling seventy-two aircraft. Unlike most of the existing carriers, the Saratoga is filled with a thick armour belt, in addition to horizontal armour. She will mount an armament of eight 8in. guns, twelve 5in. anti-aircraft pieces, and six torpedo tubes. Her cost is estimated at £9,000,000. She is the largest ship of any description which has, so far, been built in the United States.[1]
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Sources of Information
- ↑ The Engineer 1925/04/17