Misniúil-class aircraft carrier

Class overview
Name:	Misniúil-class
Operators:	Royal Ossorian Navy
Preceded by:	Iomráiteach-class
Succeeded by:	Doshásta-class Suáilce-class
In commission:	1935 - 1950
Planned:	8
Completed:	8
Retired:	5
Preserved:	3
General characteristics
Type:	Aircraft carrier
Displacement:	23,400 t standard
Length:	226 meters
Beam:	30 meters
Draught:	9 meters
Propulsion:	8 x three-tube boilers 4 x geared turbines 4 x screws
Speed:	30 kts
Range:	10,000 nm at 15 kts
Complement:	1,392
Sensors and processing systems:	Type 7-C early-warning radar
Armament:	16 × 120 mm/45 caliber dual-purpose guns (8×2) 48 × 40 mm/55 caliber anti-aircraft guns (12×4) 12 × 20 mm/70 caliber anti-aircraft guns
Armor:	Belt: 110 mm Deck: 90 mm Hangar: 110 mm Bulkhead: 110 mm
Aircraft carried:	48

The Misniúil-class was a class of eight aircraft carriers built for Royal Ossorian Navy starting in 1928. The class comprised of the ships Misniúil, Teasaí, Dúshlánach, Buacach, Cáiliúil, Éadulangach, Neamheaglach, and Dána. The class was the most successful class of aircraft carriers fielded by the Royal Navy during the Great Eracuran War, with members of the class being present for almost all of the major actions of the war while suffering no hull losses. Buacach, Cáiliúil, and Neamheaglach would be preserved as museum ships after the war.

Design

General characteristics

The Misniúil-class ships had an overall length of 226 m, a beam of 30 m, and a draught of 9 m. She displaced 23,400 t at standard load. Each of the ship's four sets of geared steam turbines drove one 3-bladed propeller and were powered by 8 three-tube boilers and were rated at 111,000 shaft horsepower. This gave the Misniúil-class a speed of approximately 30 knots. She had a range of approximately 10,000 nautical miles at 15 knots.

Flight deck and hangar

The Misniúil-class ships had a flight deck which was 226 m long. The class was fitted with a two-story enclosed hangar and was outfitted with arrestor gear and a compressed steam catapult. The flight deck and hangar were both armored, the class being the first Ossorian carriers to be outfitted with this feature. While the upper hangar ran the majority of the length of the ship, the lower hangar was half the length in order to make room for workshops and other servicing facilities. Two elevators allowed aircraft to be transferred between the two hangar decks and the flight deck, and were placed at either end of the hangars, outside of the armored box with access through sliding armored doors in the fore and aft bulkheads. The ships' aircraft capacity was 48 aircraft divided into four squadrons. The ships' crew totaled 1,392 officers and ratings.

Armament

As Ossorian carrier doctrine evolved in the years before the Great Eracuran War, fleet exercises had demonstrated that it was extremely unlikely for a carriers combat air patrol to intercept an incoming airstrike before the enemy was already overhead. As such, the Misniúil-class was outfitted with an extremely heavy anti-aircraft battery to compliment its passive defenses in the form of its armored flight deck and hangar, as the ship was expected to have to fight its way through any enemy air attack independently of its fighter cover. To this end, the Misniúil-class ships were fitted with 16 120 mm dual-purpose guns arrayed in twin mounts around the perimeter of the flight deck, with each gun being provided with 150 rounds. The ships were further armed with an anti-aircraft battery of 48 40 mm anti-aircraft guns in quadruple mounts and 12 20 mm anti-aircraft guns in single mounts also positioned around the perimeter of the flight deck.

Ships

Ship	Translation	Hull number	Builder	Laid down	Launched	Commissioned	Fate
Misniúil	"Daring"	IAC 13	HRM Dockyard, Cléire	1933	1934	1936
Teasaí	"Irascible"	IAC 14	HRM Dockyard, Cléire	1933	1934	1936
Dúshlánach	"Defiant"	IAC 15	HRM Dockyard, Cléire	1933	1934	1936
Buacach	"Victorious"	IAC 16	HRM Dockyard, Cléire	1934	1935	1937	Preserved
Cáiliúil	"Illustrious"	IAC 17	HRM Dockyard, Cléire	1934	1935	1937	Preserved
Éadulangach	"Intolerant"	IAC 18	HRM Dockyard, Cléire	1934	1935	1937
Neamheaglach	"Dauntless"	IAC 19	HRM Dockyard, Cléire	1935	1936	1938	Preserved
Dána	"Audacious"	IAC 20	HRM Dockyard, Cléire	1935	1936	1938