Dolúbtha-class aircraft carrier
Class overview | |
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Name: | Dolúbtha-class |
Operators: | Royal Ossorian Navy |
Preceded by: | LB Cíocrach |
Succeeded by: | Dolúbtha-class |
In commission: | 1927 - 1950 |
Planned: | 4 |
Completed: | 4 |
Lost: | 2 |
Retired: | 2 |
General characteristics | |
Type: | Aircraft carrier |
Displacement: | 24,600 t standard |
Length: | 240 meters |
Beam: | 28 meters |
Draught: | 8.5 meters |
Propulsion: |
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Speed: | 30 kts |
Range: | 5,000 nm at 15 kts |
Complement: | 807 + 403 |
Armament: | 16 x 120 mm/45 caliber dual-purpose guns |
Armor: |
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Aircraft carried: | 48 |
LB Dolúbtha was the first multi-ship class of aircraft carriers to be built for Royal Ossorian Navy. The class comprised of the ships Dolúbtha, Cróga, Iontaofa, and Doscriosta.
Design
General characteristics
The Dolúbtha-class ships had an overall length of 240 m, a beam of 28 m, and a draught of 8.5 m. She displaced 24,600 t at standard load. Each of the ship's four sets of geared steam turbines drove one 3-bladed propeller and were powered by 18 small-tube boilers and were rated at 90,000 shaft horsepower. This gave the Dolúbtha-class a speed of approximately 30 knots. She had a range of approximately 5,000 nautical miles at 15 knots.
Flight deck and hangar
The Dolúbtha-class ships had a flight deck which was 176 m long and covered approximately three-quarters of her total length. The class was the first to be fitted with a two-story hangar arrangement, with an upper hangar that was 158 m long and a lower hangar that was 168 m long, with both hangars also being 15 m wide and 5 m tall. Both hangars were also equipped with four steel fire curtains to isolate any fires in the hangar. Two 14 m × 14 m elevators allowed aircraft to be transferred between the two hangar decks and the flight deck. As originally designed, the upper deck was outfitted with a door to allow light aircraft such as fighters to take off directly from the hangar, but this was later plated over. The ships' aircraft capacity was 48 aircraft divided into four squadrons. The ships' crew totaled 807 officers and ratings, plus 403 aircrew.
Armament
For self-defense against both enemy warships and hostile aircraft, the Dolúbtha-class ships were fitted with 16 120 mm dual-purpose guns arrayed around the perimeter of the flight deck, with each gun being provided with 150 rounds.
Ships
Ship | Translation | Builder | Laid down | Launched | Commissioned | Fate |
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Dolúbtha | "Inflexible" | HRM Dockyard, Cléire | 1923 | 1924 | 1927 | |
Cróga | "Courageous" | HRM Dockyard, Cléire | 1923 | 1924 | 1927 | Sunk |
Iontaofa | "Dependable" | HRM Dockyard, Cléire | 1923 | 1924 | 1927 | Sunk |
Doscriosta | "Indestructible" | HRM Dockyard, Cléire | 1923 | 1924 | 1927 |