Dolúbtha-class aircraft carrier

Class overview
Name:	Dolúbtha-class
Operators:	Royal Ossorian Navy
Preceded by:	LB Cíocrach
Succeeded by:	Iomráiteach-class
In commission:	1927 - 1946
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:	18 x boilers 4 x geared turbines 4 x screws
Speed:	30 kts
Range:	5,000 nm at 15 kts
Complement:	807 + 403
Armament:	16 x 120 mm/45 caliber dual-purpose guns
Armor:	Belt: 80 mm Deck: 40 mm Bulkhead: 100 mm
Aircraft carried:	48

The Dolúbtha-class 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 Rathúil.

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	Hull number	Builder	Laid down	Launched	Commissioned	Fate
Dolúbtha	"Inflexible"	IAC 5	HRM Dockyard, Cléire	1923	1924	1927
Cróga	"Courageous"	IAC 6	HRM Dockyard, Cléire	1923	1924	1927	Sunk
Iontaofa	"Dependable"	IAC 7	HRM Dockyard, Cléire	1923	1924	1927
Rathúil	"Auspicious"	IAC 8	HRM Dockyard, Cléire	1923	1924	1927	Sunk