Ghalenna-class aircraft carrier
 RS Shepard of the Forgotten in 1935
| |
| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Name: | Ghalenna-class aircraft carrier |
| Builders: | Leviathan Ship Builders |
| Operators: |
 Navy of the Syaran Republic |
| Preceded by: | Asakumo-class |
| Succeeded by: | Parilla-class |
| In commission: | 1935-1938 |
| Planned: | 10 |
| Completed: | 5 |
| Cancelled: | 5 |
| Lost: | 5 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type: | Aircraft carrier |
| Displacement: | 23,000 tons |
| Length: | 240 meters |
| Beam: | 24.6 meters |
| Draft: | 6.6 meters |
| Propulsion: |
|
| Speed: | 31 knots |
| Range: | 13,000 kilometers |
| Armament: |
|
| Aircraft carried: | 48 |
The Ghalenna-class aircraft carrier was a class of five aircraft carriers fielded by the Navy of the Syaran Republic during the Siduri War. They superseded the Asakumo-class carriers that had been originally built for the Navy due to shortcomings associated with their design. A total of 10 were planned, but just half were complete by the time the war ended. The completed ships were the Shepard of the Forgotten, Quiet Breath of Annihilation, Redemption for the Damned, Purpose Found in Service, and Solemn Pride of Sacrifice. The class was named after the Battle of the Ghalenna River.
As the threat of conflict with the Cacertian Empire grew nearer the Syaran Admiralty concluded the Republic of Syara would not be able to match the number of capital ships, especially battleships, produced by the Cacertian Royal Navy, which field over 50 such vessels against Syaras' 18. In an effort to counter the threat of Cacertian capital ships, the Syaran Navy began procurement of the largely untested platform of aircraft carriers. Syaran hopes were the creation of a mixed fleet of carriers and battleships that could operate in tandem, utilizing the capabilities of both platforms, coupled with heavy cruisers and Syara's fleet of powerful destroyers, to defeat the Cacertian fleets in detail. The initial push for carriers resulted in the Asakumo-class, which were slow, heavy, and lacked staying power to assist in major fleet operations. The solution was the more capable Ghalenna-class, which boasted a top speed of 31 knots and a complement of 48 aircraft.
With carriers still a new platform, and doctrine and capabilities still untested, the Ghalenna-class nevertheless proved a necessary measure in order to allow the Inner Sphere to engage the Common Axis fleets on something resembling equal terms once hostilities broke out. Their heavy usage ultimately resulted in heavy attrition; the Quiet Breath of Annihilation was lost in February 1936 during the Battle of Andria, followed by the Cherished Spirits In Harmony during Operation Uphold, and then the Shepard of the Forgotten during the Battle of the Sabri Sea. Purpose Found in Service was heavily damaged in April 1937 north of Yalunji, which necessitated her return to port for eight months. Redemption for the Damned, which had survived the Sabri Sea, Second Battle of the Mansuri Sea, Operation Uphold, was lost in September 1937 near Aszód. Purpose Found in Service returned to action in December 1937 just in time for the final sortie of the Syaran National Fleet, Operation Triakontoros, before being restricted to port in January 1938. She was scuttled along with the rest of the fleet at Moddra in March.