The aircraft carrier Béarn was converted from a battleship by Vichy France and was Vichy France's first aircraft carrier.
After World War I, the fate of the Normandy-class battleships, which had been halted for a long time by Vichy France, became a problem (ambitions did not match their financial resources). The Washington Naval Treaty settled the matter, giving these behemoths a way out, and Vichy France obtained a share of 60,000 tons of aircraft carriers.
Looking around the world, there are giant ship hulls with speeds of over 30 knots that can be modified, but the speed of the Vichy French Normandy-class ships is hard to describe.
By this time, the first four Normandy-class ships had been launched, with hull completion rates of 65%, 49%, 65%, and 60% respectively. The last ship to be added, Béarn, had reached 25%, with main engine completion rates of 70%, 73%, 60%, 60%, and 17%. The boilers were basically completed, but they had all been repurposed. Only the second ship, Languedoc, had a completion rate of 96%, and Béarn had a completion rate of 20%.
Then an idea came to mind: combine two ships into one, cut one in the middle and insert a 70-meter section from the middle of the other (after the war, the Cimalong oil tanker was cut in the middle and a 30-meter section was added), with a displacement of 30,000 tons (according to the treaty, exactly two ships). The boilers and main engines were also put to full use. Due to the improved hull shape and doubled power, its speed reached 30 knots, which was in line with the mainstream level of the great powers.
The elevators adopted the single-panel elevators used by the British and American aircraft, retaining the characteristics of being huge and having a large capacity. The middle and rear elevators can lift 4 fighters or 3 bombers at the same time, while the front elevator can lift 3 fighters (greatly enhancing the scheduling capability of the double hangar). (Historically, the hangar aircraft had to be hoisted to the upper hangar from the bottom of the elevator, then pushed into the elevator, and then onto the deck... the imagination of the Gallic Rooster).
In 1937, Japan carried out a major overhaul of the Kaga, and the Bayan also served for 10 years. It went to the factory for maintenance and modification, where the 155mm gun was removed, a large number of 75mm, 37mm and 13.2mm anti-aircraft weapons and corresponding command instruments were added, and two catapults were added.
As the shadow of war looms, the newly renovated fictional Beacon welcomes three modern fighter jets.
The naval version of the D.520, the D.790, was no less capable than the BF109. The V-156F was the Vichy French export version of the American SB-2U. The Bre.810 was a carrier-based variant of the Bre.693, and its speed of 490 km/h was the highest among torpedo bombers at the time. Moreover, at 1940, the deep folding wings of these three carrier-based aircraft were perfect, greatly increasing the number of aircraft they could carry.
In May 1940, fully equipped, the ship set sail to hunt down Han raiding ships. However, on June 22, devastating news arrived from their homeland, leaving the captain facing a difficult decision...
Basic Specifications
Standard displacement: tons
Full load displacement: tons
Total length: 252.9 meters
Waterline length: 245.7 meters
Maximum beam: 35.2 meters
Standard draft: 9.3 meters
Crew: 1211
Gunners: 222 (including reserves)
Pilots: 278 (including reserves)
Aircrew: 230 (including reserves)
Total at full strength: 1941 people
Armor
Armor belt: 83 mm
Flight deck: 25 mm
Lower deck: 24-120 mm
Lift: 70 mm
power
Main engines: 4 Parsons turbine units
Boilers: 36 Guyot du Temple oil-fired boilers
Output power: horsepower
Speed: 30 knots
Fuel reserves: 4,320 tons
Range: 10 knots/nautical miles / 18 knots/9000 nautical miles
Armaments
Anti-aircraft armament: 8 single-mounted 75mm anti-aircraft guns (4 of which are Type 1933 3m rangefinders for command).
A total of 26 37mm anti-aircraft guns (10 twin-mounted and 6 single-mounted) (4 small rangefinders for command).
Ten quadruple and ten twin guns, totaling 60 13.2mm anti-aircraft machine guns.
Four 1200mm searchlights and two small searchlights are used for nighttime air defense.
Aircraft status
45 D.790 carrier-based fighters (13 of which were tied down on deck).
30 V-156F carrier-based dive bombers (9 of which were tied down on deck).
Bre.810 carrier-based torpedo bombers: 40 (6 of which are moored on deck).
A total of 115 aircraft
Hangar dimensions: 194.1 meters long / 19.5 meters wide (widest part of the upper level) (double-level hangar)
Elevator: Three seats
Flight deck specifications: 253.1 meters long / 31 meters wide
[Ding—Congratulations, host, you have completed a total mileage of 531 km to 560 km.]
[Ding—No blueprints available to unlock.]
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com