Airborne2001
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NOTE: Not to be confused with the 1942 German aircraft carrier project.
(My main source is... Wikipedia... Sorry, but it is the only website that actually provides a lot of info.)
In the mid-1910's, Germany was building an ocean liner, the Ausonia, for Italy. During this time, some people in Germany were interested in the idea of ships that could carry aircraft. Most of these that would appear in the German Navy, the seaplane tenders, were not fast enough for the High Seas Fleet (Though in 1915, the only active seaplane carrier of any kind was the Friedrich Carl.) In 1915, it was decided that the incomplete hull should be converted into an aircraft carrier. The "I" designation was only preliminary; had it been finished it would have been given an official name. The design work was completed by 1918, though the funds in Germany at the time were very strained. Due to the unrestricted submarine warfare of the time, most naval funds were being poured into submarines. As a result, the design was shelved. In 1920, with the order surprisingly still intact, Italy had then cancelled its order for the Ausonia due to the extreme inflation in the Weimar republic of the time causing the ocean liner to be far too expensive.
Something I will need help with:
Does anyone have any idea of what aircraft the carrier was intended to use? The second pictures assumes the Fokker D.VII and what I am assuming is a Friedrichshafen FF.33, FF.41, or FF.49 as the main complement of aircraft. It would have used a combination of fighters, bombers, and torpedo bombers.
(My main source is... Wikipedia... Sorry, but it is the only website that actually provides a lot of info.)
In the mid-1910's, Germany was building an ocean liner, the Ausonia, for Italy. During this time, some people in Germany were interested in the idea of ships that could carry aircraft. Most of these that would appear in the German Navy, the seaplane tenders, were not fast enough for the High Seas Fleet (Though in 1915, the only active seaplane carrier of any kind was the Friedrich Carl.) In 1915, it was decided that the incomplete hull should be converted into an aircraft carrier. The "I" designation was only preliminary; had it been finished it would have been given an official name. The design work was completed by 1918, though the funds in Germany at the time were very strained. Due to the unrestricted submarine warfare of the time, most naval funds were being poured into submarines. As a result, the design was shelved. In 1920, with the order surprisingly still intact, Italy had then cancelled its order for the Ausonia due to the extreme inflation in the Weimar republic of the time causing the ocean liner to be far too expensive.
| General characteristics | |
|---|---|
| Type: | aircraft carrier |
| Displacement: | 12,585 metric tons |
| Length: | 158 m (518 ft) |
| Beam: | 18.8 m (62 ft) |
| Draft: | 7.43 m (24.4 ft) |
| Propulsion: |
|
| Speed: | 20 knots |
| Aircraft carried: |
|
| Aviation facilities: | 3 hangars |
Something I will need help with:
Does anyone have any idea of what aircraft the carrier was intended to use? The second pictures assumes the Fokker D.VII and what I am assuming is a Friedrichshafen FF.33, FF.41, or FF.49 as the main complement of aircraft. It would have used a combination of fighters, bombers, and torpedo bombers.
