The Iwo Jima (CV-46) of the Essex class was cancelled incomplete after the war. But according to Friedman, there were plans to redesign the ship to alleviate the deficiencies of the Essex class (the plans died with the cancellation of the carrier):
Does anyone have information on this redesign?
Friedman also wrote (Warship No.10 "The US Fleet Carrier Design of 1945") when discussing deck layouts for this proposed vesel:-
"....Indeed in the spring of 1945 it was proposed that the last few Essex's be completed with their forward centreline elevators replaced by a second deck-edge type; however, the Essex hull form forward made such a proposal impractical...."
By mid-1945 thoughts were already turning to a much larger vessel than the Essex of 35-40,000 tons standard displacement, with an improved flight deck layout (More side lifts, an extra flight deck catapult & more avgas capacity)
Iwo Jima had been laid down in Jan 1945 at Newport News Shipbuilding, a civilian yard, the very last Essex to be laid down and the only one laid down in 1945. She was cancelled in Aug 1945 and broken up on the slip in 1946.
CV-34 Oriskany and CV-35 Reprisal had been laid down in mid-1944 at the Brooklyn Navy Yard and launched / floated out in Oct & May 1945 respectively. Both lay incomplete for several years before Oriskany was completed to a modified design in 1950 while Reprisal was scrapped in 1949. Construction of both was far further advanced than that of Iwo Jima in spring 1945.
CV-34 Oriskany and CV-35 Reprisal had been laid down in mid-1944 at the Brooklyn Navy Yard and launched / floated out in Oct & May 1945 respectively. Both lay incomplete for several years before Oriskany was completed to a modified design in 1950 while Reprisal was scrapped in 1949. Construction of both was far further advanced than that of Iwo Jima in spring 1945.
Your launch date for Reprisal is wrong. You have her being launched before being cancelled - and there is no way she was launched in May 1945 (see photos at the bottom).
Oriskany was laid down 1 May 1944, and was launched 13 October 1945.
Reprisal was laid down 1 July 1944 and had not yet been launched when her cancellation order came in on 12 August 1945 (52.3% complete).
Iwo Jima had been laid down on 29 January 1945, and was cancelled the same day as Reprisal.
Philippine Sea had been laid down 19 August 1944, and was launched 5 September 1945 - she was commissioned 11 June 1946.
Valley Forge had been laid down 7 Sept 1945 and was launched 18 November 1945 - she was commissioned 3 November 1946!
Oriskany was laid down 1 May 1944, and was launched 13 October 1945.
Construction was suspended 22 Aug 1946, when 85% complete. Reordered to a modified design on 8 Aug 1947, torn down to 60% complete, and rebuilt as the SCB-27A design prototype.
Oriskany CV-34 launching at New York Navy Yard New York 13 October 1945:
Just for completeness, here is Iwo Jima after cancellation:
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