ORIGINAL: Admiral DadMan
Has anyone considered the Katori class training CL's for CLAA/CVL/CVE conversion? Katori, Kashima, Kashii and the uncompleted Kashihara are about 1000 tons lighter and 100 feet shorter than Omaha, but nearly the same width and draught.
They'd need upgraded power plants, and could use blistering, and another 100 feet of hull, but they could make serviceable CVL's of maybe 24 planes. If they were taken in hand at the start of the war, they could be turned around in 9 months, or assume Katori, Kashima to be in conversion process at war start due in March, with Kashii due in June and Kashihara in September.
Thoughts?
We eliminated the 'Training-Class' cruisers in all the Mods. The older WWI CLs are converted to training to open tonnage for other cruisers under the Washington/London Treaties.