Aircraft carrier deck material?

[Raptor1]

Ah, right, forgot about that.

[bookworm_020]

The first steel deck carriers in the US Navy were the Midway class, which just missed WW2. The change from wood to steel happened due to the experiences of Kamikaze attacks against British and American carriers. American carriers hit on the deck, were heavily damaged and unable to continue flight operations. They then had to return to a major port for repairs.

The British carriers had steel decks, this made for less room for aircraft and a hotter environment to work in, but when hit on the deck, they were able to resume flight operations after clearing the deck of debris.

[clive bradbury]

Yes, the US Navy were quite envious of the RN steel decks, especially once kamikazes were about.

The RN oted for steel from the start because British carriers were expected to operate within the range of enemy land-based bombers e.g. the Med. This policy paid off when they moved to the Pacific as well.

[Kazuaki Shimazaki II]

Originally Posted by clive bradbury

Yes, the US Navy were quite envious of the RN steel decks, especially once kamikazes were about.

The RN oted for steel from the start because British carriers were expected to operate within the range of enemy land-based bombers e.g. the Med. This policy paid off when they moved to the Pacific as well.

Another point of view would be here:
http://www.navweaps.com/index_tech/tech-030.htm

[Oberon]

Lustys steel deck didn't do her much good when the Stukas came knocking. She spent the next year out of commission, first in Malta, then after being bombed again, then in Alexandria and then in the States. I think one Stukas bomb demolished the deck and then another went through the hole and exploded on the hangar deck below.

IIRC there were also steel 'curtains' on the hangar deck which were supposed to stop burning debris from being showered around the deck but when the bomb exploded it just turned the curtains into flying shards of metal which decapitated at least one crew member.

[bookworm_020]

Originally Posted by Oberon

IIRC there were also steel 'curtains' on the hangar deck which were supposed to stop burning debris from being showered around the deck but when the bomb exploded it just turned the curtains into flying shards of metal which decapitated at least one crew member.

They removed the steel curtains after this happened and replaced them with fire screens that wouldn't have this issue

[tater]

Originally Posted by Kazuaki Shimazaki II

Another point of view would be here:
http://www.navweaps.com/index_tech/tech-030.htm

Yep. People also forget that USN doctrine had the planes on deck most of the time. Yeah, it was a PITA to constantly respot them, but the RN and IJN readied and warmed up their planes down in the hanger, and that didn't work out too well at Midway, did it?

[JSLTIGER]

Originally Posted by clive bradbury

Yes, the US Navy were quite envious of the RN steel decks, especially once kamikazes were about.

The RN oted for steel from the start because British carriers were expected to operate within the range of enemy land-based bombers e.g. the Med. This policy paid off when they moved to the Pacific as well.

The use of wooden decks on US carriers was also due to a fundamental difference in belief about the best placement of the strength deck. Americans preferred to have the strength deck be the hangar deck which allowed for greater overhead hangar height and a much larger air wing, whereas the British preferred the flight deck as the strength deck, which made for a smaller hangar deck and room for fewer aircraft, but allowed for the flight deck to take more damage before being put out of action.