DESIGN: The Essex class design was an expansion of the previous Yorktown (CV5) class in which advantage was taken of the lapse of treaty restrictions and improvements in machinery design to enhance both aviation and defensive characteristics. Design requirements laid down in mid -1939 resulted in the acceptance of a design study for a ship of 26,000 tons standard displacement - 6000 tons above that of Yorktown and the largest of the outline designs proposed - in which the increased size was to be utilized to provide an armored hangar deck, a larger flight deck, improved gun armament and increased aircraft complement. In fact the aircraft requirement was basically the same as in Yorktown - four squadrons of 18 aircraft - but to this was added a requirement for sufficient space for a reserve squadron together with a greatly increased spares capacity giving 25 % replacement parts. On entering service the reserve squadron actually became part of the standard air group giving the Essex class a regular complement of 90 aircraft against the Yorktown's 72. Other improvements included provision for future (heavier) aircraft development - which effected, hangar, elevator and catapult design, increased aviation fuel stowage (slightly more than that required as a result of the increased number of aircraft) and increased fuel oil stowage, the latter ultimately giving the Essex class an exceptional endurance of 20,000nm at 15 kts - a considerable asset to both Pacific operations, in which great distances were automatically involved, and to aircraft carrier operations, which usually entailed deviation from the set course in order to turn into wind for the launch or recovery of aircraft and then regaining position at high speed. Working out the design in detail together with some early additions, including an increase in the close range AA armament, raised the designed standard displacement to 27,100 tons and the full load to 33,000 tons.
DESIGN: The Essex class design was an expansion of the previous Yorktown (CV5) class in which advantage was taken of the lapse of treaty restrictions and improvements in machinery design to enhance both aviation and defensive characteristics. Design requirements laid down in mid -1939 resulted in the acceptance of a design study for a ship of 26,000 tons standard displacement - 6000 tons above that of Yorktown and the largest of the outline designs proposed - in which the increased size was to be utilized to provide an armored hangar deck, a larger flight deck, improved gun armament and increased aircraft complement. In fact the aircraft requirement was basically the same as in Yorktown - four squadrons of 18 aircraft - but to this was added a requirement for sufficient space for a reserve squadron together with a greatly increased spares capacity giving 25 % replacement parts. On entering service the reserve squadron actually became part of the standard air group giving the Essex class a regular complement of 90 aircraft against the Yorktown's 72. Other improvements included provision for future (heavier) aircraft development - which effected, hangar, elevator and catapult design, increased aviation fuel stowage (slightly more than that required as a result of the increased number of aircraft) and increased fuel oil stowage, the latter ultimately giving the Essex class an exceptional endurance of 20,000nm at 15 kts - a considerable asset to both Pacific operations, in which great distances were automatically involved, and to aircraft carrier operations, which usually entailed deviation from the set course in order to turn into wind for the launch or recovery of aircraft and then regaining position at high speed.
Working out the design in detail together with some early additions, including an increase in the close range AA armament, raised the designed standard displacement to 27,100 tons and the full load to 33,000 tons.
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