Saipan class

USS Saipan after 1950
Overview
Type	Light aircraft carrier
units	2
period of service	1946-1970
Technical specifications
displacement	19,000 ts
length	208.7 m
width	23.4 m (waterline) 35 m (flight deck)
Draft	8.5 m
crew	1700
drive	four turbine sets, 120,000 WPS
speed	33 kn
Armament	42 40 mm anti-aircraft guns 32 20 mm anti-aircraft guns
Planes	42

The Saipan-class was a class of light aircraft carriers in the US fleet that was developed during World War II but entered service too late to be used in it. Only two units, Saipan and Wright , were built.

history

construction

The carriers of the Saipan class were an improvement of the previous light carriers of the Independence-class , from the transformation of under construction light cruisers of the Cleveland class had emerged. For the Saipan class, a widened version of these was developed based on the hull construction of the heavy cruisers of the Baltimore class . This made it unnecessary to add lateral hull bulges like on the ships of the Independence class.

Both units were laid down at New York Shipbuilding in 1944 and put into service in 1946 and 1947, after the end of the war.

period of service

As early as 1954 and 1956, the carriers were classified as too small for the modern jet aircraft and therefore viewed as largely worthless in their role as aircraft carriers. The Saipan therefore became the communications ship USS Arlington (AGMR-2) , the Wright was put back into service as the command ship USS Wright (CC-2) .

As such, both ships remained in service until 1970 when they were deactivated and dismantled.

units

Identification number	Surname	In service	Off-duty	Whereabouts / fate
	Saipan	1946	1970	scrapped
	Wright	1947	1970	scrapped

technology

The ships were around 203 meters long and 23 meters wide, their displacement was around 19,000 ts . So they were about 50 meters shorter and over 15,000 ts lighter than their previous fleet carrier of the Essex class that ultimately the two Saipan survived.

drive

Because they were larger than the Baltimore-class cruisers and their hulls were wider, they received a more powerful propulsion system. A total of eight boilers supplied the steam for the four turbine sets. These drove the four screws and enabled a speed of up to 33 knots .

Armament

Originally, the two ships had quite powerful anti-aircraft guns (42 40-mm anti-aircraft guns and 36 20-mm anti-aircraft guns), but these were removed in the 1940s.

Web links

Commons : Saipan class  - collection of pictures, videos and audio files

• Saipan class on globalsecurity.org (English)