Seaplane carrier/tender- Mizuho, Nisshin, Barnegat, Curtis, Currituck, and etc.

[dy031101]

A thread where questions on seaplane tenders and seaplane carriers can be posted by anyone and, hopefully, answered by an expert  

[dy031101]

I've been reading up on seaplane tenders lately and found a paragraph here a bit puzzling.

The extra space on the aft-deck allowed the crew of the air maintenance division added working room in which they could operate without interference from the hanger area.

I've been under the impression that hangar is working deck with protection from weather.  What, beyond hoisting seaplanes from and down to surrounding water, is the aft-deck on Curtiss and Currituck classes meant for that can be interfered from the hangar?

=========================================================================

Also, a lot of mentions of Currituck class tenders that I came across make reference on a catapult supposedly meant for the abortive floatplane version of the Helldiver dive bombers, but I can't seem to find any pictures of any Currituck class vessel with the catapult.  Does anyone know where exactly on the ship's aft is the catapult supposed to be?

Thanks in advance.

[sandiego89]

I've been reading up on seaplane tenders lately and found a paragraph here a bit puzzling.

The extra space on the aft-deck allowed the crew of the air maintenance division added working room in which they could operate without interference from the hanger area.

I've been under the impression that hangar is working deck with protection from weather.  What, beyond hoisting seaplanes from and down to surrounding water, is the aft-deck on Curtiss and Currituck classes meant for that can be interfered from the hangar?

=========================================================================

Also, a lot of mentions of Currituck class tenders that I came across make reference on a catapult supposedly meant for the abortive floatplane version of the Helldiver dive bombers, but I can't seem to find any pictures of any Currituck class vessel with the catapult.  Does anyone know where exactly on the ship's aft is the catapult supposed to be?

Thanks in advance.

I think the link is trying to say that the large flat deck area aft the hangar on the CURTIS and CURRITUCK class provided more room to work.  Working under a tight fitting hanger can restrict where you can work.   Earlier tenders were much smaller and had very small hangers, really limiting room to work on and around an aircraft hoisted aboard.  

Could the two "trenches" on the aft deck area of the CURRITUCK class be where the catapults were?  Perhaps fixed catapults, unlike the cruiser/battleship ones we are used to seeing?  You can see the trenches in my model below.    

Anyway, good topic. I offer my CURRITUCK WHIF here:

 

 

[sandiego89]

Also, a lot of mentions of Currituck class tenders that I came across make reference on a catapult supposedly meant for the abortive floatplane version of the Helldiver dive bombers, but I can't seem to find any pictures of any Currituck class vessel with the catapult.  Does anyone know where exactly on the ship's aft is the catapult supposed to be?

Found two source, but not a photo of the catapult.

Conway's all the worlds fighting ships 1922-1946.  Page 156-157

https://books.google.com/googlebooks/images/kennedy/insert_link.png

"....the latter (the Currituck class)  were redesigned with more deck area aft (and a flush-decked H-5 catapult) to enable them to carry Marine Corps dive bombers with floats, for advance base operations....however like the Marine Corps scheme...this was not carried through and the Curritucks performed as conventional tenders...."

And this source:
http://www.navypedia.org/ships/usa/us_av_currituck.htm

says a "transverse catapult H-5"

So sounds like a flush mounted, transverse, catapult.  So "sideways", fixed, catapult not like the later fantail mounted, rotating, catapults like on later cruisers/ battleships.  I would guess halfway between the hangar and the aft crane, so you would have enough clearance for the wing of the catapulted plane to clear the hangar and the crane.  Likely tough to spot in photos of these ships early in their career.    

[ericr]

Anyway, good topic. I offer my CURRITUCK WHIF here:

good topic indeed, with WHIF potential, e.g. from comics like Tintin :

[rickshaw]

 Likely tough to spot in photos of these ships early in their career.    

They may well have been designed to have flush fitting plates over the catapult tracks and a removable catapult truck...

[ericr]

Anyway, good topic. I offer my CURRITUCK WHIF here:

good topic indeed, with WHIF potential, e.g. from comics like Tintin :

creative chimney/funnel arrangements could be an interesting subtopic :

[PR19_Kit]

Did the Westfalen REALLY have a funnel like that? 

[ericr]

Did the Westfalen REALLY have a funnel like that? 

I didn't find a photograph, but it looks credible, and most importantly, outstanding : well, we are into Whiff 

[PR19_Kit]

Apparently it did, and it didn't..... 

When originally converted to a catapult ship the 'Westfalen' had a conventional funnel etc. but in 1940 it was converted to the bizarre cranked funnel configuration seen in the Mercator model.

Reference on this page :- http://www.hazegray.org/navhist/carriers/germany.htm

Do a Ctrl+F and enter 'Westfalen' to find the entry.

It looked like this originally.