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Description

Londthyrian Confederacy Naval Service Sequana-class (ex-Malta class) fleet carrier

As the Londthyrian Confederacy earned valuable experience in carrier operations during the Pacific War, the Admiralty was already looking towards the future of naval air. With attaché reports from London and Washington DC, and subtle industrial espionage in Germany, reports of jet-powered aircraft taking to the skies indicated that the days of piston power were numbered. After-action and damage assessment reports indicated that a combination of armored flight and hangar decks would lead the future of aircraft carrier design, while turbine powered aircraft reduced the need to preflight engine warmup and the need for fully ventilated hangars.

As the war began winding down, the Admiralty began shopping around for a new carrier design, settling on the Royal Navy’s recently halted Malta class large carriers. Negotiations ensued, with the Londthyrian Confederacy authorizing a lump sum payment to the cash-strapped Attlee government for the plans, additional lump sum payments in specie to Vickers and the four shipyards that had been selected initially. Redesign of the original plans commenced, with the Admiralty’s Bureau of Ship Construction and Bureau of Future Technology reviewing, suggesting, and, in some cases, fighting over suggested design changes. Rumors whispered in the halls of the Admiralty, in light because several officers involved in the redesign work on the Sequana-class are still on active duty, that duels were fought over disagreements between BuShipCon and BuFuTech. Construction began on all four ships in the first quarter of 1947.

LCNS Sequana was floated out on 15th of March, 1949, from the Harland & Wolff Shipyards. The carrier was the first carrier built in Great Britain with a 6° angled deck and steam catapults capable of launching aircraft in the 30-thousand-pound category. The class also differed from her original designs, mounting only 8 5-inch/38 in four Mk32 turrets, a pair port and starboard near the fantail, in addition to a smaller number of Bofors 40mm sextuple mounts, and a single island structure. Two years followed of fitting out and sea trials around the United Kingdom. Commissioned on the 10th of October, 1951, the Sequana became the centerpiece of Carrier Battlegroup 1. With the Korean War raging, CVBG 1 was ordered to proceed from HMNB Plymouth, via Gibraltar, Suez, and Hong Kong to take station on the western coast of the Korean peninsula, as part of the United Nations naval task forces and blockades, providing combat air patrols, interdiction, escort, and close air missions to UN ground forces.

Sequana, and CVBG 1, rotated this assignment with two of her older Yorktown stablemates, LCNS Iber, CV-1; and LCNS Tyrius, CV-2. The other two Yorktowns, LCNS Anas, CV-3, and LCNS Lupus, CV-4 were converted into CVH/LPH helicopter carriers.

In late spring of 1953, Sequana and CVBG-1 departed their patrol zone on western coast of Korea, heading east to the United States. Despite US Navy intransigence at accepting the type, the Londthyrian Confederation Naval Air Service had signed an agreement with Douglas for the purchase to five squadrons worth, plus spares, of their new Skyray supersonic interceptor. Sequana and her airwing spent the next two months in transition and training on the new aircraft type.

Training, however, was cut short when, on the 27th of July, representatives of the United Nations Command and Chinese People’s Volunteer Army were killed when a FAB-3000, buried under the truce building, was detonated, while awaiting Kim Il Sung and the North Korean delegation.

The Sequana-class remained a mainstay off the Korean coasts, until the defeat of North Korean forces in 1957. In 1956, Lt. Commander Imizael Mirahorn, squadron commander of No. 227 NAS, assigned to the LCNS Mosa, became the first Naval Air Service jet ace, downing their fifth and sixth Communist aircraft, and splitting a kill with US Air Force pilot, Major Joe Hanson.

The Sequana, as shown, with representative aircraft of her airwing, circa 1958.

Sequana-class fleet carrier (all ship names preceded with “LCNS”)

Sequana, CVB-9
Liger, CVB-10
Mosa, CVB-11
Rodonos, CVB-12

Description

Londthyrian Confederacy Naval Service Sequana-class (ex-Malta class) fleet carrier

As the Londthyrian Confederacy earned valuable experience in carrier operations during the Pacific War, the Admiralty was already looking towards the future of naval air. With attaché reports from London and Washington DC, and subtle industrial espionage in Germany, reports of jet-powered aircraft taking to the skies indicated that the days of piston power were numbered. After-action and damage assessment reports indicated that a combination of armored flight and hangar decks would lead the future of aircraft carrier design, while turbine powered aircraft reduced the need to preflight engine warmup and the need for fully ventilated hangars.

As the war began winding down, the Admiralty began shopping around for a new carrier design, settling on the Royal Navy’s recently halted Malta class large carriers. Negotiations ensued, with the Londthyrian Confederacy authorizing a lump sum payment to the cash-strapped Attlee government for the plans, additional lump sum payments in specie to Vickers and the four shipyards that had been selected initially. Redesign of the original plans commenced, with the Admiralty’s Bureau of Ship Construction and Bureau of Future Technology reviewing, suggesting, and, in some cases, fighting over suggested design changes. Rumors whispered in the halls of the Admiralty, in light because several officers involved in the redesign work on the Sequana-class are still on active duty, that duels were fought over disagreements between BuShipCon and BuFuTech. Construction began on all four ships in the first quarter of 1947.

LCNS Sequana was floated out on 15th of March, 1949, from the Harland & Wolff Shipyards. The carrier was the first carrier built in Great Britain with a 6° angled deck and steam catapults capable of launching aircraft in the 30-thousand-pound category. The class also differed from her original designs, mounting only 8 5-inch/38 in four Mk32 turrets, a pair port and starboard near the fantail, in addition to a smaller number of Bofors 40mm sextuple mounts, and a single island structure. Two years followed of fitting out and sea trials around the United Kingdom. Commissioned on the 10th of October, 1951, the Sequana became the centerpiece of Carrier Battlegroup 1. With the Korean War raging, CVBG 1 was ordered to proceed from HMNB Plymouth, via Gibraltar, Suez, and Hong Kong to take station on the western coast of the Korean peninsula, as part of the United Nations naval task forces and blockades, providing combat air patrols, interdiction, escort, and close air missions to UN ground forces.

Sequana, and CVBG 1, rotated this assignment with two of her older Yorktown stablemates, LCNS Iber, CV-1; and LCNS Tyrius, CV-2. The other two Yorktowns, LCNS Anas, CV-3, and LCNS Lupus, CV-4 were converted into CVH/LPH helicopter carriers.

In late spring of 1953, Sequana and CVBG-1 departed their patrol zone on western coast of Korea, heading east to the United States. Despite US Navy intransigence at accepting the type, the Londthyrian Confederation Naval Air Service had signed an agreement with Douglas for the purchase to five squadrons worth, plus spares, of their new Skyray supersonic interceptor. Sequana and her airwing spent the next two months in transition and training on the new aircraft type.

Training, however, was cut short when, on the 27th of July, representatives of the United Nations Command and Chinese People’s Volunteer Army were killed when a FAB-3000, buried under the truce building, was detonated, while awaiting Kim Il Sung and the North Korean delegation.

The Sequana-class remained a mainstay off the Korean coasts, until the defeat of North Korean forces in 1957. In 1956, Lt. Commander Imizael Mirahorn, squadron commander of No. 227 NAS, assigned to the LCNS Mosa, became the first Naval Air Service jet ace, downing their fifth and sixth Communist aircraft, and splitting a kill with US Air Force pilot, Major Joe Hanson.

The Sequana, as shown, with representative aircraft of her airwing, circa 1958.

Sequana-class fleet carrier (all ship names preceded with “LCNS”)

Sequana, CVB-9
Liger, CVB-10
Mosa, CVB-11
Rodonos, CVB-12