The Eanqa-class Heavy Aircraft Carrier was a class of four aircraft carriers of the Sultan's Navy, in service from 1937 to 1955.
Design
Kyrenaian experiments with carrier-construction began quite quickly after the Oil War of 1920, with the first test and prototype vessel Mawqid, being commissioned in 1921 (she got lost in a fire in 1929). Quickly, however, the Naval Staff saw the use of Aircraft Carriers and their potential, even talking about a weapon making battleships obsolete just like Dreadnought had done for Pre-Dreadnoughts. Still, Kyrenaian shipyards laid down battleships - but not as many as before, as the planned eight of the Wafa-class Battleships were reduced to four.
The preceding Almuhafaza-class Aircraft Carriers had been conversions from the four remaining hulls of the Wafa-class Battleships. Following on that, the model from 1927 was more of a cruiser capable of carrying aircraft then an aircraft carrier. The model from 1934 was based on a battlecruiser hull.
It became apparent, that, in order to proceed, they would need to start anew, completely from keel upwards. That design became the Eanqa-class Heavy Aircraft Carrier.
Air Group
Relatively early in the development of the carrier doctrine of the Sultan's Navy, around 1932, the Navy came to the realization, that the carrier was a versatile weapon, which could equip different loadouts depending on the mission it was supposed to fulfill. This versatility in mind was first incorporated into the Eanqa-class, which was also the first Kyrenaian Aircraft Carrier to be planned as such from keel up.
With that in mind, the vessel was designed with a capacity of up to 72 aircraft of different models, although rarely more then 65 were carried. These could range from reconnaissance planes to fighters and bombers and support aircraft, all of them carrier-sized and capable.
Upon comissioning in 1937, the Air Group of RKN Eanqa consisted of 64 airplanes: 4 KAF-101 Hamama Liason Aircraft, two fighter squadrons of KAF-109 Tayrih Fighters, 24 aircraft in total, one squadron of KAF-29 Eandlib Torpedo Bombers, 12 aircraft in total, and two squadrons of KAF-15 Esfwr Dive Bombers, 24 Aircraft in total.
The Eanqa-class Aircraft Carrier could also carry the Sinaljanah S-630 Alzawjiu Heavy Fighter Aircraft and the Sinaljanah S-65 Einaq Ground Attack Aircraft.
Service History
- Carrier Group 5, RKN Ruk and RKN Tanin, participated in the Coronation Fleet Review for Sultan Kian in 1939.
Ships
- RKN Eanqa, Phoenix.
- RKN Ruk, Roc (a mythical giant bird).
- RKN Tanin, Dragon.
- RKN Karkadann, 'Lord of the Desert', another term for the Sand Wyvern (Kanmusu RKN Karkadann).
All four of these names should later be reused as Mirfae-class Heavy Aircraft Carriers.
OOC-Trivia
- Based heavily on a heavier HMS Ark Royal.