Originally Posted by
Geriaviator
The question I would like to see addressed is why we built two huge aircraft carriers and prepared to send them East although we lacked the ships to screen them. Being then in production myself I cannot say I remember the last time we sent two capital ships to the Far East without any screening, but I read that it did not end happily. Maybe it's as well that one seems to have been crowned Dockyard Queen.
Not sure what you mean about a lack of escorts to shield the capital ship that deployed on Op Fortis? I do acknowledge the incident you are referring to but as that was in WW2, I’m not sure that is a viable comparison?
This multinational force was escorted by:
2x Type 45 destroyers (Defender & Diamond)
2x Type 23 frigates (Richmond and Kent)
1x US Arleigh-Burke class destroyer (The Sullivans)
1x NL De Zeven Provincien class frigate/destroyer (Evertsen)
Plus support from RFA Fort Victoria and RFA Tidespring (which were both CIWS equipped) and most likely an Astute class SSN which is rarely talked about.
Before anyone comments about the US and Dutch ships being there, it is commonplace for UK and European warships to be part of U.S. Carrier Battle Groups in this way, so that is just not an issue for the RN.
Yes PoW has admittedly got technical defects to resolve, but does the decision to build two ships not make complete sense now? When defects on Charles de Gaulle occur, that leaves France without an aircraft carrier completely.