Part of Post 62.
At some point I must work out how many FAA units there might have been in 1942 based on peacetime plans. I have a sneaky feeling there would have been more spaces in carriers than the FAA actually had units to equip them.
The Number of Aircraft
504 first-line aircraft in the equivalent of 42 squadrons by 31st March 1942 according to RAF Expansion Scheme F of 1936, which was approved by the Cabinet on 25.02.36.
Page 369 of
"Grand Strategy, Volume 1, Rearmament Policy" says the FAA was to have a total of 1,954 aircraft on 31.03.42 as follows:
- 490 first-line aircraft;
- 490 aircraft Immediate Reserve (IR) - that is 100% of the first-line strength;
- 490 aircraft War Reserve (WR) - that is 100% of the first-line strength;
- 484 aircraft for training purposes.
They would be operated by 8,700 RN personnel, excluding reservists and trainees.
IIRC (and I'm confident that I do) the 504 first-line aircraft were to consist of 360 carrier aircraft in 30 squadrons and 144 catapult aircraft in the equivalent of 12 squadrons. Unfortunately, I don't remember where I read it, so I can't quote the source.
However, I do have copies of Cabinet Papers from late 1937, saying that the RN had increased its requirement to 650 first-line aircraft in 50 squadrons, which I think is a rounding of 648 aircraft in the equivalent of 54 squadrons. That's because the same documents say the previous scheme was for 500 aircraft in 40 squadrons, which is obviously a rounding of 504 aircraft in the equivalent of 42 squadrons.
Unfortunately, the Cabinet Papers don't say what the mix of carrier and catapult aircraft was. I don't know what the required number of backing aircraft was either. However, based on the previous scheme it would have been 650 IR, 650 WR and 650 for training for a grand total of 2,600 aircraft.
The Types of Aircraft
The Air Branch (which was the official title of the FAA between 1939 and 1952 IOTL) would have been stuck with the types that were in service or about to enter service in September 1939 IOTL. Therefore, the fighters would have been Fulmars, Rocs, Sea Gladiator and Skuas, the strike aircraft would have been the Albacore and Swordfish and the catapult aircraft would have been the Walrus.
There would have been no combat experience between September 1939 and December 1941 to tell the Admiralty that its doctrine was faulty. So no Sea Hurricanes & Seafires.
Furthermore, as the British Aircraft industry wasn't overloaded due to not being at war for the previous 27 months and having to give priority to the needs of the RAF, no American carrier aircraft like the Martlet/Wildcat.
IOTL the first flight dates of the next generation of naval aircraft were;
27.02.42 Blackburn Firebrand.
22.12.42 Fairey Firefly.
29.06.41 Fairey Barracuda.
06.02.43 Supermarine Type 322 "Dumbo".
23.09.38 Supermarine Sea Otter.
Firefly and Firebrand were intended to replace the fighters, the Barracuda and Albacore was intended to replace the Albacore and Swordfish, the Sea Otter was intended to replace the Walrus. ITTL the Sea Otter probably comes into service before 07.12.41 and I've no idea how 27 extra months of peace effects the development of the others. All I can say with some confidence is that the Barracuda probably goes into service with the Exe rather than the Merlin.
