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fighting ships of the world

ROYAL DUTCH NAVY (NETHERLANDS)

AIRCRAFT CARRYING SHIPS

GADILA merchant aircraft carriers (MAC-ships)

nearly sister-ship RMS Empire MacCallum 1944

Name No Builder Laid down Launched Comp Fate
Gadila MX Howaldtswerke, Kiel, Germany ? 1/12/1934 4/1935 // 1/2/1944 sold mercantile 5/1945
Macoma MR Nederlandse Dok, Amsterdam, Netherlands ? 31/12/1935 5/1936 // 1/4/1944 sold mercantile 5/1945

 

Displacement standard, t

8000

Displacement full, t

16000

Length, m

141.1

Breadth, m

18.1

Draught, m

8.38 norm 10.3 max

No of shafts

1

Machinery

diesel

Power, h. p.

4400

Max speed, kts

12.7

Fuel, t

diesel oil

Armament

1 x 1 - 102/40 QF Mk IV, 2 x 1 - 40/56 Bofors, 6 x 1 - 20/70 Oerlikon, 4 aircraft (Swordfish II torpedo bombers)

Sensors type 271, 279 radars
Complement 118

Aircraft facilities (fd - 2,456m², ha - 0m² / 0m³): Flight deck: 137.2 x 18.1m, there were no hangar and lift. Aircraft fuel stowage was 22,700l.

Ship project history:  Merchant aircraft carriers (MAC-ships), converted from tankers in the late 1943 - early 1944, similar to British Rapana class. Each ship carried 3-4 Swordfishes of 860 sqn RFAA. Officially they did not been included into Navy list, crew, except armament and aviation specialists, remained merchant.

Modernizations: None.

Naval service: In the spring 1945 the flight deck and all armaments were demounted, and vessels continued to be used on initial purpose till 1958.

sister-ship RMS Miralda

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© Ivan Gogin, 2011