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For everybody that criticizes this, remember, every successful idea is accompanied with a bunch of wild and crazy ideas and it usually takes time to figure out

For everybody that criticizes this, remember, every successful idea is accompanied with a bunch of wild and crazy ideas and it usually takes time to figure out which ones exactly are good. I expect that somebody said at some point, "Planes on ships? That must be the stupidest idea I have ever heard!" It is easy to criticize with the help of hindsight. Most people at a certain point would say a page to connect school peers would never become one of the largest corporations on Earth. Were all these people stupid or is this just effect of having seen it happen?

Aerroon 6y ago
>I expect that somebody said at some point, "Planes on ships? That must be the stupidest idea I have ever heard!" I don't know about that. Before the invention of the airplane we already had balloon carriers - ships that carried balloons for observation in naval engagements. The first flight of a fixed wing aircraft happened in 1903. By 1910 a plane had already taken off from the armored cruiser USS Birmingham.[0] The French converted the Foudre to be a seaplane carrier in 1911 after the invention of the seaplane in 1910. Planes launched from ships were used in World War I. For example, HMS Engandine was a freight ship that was converted into a seaplane tender and commissioned in 1914. In 1916 she took part in the Battle of Jutland. HMS Ark Royal was a purpose built seaplane carrier and was commissioned in 1914. She also took part in World War I. Later we got the flat-deck carriers. HMS Argus was converted in 1918, USS Langley in 1920. The first purpose built flat deck carriers were the Japanese Hōshō and British Hermes. They were commissioned in 1922 and 1924 respectively, but the Hermes was laid down first in 1918. Funnily enough, the Washington Naval Treaty of 1922 cancelled the production of more battleships and battlecruisers. This led to the USS Lexington and USS Saratoga being converted to carriers. And eventually carriers made direct surface combat ships obsolete. Planes on ships probably wasn't a crazy idea. [0] https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Birmingham_(CL-2) https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Birmingham_(CL-2)
- lmilcin 6y ago
  I am not versed in that part of history. Probably you are right, it might not have been that crazy idea. But I have read a lot of other history, especially WW2 and Cold War, and it is kinda normal that military throws a lot of crazy ideas. In the end even if a very small portion of those ideas bring fruit it typically tends to give the edge that you need in conflict. So I try to not criticize too much because people who prepared this were probably asked to do exactly that -- go wild with their ideas with low probability anything they produce is going to bring fruit. At the time this submarine aircraft carrier has been prepared: - Cold War was at its high - US just started using atomic power for everything they did and it seemed nuclear reactors and atomic power are going to solve any problem from going very long time under sea to having planes reach orbit and other planets - US had nuclear bombs but had trouble maintaining ability to reach USSR territory with them. Having ability for a submarine surface close to USSR territory and launch completely unexpected attack would be huge advantage and deterrent - US did not have working ICBMs and only perception that USSR is leading in development of these, so there must have been huge pressure to get ANYTHING to maintain deterrent. Now, given that kind of environment this idea doesn't sound so stupid anymore. At least not more stupid that warships made of ice and wood chips.

Aerroon 6y ago

>I expect that somebody said at some point, "Planes on ships? That must be the stupidest idea I have ever heard!" I don't know about that. Before the invention of the airplane we already had balloon carriers - ships that carried balloons for observation in naval engagements. The first flight of a fixed wing aircraft happened in 1903. By 1910 a plane had already taken off from the armored cruiser USS Birmingham.[0] The French converted the Foudre to be a seaplane carrier in 1911 after the invention of the seaplane in 1910. Planes launched from ships were used in World War I. For example, HMS Engandine was a freight ship that was converted into a seaplane tender and commissioned in 1914. In 1916 she took part in the Battle of Jutland. HMS Ark Royal was a purpose built seaplane carrier and was commissioned in 1914. She also took part in World War I. Later we got the flat-deck carriers. HMS Argus was converted in 1918, USS Langley in 1920. The first purpose built flat deck carriers were the Japanese Hōshō and British Hermes. They were commissioned in 1922 and 1924 respectively, but the Hermes was laid down first in 1918. Funnily enough, the Washington Naval Treaty of 1922 cancelled the production of more battleships and battlecruisers. This led to the USS Lexington and USS Saratoga being converted to carriers. And eventually carriers made direct surface combat ships obsolete. Planes on ships probably wasn't a crazy idea. [0] https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Birmingham_(CL-2) https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Birmingham_(CL-2)

lmilcin 6y ago
I am not versed in that part of history. Probably you are right, it might not have been that crazy idea. But I have read a lot of other history, especially WW2 and Cold War, and it is kinda normal that military throws a lot of crazy ideas. In the end even if a very small portion of those ideas bring fruit it typically tends to give the edge that you need in conflict. So I try to not criticize too much because people who prepared this were probably asked to do exactly that -- go wild with their ideas with low probability anything they produce is going to bring fruit. At the time this submarine aircraft carrier has been prepared: - Cold War was at its high - US just started using atomic power for everything they did and it seemed nuclear reactors and atomic power are going to solve any problem from going very long time under sea to having planes reach orbit and other planets - US had nuclear bombs but had trouble maintaining ability to reach USSR territory with them. Having ability for a submarine surface close to USSR territory and launch completely unexpected attack would be huge advantage and deterrent - US did not have working ICBMs and only perception that USSR is leading in development of these, so there must have been huge pressure to get ANYTHING to maintain deterrent. Now, given that kind of environment this idea doesn't sound so stupid anymore. At least not more stupid that warships made of ice and wood chips.