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The largest aircraft carrier in the world is the USS Ford, which has a length of 330 meters, a width of more than 40 meters, and a maximum displacement of 110,000 tons. But, you know what?
During World War II, Britain planned to build an aircraft carrier, which was planned to be more than 600 meters long and 110 meters high, equivalent to the height of a 30-story building.
Today, let's explore the black technology of World War II - the concept aircraft carrier.
During World War II, the European continent was shrouded in the shadow of Nazi Germany, and few countries were able to stand alone. Also as a belligerent country, Britain also suffered a heavy blow.
However, in this war, a powerful fleet born from German industry and industry showed off its might in the Atlantic Ocean and was invincible.
1.German submarines sank hundreds of Allied merchant ships in one month in November 1942, inflicting huge losses on Britain and other countries. 2.Britain's main supplies during World War II were transported by sea, so attacks by German submarines had a serious impact on it.
3.In November 1942 alone, the submarines of the German fleet sank hundreds of merchant ships of the Allied forces, and Britain and other countries suffered heavy losses. 4.Britain was one of the biggest victims during World War II, as German submarines sank a large number of their sea-based supply ships within a month in November 1942.
During World War II, in November 1942, Britain was under tremendous pressure to survive. The lack of living materials made Britain barely survive for a month.
If this continued, Britain could face a mountain of defeat and even become a German colony. This kept Britain's then Prime Minister Winston Churchill awake at night and deeply worried.
So the conundrum arises, why didn't Britain add more coastal defense forces to counter Germany? In fact, this was not because of lack of time, but because Britain realized that if there was a problem in its own country, the entire Allied army would be threatened.
At the height of World War II, British journalist and intelligence officer Geoffrey Peck stepped up to offer a surprising idea: If there is a shortage of steel, why not build an aircraft carrier from the most readily available material, the extreme ice of the Arctic Ocean?
The idea seems very ahead of its time even today, enough to be jaw-dropping.
Arctic Ocean) Jeffrey Pike believes that ordinary ice cannot resist normal air temperatures, water temperatures, and enemy torpedoes. Therefore, he chose what he considered to be the most solid layer of ice.
But will anyone believe him? Will anyone see through his choice? Let's continue reading below.
Arctic Ocean) is not just about us to focus on this issue, even if polar ice plays a role on the battlefield, it is important to take into account the impact of air and water temperature on ice carriers. The same concerns were raised in the UK.
Jeffrey Pike, the proposer of the Ice Submarine, was not a trickster, and his goal was to develop a ** that would suppress Germany's naval power. After much deliberation, he came up with a unique idea: to create a submarine that could move in the water and hide in order to avoid being tracked and attacked by German submarines.
This design uses ice cubes as a shell to remain invisible in the water, and can be further enhanced by changing the shape and color of the ice cubes to simulate the surrounding environment.
Such a design was not only innovative but also practical, making the ice submarine an important role in the maritime warfare at that time.
Artwork: Ice Boat) While this may sound feasible and difficult, the biggest problem – how to resist the onslaught of the Nazis – remains unsolved.
Therefore, the UK did not adopt this plan. But this bold idea was not abandoned, but continued to develop in early 1943, a few months after Jeffrey Peck proposed the concept of an ice aircraft carrier.
During an experiment, American scientists Hermann Mark and Walter Hohenstein stumbled upon a surprising property of ice cubes. After adding cotton and fibers to fresh water, they freeze it and perform hardness tests.
This ice cube has been proven to melt easily and is very inexpensive to make. When the results were published, the most excited person was probably Admiral Mountbatten, who had been nearly killed by the Nazis.
He reported the information to Churchill, who was very interested in the idea of this innovation. Churchill supported the development of an ice aircraft carrier because it had the great advantage of repairing the damage overnight.
Normal ice and reinforced ice. Mountbatten raised his gun to aim at the normal ice, and when he shot it, the ice immediately shattered, in order to prove that the reinforced ice was hard enough to cope with the pressure.
The second piece of ice shook only twice after a single gunshot, leaving only a small depression on the surface, to the surprise of everyone present. If this material can be mass-produced, it will undoubtedly break the technical limitations of ice aircraft carriers.
Mountbatten took advantage of the victory at the meeting.
WWII Germany) Although the idea of building an aircraft carrier out of ice may seem crazy, after in-depth analysis, we find that this attempt is not a brainless move, but an innovative way of thinking.
The reason why Britain had such an idea was also forced to find a new way to fight against the powerful Germany. Under Mountbatten, many British and American generals had confidence in the ice carriers.
Even the American ** Roosevelt at that time agreed to cooperate with the British in the development of this huge project.
in june 1943, a team of american and british researchers descended upon patricia lake in canada with a singular mission - to construct an ice carrier. within the very month, a marvel of engineering emerged. measuring 20 meters in length and entirely composed of ice, with wooden decks and a tar coating on the inside, the "ice ship" was a miniature replica of an ice carrier. as the summer months passed, one could not help but be amazed at the sight of this incredible creation.
With the appearance of the aircraft carrier schematic, all the cast and crew were greatly encouraged and began to believe that this seemingly impossible mission was actually achievable.
At the beginning of October, the United States made a request, and the development of a real ice aircraft carrier was officially launched. This is precisely one of the most famous military-industrial programs during World War II.
The ice aircraft carrier project, which was envisaged by the plan, never worked out, imagine that if it really came true, the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans would be full of behemoths. So why did the project fail in the end?
What is the problem facing the Habakuk ice aircraft carrier? It was originally just a simple model of 20 meters, and acute problems began to emerge only after the design drawings of the ice aircraft carrier were actually put into production. One of the main problems is the installation of the engine. Although under normal circumstances, the small ice carrier can indeed survive a summer, but after the engine is installed, the heat dissipation problem is exposed.
All the R&D personnel did not take into account the problem of heat dissipation of the aircraft carrier.
Once the ice melts, the installation of the aircraft carrier's engine becomes unstable, like putting a red-hot soldering iron on the ice, and the scene is extremely thrilling. In addition, aircraft carriers made of steel are not only hard, but also have a certain toughness, which allows them to continue to work even if they suffer damage, and the damaged area is relatively small.
However, although the hardness of this ice aircraft carrier is high, the toughness is relatively low.
Japanese aircraft carriers"The plan was aborted, and the technical difficulties could not be overcome, but the United States did not waste too many resources because of this. On the contrary, a large number of frigates were put into the battlefield, providing strong support for the Allies and Germany in the war, and played a key role in the victory of World War II, rescuing Britain from the siege of the German army.
During World War II, Britain's research and development was extremely innovative, and even many concepts now look like science fiction. For example, after the defeat of Japan, an attempt was made to develop one"Underwater aircraft carriers"However, due to technical difficulties, it had to be shelved.
These stories may seem ridiculous, but there's no denying that the design of the ice aircraft carrier is still treasured by the Royal Navy Archives to remember a history of madness and exploration.
1. "Britain in World War II"Ice aircraft carriers"Planning: From vision to history"。 2. "The Birth and Death of the Ice Aircraft Carrier: Britain's Innovative Attempt at World War II"。
3. "On your own"Ice"Ship: A special ship concept in British World War II"。