The Saratoga
The correspondent for naval affairs of the newspaper The Daily Telegraph reported the possibility of converting the American aircraft carriers Lexington (1) and Saratoga (2) into transatlantic passenger ships. The recently founded syndicate which now owned the United States Line bid to the US government for both ships. Both ships were originally laid down as battle cruisers but converted into 33,000 tons aircraft carriers as a result of the Naval Treaty of Washington.(3) Their turbo electric engines supplied 180,000 hp and which were the mightiest of the world allowing a design speed of 33¼ knots but in service was a speed of 34 knots reached. Not doubt were both ships able to maintain a cruising speed of 30 knots which was 2-3 knots faster as any transatlantic passenger ship. American experts pointed out that conversion into mailers resulted that the Blue Riband (4) came into American hands against less costs and time than the new building of passenger ships would entail. Before the Second World War was the highest speed reached by the Queen Mary in 1939 with 30,99 knots.
Notes
1. Pennant CV-2. Ordered in 1916 as a battle cruiser, laid down at the yard of the Fore River Ship and Engine Building Company on 8 January 1921, reclassified into a carrier on 1 July 1922, launched on 3 October 1925, commissioned on 14 December 1927 and sunk on 8 May 1942 during the battle of the Coral Sea and stricken from the list on 24 June of the same year.
2. Pennant CV-3. Ordered in 1917 as a battle cruiser, laid down at the New York Shipbuilding Corporation on 25 September 1920, reclassified into a carrier on 1 July 1922, launched on 7 April 1925, commissioned on 16 November 1927, on 1 and 25 July used during atomic bomb tests and sunk and finally stricken on 15 August 1946. Nicknamed Sara Maru, Sister Sara and Stripe-Stacked Sara. Sister ship of the Lexington.
3. A treaty between the United States, British Empire, Japan, France and Italy signed on 6 February 1922 as a result of the Washington Naval Conference between November 1921-February 1922 which intended to limit the total capitals ship tonnage of these five major powers.
4. The Blue Riband is an unofficial award for the passenger line ships which in regular service crossing the Atlantic Ocean with the recorded highest speed. The last ship which was awarded was the United States in 1952 with a speed of 34,51 knots.
