NAVYPEDIA

Photo

Bois Belleau 1957 Many thanks to Wolfgang Stöhr for additional information on this page.

Ships

Name	No	Yard No	Builder	Laid down	Launched	Comm	Fate
La Fayette (ex-Langley)	R96	443	New York SB, Camden, USA	11.4.1942	22.5.1943	31.8.1943 // 2.6./1951	returned to USA 3.1963
Bois Belleau (ex-Belleau Wood)	R97	431	New York SB, Camden, USA	11.8.1941	6.12.1942	31.3.1943 // 23.12.1953	returned to USA 9.1960

Technical data

Displacement standard, t	10622
Displacement full, t	14751
Length, m	182.9 wl 189.7 oa
Breadth, m	21.8 wl 33.3 oa
Draught, m	7.39 full load
No of shafts	4
Machinery	4 sets General Electric geared steam turbines, 4 Babcock & Wilcox boilers
Power, h. p.	100000
Max speed, kts	31.6
Fuel, t	oil 2633
Endurance, nm(kts)	13000 (15)
Armour, mm	belt: 127 on 16mm plating, bulkheads: 127, main deck: 51
Armament	R96: 9 x 2 - 40/60 Mk 1, 5 x 2 - 20/70 Mk 24, 1 H-4B catapult, 30 aircraft (F6F-5 Hellcat fighters, SB2C-5 Helldiver diving bombers) R97: 2 x 4 - 40/60 Mk 2, 10 x 2 - 40/60 Mk 1, 4 x 1 - 20/70 Mk 10, 1 H-4B catapult, 30 aircraft (F6F-5 Hellcat, F4U-7 Corsair fighters, SB2C-5 Helldiver diving bombers)
Electronic equipment	R96: SK-2, SG, SP radars R97: SK-2, SG, SPS-4 radars
Complement	1569

Air group

Year	Fighters	torpedo/diving bombers
1953, La Fayette	~20 F6F-5	~10 SB2C-5
1956, La Fayette	~20 F4U-7	~10 TBF

Standard scale images

Graphics

Aircraft facilities

 (fd - 3,773 m², ha - 1,313 m² / 6,957 m³): Flight deck: 169.2 x 22.3 m. Hangar: 78.6 x 16.7 x 5.3 m. There were 2 lifts in center line (12.7 t, 12.8 x 13.4 m). There was 1 H-4B catapult. Aircraft fuel stowage: 462 700 l.   

Project history

Former USN Independence class light aircraft carriers.

Ship protection

Machinery was protected by 127mm belt, 127mm transverse bulkheads and 51mm main deck.

Modernizations

1955, La Fayette: + SPS-6 radar

1955, Bois Belleau: + DRBV-22A radar

1959, La Fayette: + DRBI-10 radar

1960, La Fayette: - 5 x 2 - 20/70

Naval service

No significant events.