United States Education Ships

*Note: The Article below, while under the Lore of the Alternaverse, it is also used in the world of Foreign Dominion by LofiFozzy.*

Currently boosting the largest inventory of School-Ships in the world, the United States Education Ship Fleet reached far and wide with over 60 active Government-funded School-Ships, and an additional myriad of privately-funded School-Ships. The total amount of their 'Education Ships' combined are twice over of all other nations combined.

## Bureau of Education Ships

The United State's **B**ureau of **E**ducation **S**hips (BES) is an independent organization whose purpose is to manage all US registered School-Ships. Specifically it's the bureau's responsibility to supervise the design, construction, assembly, procurement, and maintenance. They also supervise countless shipyards, repair docks, shore stations, developing specifications, laboratories, conducting salvage operations.

Even though it is an independent organization, the BES is frequently working alongside the US Department of Education as its foremost partner. Though the BES works alongside the United States Navy as it uses their Naval Vessel Register, the official inventory of ships and service craft in custody of or titled by the United States Navy.

## Example of Education Ships

### **Lexington Class**

The Lexingtons were the first US school carriers. They were fairly large ships, built to x25 scale. One ship was built for each coast: Lexington went to the West Coast and Saratoga to the East.

**OA Length**: 22,200 feet (4.2 miles)

**Beam**: 2,650 ft (0.5 mi)

**Scale**: x25

 **Construction Data**

### **Ranger**

Ranger was a one-off ship. She was smaller than the Lexingtons already and was built at a smaller scale (x17.5). Meant to prove the concept of smaller, cheaper, but still viable school carriers, she was ready earlier than her full-size counterparts. The Depression meant that large school ships were harder to build, and an attempt at a still modern but less expensive ship was successfully found in Ranger. Her small size would go on to inspire future small school carriers.

**OA Length**: 13,500 ft (2.56 mi)

**Beam (WL)**: 1,400 ft (.27 mi)

**Scale**: x17.5

 **Construction Data**

### **Independence Class**

The Indies were the first US school ships to be built after WWII. They were originally drawn up before the end of the war under the assumption that steel and other materials would be in short supply. They were smaller but at the same scale as Ranger, and started construction months after the surrender was signed. Due to their relatively small size and because of the US's massive industry following the war, the Indies were able to be built in absolute record time. Five ships were built, three were given to other nations as newer, larger carriers superseded them.

**OA Length**: 10,900 ft (2 mi)

**Beam (WL)**: 1,250 ft

**Scale**: x17.5

### **Saipan Class**

The Saipan-class was another smaller class of ship built before the large post-war carrier boom. They were on the drawing board in the closing weeks of WWII. While they were still designed under the assumption materials might be scarce; they were drawn up when the coming post-war situation was better predicted, allowing for a slightly larger design than had been imagined with the Independence-class. Once again, their small size and brute industry allowed them to be built very quickly. They were never built in numbers, as the much larger Midway-class overshadowed them quickly.

**OA Length**: 13,000 ft (2.46 mi)

**Beam (W/L)**: 1,500 ft

**Scale**: x19

 **Construction Data**

### **Essex Class**

The Essexes were the beginning of the massive boom in US school ships. At first, thought was given to a Yorktown-class, but the Essexes were preferred due to their more larger design and greater representation of US ability. They were the first big US carriers built after WWII. Later ships were built with nuclear propulsion (Leyte onward, modified during construction).

**OA Length**: 23,550 ft (4.46 mi)

**Beam (W/L)**: 2,500 ft (0.47 mi)

**Scale**: x26.5

### Kitty Hawk Class

It had been hoped that the veritable swarm of *Essex*-class carriers would be enough to grow with the US over the coming decades, but by the late 1950s it was clear this might not be the case. Birth rates were on the rise, and within two decades the capability of US school ships would be overwhelmed and overcrowded without significant rebuilds. Even worse, even the newest of the battleship school ships were over forty years at this point. They were beginning to show their age, and they would begin to reach the end of their intended service lives just as their capacity would be needed most. Without extensive overhauls, it was estimated these ships would be completely unusable by 1980. At first, more *Essex*-class were considered, which was quickly shot down. A further development was the *Midway*-class, which would slightly improve the characteristics of the *Essexes*. This too was deemed inadequate. A third choice was drawn up: the *Forrestal*-class. These were truly massive ships, built at a scale of x40. Their massive decks would allow for tens of thousands of students and their ground-up nuclear design would allow very long service lives. However, some changes were made to the design before approval. More efficient propulsion, a more ergonomic ship layout, and a reworked upper deck were included on the basic *Forrestal* design with a slight upscale to x43. The result was even more massive: over eight miles long and a mile wide at the waterline. Two ships would be built for each coast, each one being able to compare to almost two single *Essexes* alone. This would become the *Kitty Hawk*-class - the first school supercarriers.

In a break from past tradition, not all of the ships kept their original name. The governing body controlling school ship construction deemed carriers named after people inappropriate. To remedy the fourth ship's proposed name of *John F. Kennedy*, she was renamed to *Constitution* prior to completion.

**OA Length**: 43,200 ft (8.2 mi)

**Beam (W/L)**: 5,590 ft

**Beam (OA)**: 12,100 ft

Scale: x43