Re: Stamp Out Ignorance

A couple of interesting points about the common designation system:  it
mainly derives from the USN system, which has itself evolved over the
years.

CV is derived from "Cruiser (not Carrier), aViation" as CVs were
originally
envisaged as having cruiser functions, and CA was already taken for
heavy
cruisers (derived from "Cruiser, Armoured").  Heavy and Light cruisers
from
WW2 are defined by the London Treaty of 1930 according to main armament
calibre, not the size of the vessel, so the 8000 ton York was a heavy
cruiser, while the 10000 ton Edinburgh was a light cruiser.

Battlecruiser in the USN system was "CC";  the Alaska class were "CB"
from
"Cruiser, Big" (!).

Cheers
Rob Paul

Rob Paul
NERC Institute of Virology 
Mansfield Road, Oxford OX1 3SR	  Tel. (01865) 512361
rpaul@worf.molbiol.ox.ac.uk
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