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From: wbt@cbema.att.com (William B Thacker)
Newsgroups: sci.military
Subject: Re: Definitions of naval vessel types?
Message-ID: <1991May16.052746.17645@amd.com>
Date: 15 May 91 14:47:08 GMT
References: <1991May4.020831.19998@amd.com> <1991May9.064341.13565@amd.com>
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From: wbt@cbema.att.com (William B Thacker)


Paul Stacy writes:
>eachus@largo.mitre.org (Robert I. Eachus) writes...
>>battleships (BB) plus aircraft carriers (CV
>>and CVA for auxiliary), submarines (SS) and support ships.
>
>I'm sure that CVA means an attack carrier.  

This is correct.  "Auxiliary" has a pretty specific meaning in most navies,
including our own; it implies a non-combat vessel, such as an oiler or
submarine tender, that is under military control.  The only exception to
this rule I can think of is the British "Auxiliary Merchant Cruisers" of
WWII which were intended to fight U-boats and enemy merchant ships.

A better way to put this would be to say "a naval vessel which is not a
warship," but that relies on an understanding of what constitutes a
"warship."

In any case (in US terminology) when Auxiliary is part of a designation, it
comes first; for instance, AO is an Auxiliary Oiler, AK is an Aux. Dry
Cargo Freighter, etc.  So if there was such a thing as an auxiliary
carrier, it would be AV (which, I believe, is actually a designation for
"seaplane tender.")

-- 
Bill Thacker	AT&T Network Systems - Columbus		wbt@cbnews.att.com