Hey, I've being watching the history channel way too long today. The Bismark weighed in at about 70 tons. An Essex class carrier weighed about 27 tons. Anyone have any opinions on what might have happened if the Germans had built about 6 carriers instead of the the Bismark and the Tirpitz?

The answer to that questions rests with wether or not the Luftwaffe would have allowed any planes to be stationed on the flat tops. Their reluctance to allow the navy to have a separate air arm is why the carrier Graf Zeppelin wound up sitting out most of the war in a port somewhere and not carrying out flight ops. As with many technological issues, German high command hard-headedness proved to be the greatest deterrent to innovation.

Okay, I though it might have been an interesting question. German carriers would have been a serious issue with the entire Lend Lease program, Battle of Britain, etc.

Naval air power is a force multiplier (the same goes for any air power). As such, the Germans would probably have had great success against the convoys and the Home Fleet. I echo the comments of War_Machine, the Germans were unlikely to have used carriers given the intransigence of the Luftwaffe.

they also did not have any carrier type aircraft nor the experience to modify easily. their principal fighter was the BF 109 which had landing gear that was way to flimsy for carrier style landings. Of course the fantasy concept of a Geman carrier fleet would make an interesting "alternative" history concept.

Not only did the Germans not have any carrier aircraft designs, they didn't have any carrier experience to draw on. The Brits had been opperating carriers since WWI, so did the Americans and Japanese. You can't just develop a carrier over night and expect it to be a success.

This gives me a great idea. I have a couple of Bismarck models. Maybe I'll use one of the hulls as a base, and build a "what-if" German carrier.