Warship hull classification codes

Ships WWII
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Ok this one has me puzzled;
Battleships are BB
Battlecruisers are BC or in the US CB
Fleet Carriers are CV
Escort carriers CVE
Light carriers CVL

Etc

Now the one I’m struggling with is HMS Unicorn a maintenance aircraft carrier, I’ve not found a hull classification for her and it’s bugging me.
Her early career she did operate as a light armoured carrier with a small air group of 36 aircraft but without her workshops as carriers were urgently needed, once more carriers were available she was taken back in hand for full fitting out with her workshops. Yes she could still carry a small air group or could operate as an extra deck for operations, as an example during Operation Cockpit she operated a flight of 4 Swordfish in the anti submarine role allowing HMS Illustrious and USS Saratoga to concentrate on the main mission. Her main role was however to repair damaged aircraft and replenish lost aircraft on the fleet carriers and she allowed damaged aircraft to land aboard without blocking the flight decks of the fleet carriers. She was sort of like a destroyer or submarine tender. So would she be CVA where A was used for auxiliary or tender before it became used for attack?

Oh she does have the unique distinction of being the only carrier to carry out shore bombardment to date and that was during the Korean War.

Now to try and find the only kit of her that I’m aware of by HP Models!

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As a Royal Navy Warship she didn’t have such a designation, none of the RN ships had even if they were assigned to US Navy commands…

HMS UNICORN - Aircraft Maintenance/Light Fleet Aircraft Carrier

I hope that explains her and her usage…

In the US Navy,

As an aircraft transport she would have been designated an AV

As an Aircraft repair ship she would have been classified as an ARV

As a Fleet Carrier she would have been designated a CV

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A few other designations for CVs that came into use post WWII.
The Midway Class were originally designated as CVBs, the only type to do so. They were the first USN carriers to feature an armored flight deck. They also had an extensive battery of turreted 5" guns as built. They later held the CVA and CV designations.
In the 1950’s, US fleet carriers were separated into two roles, CVA, attack and CVS, anti submarine. Each carried different types of air wings for the roles, and the CVS carriers were also fitted with sonar systems. Later carrier air groups included the ASW aircraft into their air wings and the ship designations returned to CV.
Lastly came the CVN designation for the nuclear powered carriers, starting with USS Enterprise CVN-65.

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‘CVA’ was dropped in favor of ‘CV’ on 30 June 1975, after the last of the CVS antisubmarine carriers were decommissioned in 1974; I remember the USS Enterprise being “CVAN-65” when it would dock at NASNI while I was in high school (class of ‘76).

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