A more credible version made the ship a fifth aviation-support vessel in the division and dropped the gun-cruiser role. A full-length deck and five-inch dual-purpose battery would sacrifice surface-combat ambition to concentrate on scouting and aircraft handling. The arrangement resembles concentrating antisubmarine work and sensors such as sonar and hydrophones in destroyers, freeing cruisers for their own roles. Specialization lets each hull support the formation more efficiently. This option had its best chance during the Washington system, when ships under 10,000 tons did not consume a cumulative cruiser allowance. In this interpretation, William Moffett's death in April 1933 mattered less than the failure to build such ships during the 1920s opening. Once later treaties limited total cruiser tonnage, a capable conventional cruiser became a safer investment than a weak hybrid.
Notable Point · 31:12-34:51
A more viable forward aviation ship
A full-deck scout carrier with dual-purpose guns might have worked if designers abandoned cruiser combat power and acted before cruiser tonnage limits closed the opportunity.