Would defeat favor American carriers or new battleships?

If the American fleet were destroyed at sea, would the United States remain a battleship navy or prioritize carriers?

It would depend on how the defeat occurred: a carrier-led victory would validate aviation, while a Japanese battle-line finish could accelerate Iowa and Montana construction.

A viewer asks whether an intact prewar battle fleet would keep carriers in a supporting role. Kimmel's reconnaissance background and carrier experience show that American naval leadership already contained strong aviation advocates. If Japanese carriers visibly destroyed the fleet, naval aviation would gain the clearest institutional victory. If aircraft and destroyers merely softened the Americans before Yamato and Musashi delivered the decisive blow, battleship prestige could instead surge and drive completion of both the Iowa and Montana programs.