Wartime naval intelligence reconstructed the characteristics of an unfamiliar Japanese carrier from limited evidence. American estimates put Taihō at about 33 knots and 860 feet, close to the comparison figures of 33.3 knots and 855 feet. The larger error was displacement, estimated at 35,000 standard tons rather than roughly 30,000. The five-foot difference in length was an error below one percent, remarkably close for analysis based on photographs and incomplete evidence. Together, the estimates show both the value and limits of technical intelligence.
Notable Point · 13:30-14:43
American intelligence estimates Taihō
US Navy analysts estimated Taihō's speed and dimensions remarkably closely from limited evidence, while overestimating her standard displacement.