Ark Royal, Courageous, and Hermes each anchored an anti-submarine hunter-killer group at the start of the war. Carrier aircraft extended the search and attack radius, but full fleet carriers became tempting targets in a role better suited to smaller ships such as Hermes or, if available, Argus. Exercises encouraged confidence under artificial conditions because Asdic operators knew the confined area in which the submarine had to operate. The carrier could remain outside that boundary and send aircraft into it. Wartime patrols removed the boundary and allowed submarines to hunt the valuable carrier leading the search group.
Notable Point · 31:30-33:36
The risk of using fleet carriers as submarine hunters
Early-war hunter-killer groups used carrier aircraft to widen submarine searches, but putting Ark Royal and Courageous in that role exposed valuable fleet carriers.