Ark Royal and Illustrious split British carrier priorities

The Royal Navy expected its carriers to serve across several oceans and near hostile land-based aircraft. Treaty tonnage made it difficult to combine the desired strike group, continuous flying operations, and protection in enough hulls for those commitments. Ark Royal emphasized a large strike group while retaining more protection than many foreign designs. Tonnage savings nevertheless left weaknesses in her torpedo defenses, and her loss is linked here to a submarine torpedo, poor counter-flooding, and the stability characteristics of a tall double-hangar hull. Illustrious accepted a smaller strike group to give greater priority to protection and sustained flying. A larger Implacable-type carrier could bring those requirements together more fully.