Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 2:56:08-2:56:31

Could an Essex simply receive an armored flight deck?

An armored deck cannot simply be added to an Essex hull because the entire supporting structure must be designed around that heavy strength deck.

Armoured Flight DecksCarrier DesignEssex Class Aircraft CarriersMidway Class Aircraft CarriersStrength Decks
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Question

Did the United States consider putting an armored flight deck on an Essex-class carrier?

Short answer

To an extent, but doing so requires redesigning the supporting structure; that design path leads toward the Midway class.

Notes

An armored flight deck is too heavy to treat as a plate added during an ordinary refit. Its loads must pass through the supporting structure, and the deck itself usually becomes part of the ship's strength system. Retrofitting an Essex would therefore require far more than covering the existing flight deck with armor. The Midway class represents the new design path that follows when protection and a large air group are built into the hull from the start.