Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 1:05:57-1:07:17

Armoured carriers and persistent air power

An armoured flight deck trades air-group size against the ability to keep aircraft operating after damage.

Aircraft CarriersNaval AviationRoyal NavyWarship Design
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Question

Why did the Royal Navy favour armoured carriers despite their smaller air groups?

Short answer

Protection could keep the carrier and its aircraft operating on later days of a campaign, though larger displacement would have eased the air-group trade-off.

Notes

The armoured-deck choice was a survivability calculation. The Royal Navy wanted a carrier that could still operate aircraft after taking damage, which made a smaller but persistent air group attractive. A larger treaty allowance could have combined the protection associated with Illustrious with an air group closer to Ark Royal's scale. The navy wanted both protection and capacity, with displacement forcing the historical trade-off.