Audacious and the carrier Britain wanted

Audacious combined a larger air group and greater endurance with the protected qualities Britain had sought in earlier carriers. The design refined the Illustrious family after treaty limits had forced compromises. Jamie raises the alternative of building one fewer carrier and distributing the released tonnage among the others. Global commitments favoured enough hulls to be present in several places at once. The same preference for enough hulls appeared in Britain's willingness to exchange heavy-cruiser tonnage for light cruisers.