The battle fleet supplied the concentrated heavy-gun force, with the battleships organized around a separate fleet flagship arrangement. USS Langley offered a viable early carrier capability for 1923 even though Lexington and Saratoga would soon make her limitations obvious. Destroyers provided the lighter supporting element around a roster that included New York, Texas, Nevada, Arizona, and other battleships. The striking omission is the complete absence of cruisers from this battle formation, leaving no dedicated cruiser screen around the Navy's main striking force.
Notable Point · 7:25-9:13
The battle fleet's battleship and carrier core
The battle fleet centered on battleships, destroyers, and the early carrier Langley, but included no cruisers.