How the Bismarck hunt exposed gaps in carrier aircrew training

The Bismarck operation came as wartime recruits began joining crews trained before the war. Victorious' Fulmars were designed for reconnaissance as well as air defense, but their crews' preparation had emphasized the defensive role. The hunt exposed shortcomings in reconnaissance and observer night navigation that squadron experience had been expected to remedy. The discussion connects those lessons with a renewed commitment to night flying throughout the Fleet Air Arm, credited here as the only naval air arm whose crews could all conduct night operations by the end of the war. Training every crew for night operations took longer and brought accident risks, creating a tradeoff between the rate of aircrew production and the range of missions available.