British and American interwar carrier experiments

Both navies learned from long-range strikes and multi-carrier exercises, including Saratoga's surprise attack in the 1929 Fleet Problem and later American attacks on Hawaii in exercises. The Abyssinian deployment exposed aircraft attrition of roughly ten to fifteen percent under combat-like conditions, strengthening the case for a forward aviation-support ship such as HMS Unicorn. It also demonstrated that carriers could move air power to a crisis more readily than a land-based bomber force. Alex distinguishes an American focus on the decisive battle and War Plan Orange from a British plan organized around a global war. For Britain, cruisers and carrier aircraft first had to disperse an opponent before a reinforced fleet could advance.