British and American views of the first strike

The comparison does not reduce either navy to a simple preference for protection or numbers. American planners needed the largest possible first blow because a carrier that missed its chance might not receive another, especially far from secure bases. The British concept also depended on finding and striking first, but preferred to exploit timing such as a night attack when enemy aircraft could not answer. Carrier design followed these campaign assumptions by balancing strike size, resilience, and the ability to remain useful on later days.