Armoured carriers against land-based air power

British armoured-carrier requirements reflected operations near enemy fleets and shore-based aircraft in the Mediterranean and South China Sea. Before radar, a larger air group could not guarantee the carrier's security, so armour offered another means of protecting the ship and its aircraft. Folding wings helped accommodate aircraft within that protected carrier design. American and Japanese choices placed greater weight on air-group size, while treaty displacement limits prevented navies from combining every desired feature. Once those restrictions disappeared, larger air groups and stronger protection could be pursued together. British planners also faced airfields on islands and the mainland: those sources of enemy aircraft could not be eliminated by sinking an opposing carrier.