British carrier roles joined combat doctrine to global repair logistics

British carrier planning did not divide neatly into one Far Eastern design and one Mediterranean design. Ark Royal's large air group and maintenance space made her a natural independent deployment choice, while the armored Illustrious class was intended to operate closer to the battle line and survive damage. The strike carriers concentrated aircraft for a major blow such as Taranto, whereas the fleet carriers stayed with the battle line to provide continuous support. Once treaty limits fell away, the Implacable class represented an effort to combine Ark Royal's air group with Illustrious-style protection. Armor reduced hangar and support space, yet could keep a damaged carrier repairable at Singapore, Sydney, Madras, or Bombay rather than forcing an immediate return to Britain. Formidable's position at Matapan shows how fleet carriers were expected to provide combat air patrol, reconnaissance, spotting, and repeated strikes from within the fleet formation.