Large Second World War ships were more resilient than the description 'floating targets' suggests. Major losses stand out precisely because most large ships survived many operations and damaging attacks. Illustrious-class carriers absorbed heavy bomb hits and continued fighting or returned to service. Armor could defeat or limit high-explosive damage, while a large hull had more mass and internal volume to absorb local destruction. Effective damage control turned those structural advantages into continued buoyancy and combat endurance, whereas a comparable hit could be fatal to a much smaller ship.
Notable Point · 3:46:47-3:48:43
Why large Second World War ships were not easy targets
Large warships were difficult to sink because armour, mass and damage control let many absorb bomb hits that would destroy smaller ships.