Could early carriers answer the largest battleship guns?

Could the United States answer British 21-inch battleship guns by turning to aircraft carriers?

Carriers still develop, but useful anti-ship aircraft depend on engines powerful enough to carry an effective load.

Carriers remain part of the projected fleet, but aircraft must carry a useful offensive load before they become a strong answer to capital ships. That depends on improvements in engine power relative to weight. Meanwhile, protection against heavy shells arriving from above would already encourage substantial battleship deck armour. Carrier aviation therefore develops alongside fast, heavily armed ships while its anti-ship capability matures.