From people catching aircraft to arresting gear

How did carrier arresting gear work between the wars and in the Second World War?

It evolved from very rudimentary deck handling into mechanical spring-and-pulley systems, with later hydraulic variants built to handle heavier aircraft.

The earliest carrier arrangements could be remarkably primitive, including people physically helping to catch an aircraft. Sandbags and other improvised measures belonged to the same experimental stage. By the Second World War, arresting gear used mechanical combinations of springs and pulleys, with hydraulic variants appearing as aircraft weights increased. Different ships and navies adopted different systems, but all had to absorb landing energy while bringing the aircraft to a controlled stop.