Navies recognized in the interwar period that aircraft would find the enemy and report strike results before surface ships came within gun range. That information naturally flowed back to the carrier, making it a useful command centre for the surrounding task group. The carrier was also expected to remain farther from the enemy than a gun-armed flagship, giving the admiral a safer place to coordinate local forces. Royal Navy exercises put senior officers aboard carriers before the formal return of a carrier rear admiral in 1930, although Andrew Cunningham's destroyer background and close-action instincts made him prefer a battleship at sea.
Notable Point · 35:10-37:24
Why carriers became natural flagships
Reconnaissance and strike reports flow toward the carrier while its stand-off position gives a senior commander room to coordinate the force.