This comparison separates the ability to launch some aircraft without turning into wind from the larger problem of launching a fully laden carrier strike. Royal Navy terminology called carrier launch devices accelerators, reserving catapult for equipment fitted to cruisers and capital ships. Speed and heading could create useful airflow over the deck, while installed launch gear still mattered for specific aircraft and loads. Escort carriers illustrate why launch performance has to be assessed alongside ship speed and available equipment.
Notable Point · 8:54-10:23
Catapults, accelerators, and wind over the deck
Compressed-air launch gear gave Graf Zeppelin options, but British carriers also used accelerators and could make wind over the deck when launching heavy strikes.