Reconnaissance and spotting were the carrier's original contributions to a battle fleet. In the 1920s, battleship shells were generally a more dependable ship-killing weapon than contemporary aircraft and torpedo bombers. Aircraft changed the engagement by finding and tracking the enemy, then correcting gunfire so the battle line could bring that heavier weapon to bear. A carrier could therefore be decisive as an information and fire-control platform before its air group could replace the battleship's destructive power.
Notable Point · 49:09-50:33
Carrier reconnaissance enables battle-line gunnery
Early carrier aircraft acted as force enablers, finding and tracking enemy ships and spotting battleship fire before aircraft became the fleet's principal long-range strike weapon.