Q&A ยท 1:24:54-1:25:41

When could one carrier reliably defeat a battleship?

Reliable one-on-one carrier superiority is placed around 1950-52, with engagement range mattering more than a simple date.

Question

How long after the Second World War did it take for one carrier to defeat one battleship reliably?

Short answer

The estimate is around 1950-52, though a carrier could succeed earlier if it maintained attack range beyond the battleship's guns.

Notes

A carrier does not need to sink a battleship in one strike to hold the advantage. If it remains beyond gun range, it can recover, rearm, and launch repeated attacks while the battleship cannot reply directly. Fully reliable performance is associated with the early post-war period, though earlier carriers could also succeed under favourable range conditions. The answer reframes obsolescence as an operational geometry problem rather than a sudden technological switch.