Carrier construction outran aircrew training

The Imperial Japanese Navy's emergency carrier procurement moved faster than its fighter, dive-bomber, and torpedo-bomber training pipelines. Its established sequence was to authorize and build ships first, then enlarge the force as those hulls entered service. That approach became dangerous once wartime losses demanded continuous replacement of trained carrier aviators. Japan had a large population, but lacked the economy and mass-training structure needed to turn that population rapidly into those specialists. Without a matching training system, an empty flight deck adds little combat power however quickly its hull is built.