In the 1930s, carriers extended a fleet's reach without making battleships redundant. Aircraft could search, screen, and strike across a much wider area than naval guns. Weather and the limits of contemporary aviation kept them from guaranteeing the destruction of every threat. Battleships still supplied concentrated and dependable surface firepower, so an effective fleet paired the two systems.
Notable Point · 47:09-48:31
Carriers and battleships as complementary systems
In the 1930s, the carrier expanded a fleet's reach while the battleship still supplied the dependable destructive power that aircraft could not guarantee in all conditions.