Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 40:19-41:48

Why carriers cannot replace battleships in the 1920s

Early carrier aircraft could help battleships find and hit targets, but their striking power did not yet justify abandoning the battle line.

Aircraft CarriersBattleshipsCarrier AircraftInterwar Naval DoctrineNaval AviationSopwith Cuckoo
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Question

Could Tillman's scenario shift resources from battleships to aircraft carriers?

Short answer

Not as a substitute for battleships in the 1920s: early carrier aircraft were not yet decisive, and their most important fleet role was often spotting for capital-ship guns.

Notes

Britain led carrier design and aircraft development in the 1920s because it operated and built more carriers. Even the Sopwith Cuckoo and other aircraft available then lacked the striking power to replace the battle line. For most carrier aircraft, spotting for battleship guns was still the most powerful contribution to a fleet action. Abandoning battleships in anticipation of the carrier's later importance could leave a navy vulnerable to opponents with battleships in the 1930s.