From 1934 Eagle operated on the China Station, where her aircraft were used against pirates and their bases. Conditions in Hong Kong and the Far East exposed the limits of ventilation and cooling arrangements that had been adequate in the Mediterranean. Bomb magazines, food stores, crew spaces, and aircraft all required adaptation, providing lessons for future carrier design and overseas support. Worldwide deployment demanded environmental engineering as well as combat capability.
Chapter · 46:21-48:28
China Station service exposes tropical operating limits
Deployment to the China Station combined anti-piracy flying with practical lessons about magazine cooling, food storage, ventilation, and aircraft performance in tropical heat.