The larger Pacific air groups came from smaller aircraft and greater use of flight-deck parking rather than rebuilt hangars. First World War experience shaped British caution: during some periods, weather and heavy seas destroyed more embarked aircraft than enemy action. In northern waters, aircraft left on deck were exposed to storms as well as attack, so the preferred deck load was the combat air patrol and its immediate replacements. When a raid approached, the airborne patrol could break up the attackers while the alert fighters launched and climbed. Keeping large numbers of armed and fueled aircraft on deck would also have created an obvious fire hazard.
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Deck parking, northern weather, and combat readiness
The Royal Navy's caution about deck parking reflected both harsh northern seas and the danger of leaving fueled aircraft exposed during an attack.