The Des Moines-class aircraft hangar arrangement

How did the Des Moines-class aircraft hangar compare with other Second World War cruiser arrangements?

It was a workable crane-based system much like its contemporaries, but a helicopter deck and hangar offered a simpler later solution.

The Des Moines-class arrangement used a crane-lifted system for moving aircraft. It was neither uniquely bad nor ideal, because contemporary cruiser aircraft installations generally depended on cranes at some stage. Handling a floatplane from storage to catapult imposed several mechanical steps. A later helicopter deck and hangar made the aviation function much more straightforward.