Eight-inch guns versus flight-deck operations

The turrets consumed hangar volume, deck space, and weight high in the ship. Ammunition handling also occupied capacity that could have supported aviation. Firing to starboard could scatter cartridge cases and debris across the flight deck, while firing to port exposed aircraft to blast. At roughly 37,000 tons standard, the carrier would be an enormous target even though its guns matched a cruiser's calibre. Using the eight-inch battery meant suspending launches and recoveries, so a secondary weapon displaced the ship's primary weapon at the moment of danger.