The 24 completed Essex-class carriers belonged to a larger wartime programme described here as 33 ships planned or under construction. The scale is linked to an expectation that an invasion of Japan could cost twelve to sixteen carriers. That estimate is used to explain the continued commitment to carrier production before the war ended. The argument asks readers to judge wartime choices against the losses decision-makers feared at the time.
Notable Point · 49:24-50:11
Essex production reflected invasion-loss estimates
The scale of Essex-class construction is placed against American expectations of severe carrier losses during an invasion of Japan.