American, British, and Japanese exercises had already exposed the hybrid's weaknesses, and foreign observers attended at least some of them. A flying-deck cruiser in the van would expose a carrier-like hangar while lacking enough aircraft to defend itself and scout continuously. Its cruiser division also could not maneuver for gun combat and simultaneously turn for launch and recovery. The reconnaissance concept had deeper roots in Lexington and Saratoga, whose battlecruiser hulls had been intended for scouting and raiding. Aviation could inherit that reconnaissance role while cruiser battle-line duties remained with other ships.
Notable Point · 29:02-31:02
Fleet exercises had already exposed the hybrid's problem
American, British, and Japanese exercise experience showed why a scout carrier placed in the cruiser line would inherit carrier vulnerabilities without enough aircraft to gain carrier strengths.