How the ferry mission shaped escort-carrier design

The early US concept placed escort carriers inside a methodical advance across the Pacific. They would move aircraft and operate them intermittently, which made a shorter flight deck acceptable. A hydraulic catapult and two lifts provided useful aviation capability without turning the merchant-derived hull into a fleet carrier. Every foot of deck became more important once continuous combat flying became the main mission, so this compromise records the role designers expected. Limited convoy work and protection against Japan's capable submarine force were secondary design concerns at this stage.