The US Navy treated carrier aviation as a practical fleet problem before it had the hardware to match the idea. USS New York and USS Oklahoma received carrier roles modeled on USS Langley, allowing officers to test air power before a real fleet carrier was available. In the Panama exercise, one aircraft represented a fifteen-plane squadron and its miniature bombs theoretically destroyed the Gatun Dam spillway. Members of Congress watched the maneuvers, so the Fleet Problems provided political education as well as operational learning. Publicizing capability also supported deterrence by showing potential opponents what the Navy could do. The 1923 experiment became a foundation for later confidence in carrier raids and long-range strike effects.
Notable Point · 16:03-20:56
Fleet Problems simulate carriers before carriers arrive
Fleet Problems One and Two use battleships as simulated carriers, letting the US Navy test air strikes before it has real fleet carriers in service.