Extreme forward lift placement compromised hull structure

Joffre's principal flight-deck elevator sat so far forward that its well created structural problems in the hull. The platform could not descend fully without a deeper opening that would seriously compromise hull integrity. Designers therefore allowed only its centre section to enter the well and used a ramp to move aircraft onto the remaining platform area. A separate third lift connected the lower and upper hangars. The arrangement demonstrates how elevator location could shape the carrier's basic structure rather than merely its deck workflow.