The proposal combined six 8-inch guns with upper and lower hangars and a split aviation arrangement. Torpedo aircraft would launch from lower-deck catapults near the heavy guns, while fighters would use the upper flight deck. The complexity reflected France's worldwide colonial and maritime obligations under a cumulative allowance of only 60,000 tons. That allowance left room for three 20,000-ton carriers rather than two 27,000-ton ships, but any design at the lower figure had to reconcile too many roles within one compact hull.
Chapter · 20:34-22:17
A French hybrid carrier tried to fit colonial roles into 20,000 tons
An interwar French proposal combined heavy guns, split flight operations, and multiple hangars while trying to satisfy global commitments under a 60,000-ton allowance.