The cruiser-carrier concept was a mobile aviation workhorse for the distributed tasks of a fleet. HMS Hermes could remain on station, fly aircraft in support of cruiser operations, and escort especially important convoys. The type sat only a little above an escort carrier, but had a wider role in maintaining presence and sustaining the war. That combination made Hermes a practical baseline for judging the minimum facilities a British emergency combat carrier required.
Notable Point · 10:22-11:16
Hermes filled the cruiser-carrier middle ground
Hermes supplied a small-carrier model for station work, cruiser support, and critical-convoy escort - more capable than a bare escort carrier but short of a fleet carrier.