The Port Blair strike in the Andaman Islands put more than fifty aircraft in the air while Illustrious was the only available deck on which they could recover. A single landing accident could therefore have trapped the whole force aloft, converting a routine mishap into a mass loss. The arrival of Indomitable and Victorious supplied additional landing decks for large carrier operations. Victorious brought that extra capacity even though her new air wing was not yet considered combat ready despite having experienced leaders.
Notable Point · 1:27:39-1:29:02
Why a carrier force needed a spare landing deck
Launching more than fifty aircraft from one carrier exposed the Eastern Fleet to losing an entire airborne force if a deck accident blocked recovery.