The 23,450-ton displacement paradox

The published 23,450-ton standard displacement looks implausibly small beside the physical changes from Illustrious. Two extra boilers, a turbine, a shaft, a longer hull, and another hangar level cannot realistically add only about 450 tons. The unusually large gap between quoted standard and deep displacement also stands out beside Yorktown, Illustrious, Essex, and Shokaku figures. A standard displacement of roughly 26,000 to 27,000 tons produces a more credible fuel-and-feed-water load. The often-quoted capacity of fifty-four aircraft deserves the same caution because the ships regularly operated air groups above eighty.