Independence class as a flight-deck gap filler

The US Navy accepted a compromised small carrier even though its doctrine preferred large air groups, with the discussion placing the useful upper limit at about 100 aircraft before their size created problems. Existing Cleveland-class light-cruiser hulls already contained hard-to-produce boilers, turbines, shafts, and propellers. Converting them required aviation fuel, magazines, hangars, flight decks, and revised crew spaces, but avoided restarting the longest-lead work. Wasp's deck-edge lift was omitted because it was too complicated to add to a cruiser hull of this size and shape. The result was not an Essex substitute, but a practical bridge against production delays and possible carrier losses.