The central compromise was the decision to retain four main-gun turrets after removing the two aft turrets for aviation facilities. A carrier intended to avoid battleship gun actions did not need that much heavy armament, and cruiser deterrence did not require it either. Removing the fourth turret and extending the aviation area forward could, in this estimate, have raised the planned air group from twenty-two aircraft toward thirty-six. The conversion increased fuel capacity and cruising range to about 9,500 nautical miles at 16 knots, yet the ships remained limited to roughly 25 knots in a combat area. Too much of the battleship survived, leaving too little aviation capacity and speed for a useful carrier.
Chapter · 8:31-10:55
Why the Ise and Hyuga hybrid conversion fell short
The conversion critique argues that retaining battleship features left Ise and Hyuga with too little useful aviation capacity.