Lexington and Saratoga displaced about 33,000 tons, made roughly 34 knots, and carried around eighty aircraft in the comparison. Their battlecruiser machinery created enormous flight-deck platforms with the speed to operate at the center of a fleet. Heavy eight-inch and five-inch batteries reflected the uncertain roles expected of early large carriers. The discussion also explains their after command positions, which provided a place to command if the forward island were damaged.
Chapter · 2:30:38-2:36:09
Lexington and Saratoga made speed and air-group size decisive
The American battlecruiser conversions combined very high speed, large air groups, heavy guns, and redundant command positions.