Madden proposed eleven aviation ships for an Atlantic Fleet of ten battleships and four battlecruisers, with separate reconnaissance, divisional, torpedo, ASW, and air-defense roles. Extended across the Mediterranean and a proposed Indian Ocean fleet, the concept implied at least thirty-three carriers before adding ships for detached cruiser duties. As Atlantic Fleet commander and later First Sea Lord, Madden gave the requirement genuine institutional weight. The scale and urgency challenge the image of an interwar Royal Navy indifferent to naval air power.
Notable Point · 12:29-17:25
Admiral Madden's eleven-carrier fleet plan
A 1919 paper assigns specialized carriers to reconnaissance, spotting, torpedo attack, anti-submarine work, and air defense.