With Malta, British designers tried to grow beyond the roughly 72-aircraft capacity of earlier large carriers while retaining survivability. More lifts and space would speed aircraft handling and give the ship greater maintenance and support capacity. The carrier was intended to perform more of the forward aviation-support work associated with HMS Unicorn, reducing dependence on a separate maintenance ship. A larger hull could also be divided into more independent compartments so damage in one area would not destroy buoyancy elsewhere. Protection therefore included subdivision, magazine defence, armour distribution, and the thickness of the armoured deck.
Chapter · 41:50-44:09
Malta: the larger British carrier concept
The unbuilt Malta class represents a British attempt to combine a larger air group, quicker aircraft movement, self-support, and deeper damage resistance.