Armored-carrier logic is compared with the older battlecruiser and battleship problem. Battlecruisers could exploit motion and oceanic space in the Atlantic or Pacific, while Mediterranean fleets faced choke points that limited their freedom to evade attack. Aircraft could also cover the shorter distances of a confined theater, further reducing the value of maneuver as protection. The Italian and Austro-Hungarian preference for fast battleships provides the analogy for why the Royal Navy valued tougher carriers in similarly constrained waters.
Notable Point · 19:43-20:32
Mediterranean choke points and the case for protection
A comparison with Mediterranean capital-ship design explains why confined waters and predictable choke points rewarded protection more than battlecruiser-style reliance on speed and maneuver.