Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 2:00:06-2:01:27

Why night carrier operations took time to learn

Night flying from a carrier required a whole operating system, which the Royal Navy developed earlier than the US Navy.

Aircraft CarriersAsdicBattle Of JutlandInterwar PeriodNaval AviationNight OperationsRoyal NavyUS NavyWorld War I
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Question

Why did the early-war US Navy lack routine night carrier-launch capability?

Short answer

The US Navy did not expect to need routine night carrier operations. They required carrier procedures and navigation aids that took time to develop, while the Royal Navy had made night action an interwar priority.

Notes

The US Navy did not expect to need routine night carrier operations. Developing them required changes to how the carrier worked, including a beacon system and floats dropped astern to guide returning aircraft. These arrangements took time to establish. The Royal Navy treated night action as a requirement between the wars, with Jutland's night battle remaining an institutional warning. First World War submarine losses similarly encouraged the fitting of hydrophones and ASDIC.