Early installations obscured guns and were unsuitable as permanent warfighting arrangements. They nevertheless let navies test whether aircraft could launch from a ship before sacrificing a hull to a dedicated flight deck. Catapults simplified launch, but recovery still forced a ship to slow or stop. For the Royal Navy, the submarine destruction of Aboukir, Cressy, and Hogue made a stationary recovery procedure look especially dangerous.
Chapter · 32:45-35:35
Overdeck platforms test flight without surrendering the ship
Temporary ramps and overdeck platforms let navies test aircraft at sea before accepting a dedicated flight-deck ship.