The postwar carrier story begins with the outlook of the people making decisions in 1945, rather than the decline visible in hindsight. Many Royal Navy officers still regarded their service as the world's leading navy even when the United States possessed the larger fleet. In this interpretation, technology should be judged against the doctrine and operating system it was designed to support instead of treating an American solution as universally superior. That outlook helps explain why Britain continued to pursue distinctive aircraft, flight-deck systems, and carrier concepts despite severe financial pressure.
Chapter · 13:20-15:15
How the Royal Navy viewed itself in 1945
Later narratives of British decline are set against the Royal Navy's confidence in its technology and operating methods at the end of the Second World War.