How well did Royal Navy carriers withstand kamikaze attacks off Okinawa?
Short answerTheir armored hangars, flight decks, fire separation, and mature fuel-safety systems usually contained damage effectively.
NotesBritish flight-deck armor could cause an aircraft to break up or bounce unless it struck at a particularly damaging angle. Protection extended around the hangar, while fire curtains limited fire spread. A fuel-safety system developed from a captured German design gave the carriers another layer of protection. The American hangar-deck strength concept followed a different logic, allowing flight-deck explosions to vent above the protected hull.