The transition begins by identifying light construction as a recurring Japanese carrier problem. Ranger and Ryūjō reveal the danger of measuring carrier strength by aircraft count per treaty ton. Ranger's lightly built hull could visibly work in a seaway, and the United States preferred borrowing Victorious to risking her in the Pacific crisis. Ryūjō similarly pursued a large air group on a hull designed to exploit the treaty treatment of ships below 10,000 tons. Both designs show how numerical efficiency could undermine the strength and survivability of the platform carrying the aircraft.
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Ranger and Ryūjō chased air groups on too little hull
Both navies tried to maximize aircraft under tight tonnage limits, producing light carriers whose structure and survivability restricted frontline use.