The post of Rear-Admiral, Aircraft Carriers and its supporting papers reflected Royal Navy work on multi-carrier operations before the war. Norway and Mediterranean convoys employed more than one carrier. Damage to Eagle left Illustrious to conduct the Taranto strike alone, while Victorious and Ark Royal joined the Bismarck chase from separate formations. Operation C in the Indian Ocean did not produce the carrier battle that might have fixed British doctrine in popular memory. Smaller protected air groups and repairable carriers also made sense for formations expected to operate in the Mediterranean or far from British industrial support.
Notable Point · 57:54-1:02:14
Multi-carrier doctrine existed before its famous battles
British exercises and operations used multiple carriers, but losses and the absence of a celebrated carrier battle weakened their place in popular memory.