Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 3:23:09-3:25:19

Ryūjō and the logic of treaty loopholes

Ryūjō did not formally break the treaty; it exploited definitions, just as Britain treated feed water as excluded weight and designed tanks that could later carry fuel.

Royal NavyRyujoStandard DisplacementTreaty LoopholesWashington Naval Treaty
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Question

Was Ryūjō a treaty-breaking aircraft carrier?

Short answer

No; it exploited a loophole inside the treaty rules, much as other navies used accounting definitions to protect displacement and capability.

Notes

Ryūjō exploited a loophole within the naval treaty's formal rules. Britain also used the exclusions from standard displacement, arranging feed-water tanks so that the water contributed to protection. Some tanks could change to fuel storage quickly when war began. Rodney provides a further example: pumping out water reduced weight for speed, while taking it aboard restored protective value. Treaty definitions and exemptions therefore affected how designers distributed useful weight.