The prewar British concept described here allowed as many as six carriers to operate together. A passage through the South China Sea could bring them against a concentrated Japanese fleet. Keeping the carriers in one force would make mutual defence and support easier. American planning instead considered pairs of carriers for operations across a wider area, where spreading the force increased coverage. The difference follows the operating problem assigned to each navy's carriers.
Notable Point · 3:45:18-3:45:51
Why Britain grouped carriers while America planned pairs
Different operating areas produced different prewar multi-carrier concepts in the Royal Navy and US Navy.