Calling Lexington and Saratoga strike-assault carriers obscures the role for which the US Navy built them. They belonged to the Scouting Force and did not carry a Marine contingent large enough to justify the assault label. Their aircraft were meant to locate the enemy, restrict the enemy's picture, and sustain knowledge across a wide ocean area. That information role continued the reconnaissance, commerce-interdiction, and presence missions envisioned for the battlecruisers.
Notable Point · 3:01-6:08
A carrier core for the scouting force
Lexington and Saratoga were intended for reconnaissance, presence, and denying an enemy a clear picture rather than amphibious assault.