Seaplane carriers as movable air bases

HMS Ark Royal, later renamed HMS Pegasus, represented the first purpose-built seaplane carrier. Purpose-built and converted ships could establish a functioning aviation base without first constructing shore infrastructure. The carrier supplied hangars, workshops, command facilities, accommodation, defenses, and cranes, while a sheltered bay served as the runway. Because the base could pack up and move, it followed a changing front without demanding a new airstrip on every island. Its aircraft could provide reconnaissance, anti-submarine patrols, and occasional anti-shipping or air-defense missions from otherwise undeveloped anchorages.