Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 3:23:08-3:23:33

Why the second Almirante Latorre hull became a carrier

Britain converted the available nonstandard Chilean battleship hull that became HMS Eagle because it had little better use in Royal Navy service.

Aircraft CarriersAlmirante Latorre Class BattleshipsChilean NavyHMS EagleRoyal NavyWarship Conversion
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Question

Was the second Almirante Latorre-class hull selected for carrier conversion simply because Britain wanted more carriers?

Short answer

Largely yes: it was an available nonstandard hull that the Royal Navy had little reason to complete for another purpose.

Notes

The panel reduces the decision to availability rather than a newly discovered ideal carrier design. Britain had the second Almirante Latorre-class hull in hand while the Royal Navy wanted additional aviation capacity. As a nonstandard battleship hull, it had limited value in the existing battle line. Conversion therefore turned an awkward available asset into HMS Eagle instead of leaving it without a useful role.