Strike, fleet, and cruiser carrier doctrine

Cruiser carriers supported trade protection and cruiser operations; fleet carriers supplied reconnaissance, fighters, spotting, and some attack power; strike carriers delivered the major offensive blow. The strike-carrier lineage reached back to First World War schemes for attacking the High Seas Fleet in Wilhelmshaven, giving Ark Royal a specifically British ancestry. The Swordfish's torpedo-spotter-reconnaissance combination suited the fleet-carrier role. British doctrine also emphasised a continuing flow of smaller aircraft groups, although it retained the ability to assemble a larger strike. The roles came from the tasks assigned to each air group, with ship size following operational purpose.