The sub-10,000-ton carrier escape hatch

HMS Hermes displaced only a little more than 10,000 tons under an honest calculation. Omitting defensive weapons, their crews, ammunition, and supporting stores could bring a similar design beneath the treaty definition. Ships below that threshold did not consume the national carrier-tonnage allowance. A navy could therefore attach small scouting carriers to cruiser groups while reserving its counted tonnage for large fleet strike carriers. The loophole changes carrier force structure rather than merely changing one ship's specification. Moving scouting aircraft to those carriers would also free deck space and weight on the cruisers, whose seaplanes were a less effective aviation arrangement.