Midway is best understood as a survivable carrier. Armour was one part of a broader effort to prevent damage, limit its effects, and return the ship to operations quickly. Her roughly 3.5-inch armoured flight deck and 7.6-inch belt were incremental additions to a balanced American design, rather than an attempt to duplicate Illustrious. A fleet still had to provide enough flight decks while damaged ships underwent repair. The United States had greater replacement and repair capacity, while Japan's limited infrastructure made losses harder to absorb. Britain faced the long route from home yards through the Mediterranean, Suez, and the Indian Ocean to a Pacific war. Survivability was therefore a force-availability calculation shaped by geography and industrial support as well as armour thickness.
Chapter · 11:10-16:48
Survivability meant keeping flight decks available
Midway's survivability depended on repairability, resistance to the attackers that escaped the air defenses, and the ability to keep flight decks available across long distances.