How 10,000-ton cruiser-carriers might have served

Would a carrier based on a 10,000-ton cruiser hull have resembled HMS Unicorn, and how useful would it have been in the Second World War?

It would have been closer to a Colossus-size cruiser-carrier and, in numbers, very useful for escort, scouting, and local fighter cover.

A carrier based on a 10,000-ton cruiser hull is compared with the size and scale of Colossus. Unicorn is too heavy for the comparison because she carries substantial repair and refitting spaces. In sufficient numbers, these hypothetical cruiser-carriers could escort convoys and support cruisers hunting surface raiders, including in the South Atlantic. A pair could provide local aviation support when a fleet carrier was unavailable. With about 24 aircraft each, one could concentrate on reconnaissance and the other on fighters. Alternatively, each ship could carry 12 fighters and 12 reconnaissance aircraft, giving each role access to both flight decks.