Battlecruiser hulls made natural treaty-era carrier conversions

The Washington treaty is the point at which several compelling battlecruiser possibilities disappeared. Without its restrictions, the United States might have completed Lexington-class battlecruisers and Japan might likewise have retained the Amagis in their original role. The same qualities that placed these ships near the cruiser end of the spectrum also made conversion attractive. Their hulls were already long and fast, two essentials for operating aircraft at sea. Successful carrier conversions demonstrated the adaptability of battlecruiser construction while leaving the original ships' later combat value untested.