Treaty carrier design and operating theaters

British carriers were expected to operate in the Mediterranean and South China Sea under substantial land-based air attack. Protection was therefore a priority even when it constrained the aircraft available. The American comparison places more weight on maneuvering room and larger air groups. Cumulative treaty limits prevented either navy from simply building enough of the larger carriers it wanted. Multi-carrier operations helped provide the required combined air strength within those compromises. Midway, Implacable and Malta designs are invoked as examples of the stronger combination of protection and air-group capacity sought beyond treaty constraints.