Treaty limits turn design into a chain of compromises

A passage on carrier design argues that better appreciation of the bombing threat led to more horizontal protection. Keeping displacement fixed meant that the added protection reduced aircraft capacity. The review then contrasts expensive 9,400-ton Town-class cruisers with cramped 8,000-ton Crown Colony-class ships that tried to retain similar offensive power. Bismarck and Tirpitz provide the opposite case: the book says they exceeded their official displacement by more than 10,000 tons and argues that the breach paid off in action. These examples connect treaty compliance directly to protection, aircraft capacity, firepower, and living space.