Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 27:34-28:08

How the US Navy might answer a 1941 carrier warning

Advance warning of the 1942 carrier crisis would push the US Navy to accelerate whichever ships were already closest to completion.

Aircraft CarriersShipbuildingUS NavyWorld War II
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Question

What could the US Navy do in 1941 if warned it would have only one operational carrier by late 1942?

Short answer

It would concentrate money and manpower on the carrier projects nearest completion to bring them into service sooner.

Notes

A warning in 1941 would lead the US Navy to accelerate carrier construction. It would identify the hulls nearest completion and concentrate money and manpower on them. The opportunity would be especially useful if the warning arrived before American entry into the war.