Q&A · 31:22-31:54

Why one available US carrier was an abnormal risk

The US Navy's prospect of facing the Japanese carrier force with only one operational carrier is treated as a contingency that should not have arisen.

Aircraft Carriers Battle of the Coral Sea Carrier Warfare US Navy

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Question

Was the US Navy expecting to face the Japanese carrier force with only one operational carrier?

Short answer

No; that was an abnormal readiness situation rather than the intended operational balance.

Notes

The United States did not plan to meet the Japanese carrier striking force with only a single operational carrier. Damage, repair, and availability could still create a dangerously thin force even when doctrine and planning assumed more capacity.