The United States faced a different distribution problem because its principal division was between Atlantic and Pacific fleets. Ten 33,000-ton carriers could be split five per ocean, while eleven 30,000-ton ships or twelve 27,500-ton ships would trade individual scale for more flexible allocation. A mixed programme is another option: large Lexington conversions followed by 27,500-ton new builds between 1926 and 1930. The choice remains open because it depends on what US planners believed carriers would do as well as the available tonnage.
Notable Point · 1:03:26-1:05:39
US carrier choices for two oceans
Atlantic and Pacific commitments let the United States choose between ten very large carriers, more medium carriers, or a mixed conversion and new-build programme.