Q&A · 3:09-8:14

Where were the planned British strike carriers?

A design-history exchange connects Ark Royal, the Illustrious and Implacable classes, and Audacious to treaty limits and a desired combined carrier type.

Question

If strike carriers were part of the doctrine, where do they appear in the Royal Navy's construction programme?

Short answer

Treaty limits divided the desired capabilities among Ark Royal and the armoured carriers; Audacious later approached the larger combined strike-and-battle design.

Notes

Jamie challenges whether the strike-carrier idea appears in the construction programme. Alex argues that treaty limits forced compromises: Ark Royal supplied strike capacity, the Illustrious family supplied protected battle carriers, and the larger Audacious design approached the combined type the Navy preferred once treaty restrictions eased. Wartime urgency then encouraged development from designs already in hand. The intended force structure was broader than the incomplete building programme that entered the war.