Q&A · 2:30:49-2:31:07

Lake carriers and wartime pilot training

A training answer compares dedicated carrier-qualification solutions in the United States and Japan.

Question

Did USS Wolverine and USS Sable improve US carrier training, and what did Japan use?

Short answer

The converted Great Lakes carriers made US qualification easier and more effective, while Japan used Hosho extensively for carrier training.

Notes

Wolverine and Sable gave American pilots repeated deck practice away from combat carriers and submarine threats. The Japanese answer relied heavily on the pioneering carrier Hosho, showing how older flight decks could retain value as training infrastructure.