Yorktown supplies the starting point for this interpretation of American carrier development. Essex reorganises that design so it can be built quickly and efficiently. Midway is interpreted as an enlargement of the underlying Yorktown concept, with an armoured flight deck and full hangar capacity as priorities. Its development is traced back to a 27,000-ton concept that then evolves. This places Essex and Midway on separate branches of the Yorktown design family.
Notable Point · 50:21-51:19
Yorktown as the starting point for Essex and Midway
The design comparison treats Essex and Midway as different developments of Yorktown, shaped by production speed and the desire for a larger armoured carrier.