Yorktown is judged closer to the US Navy's preferred carrier concept than the later Essex class. The Midway class takes that concept further by combining size, survivability, and aircraft capacity. Essex answers a different question: how large a carrier could be built quickly and in substantial numbers. Yorktown's priorities had already been refined through Lexington and Saratoga's exercises and the Fleet Problems.
Notable Point · 52:20-53:23
Yorktown and Midway express doctrine, Essex emphasizes rapid construction
Yorktown and Midway are judged closer to the preferred combination of size, protection, and air operations, while Essex answers the pressure to build quickly.