What was the purpose of aircraft carriers in World War 2?

Answer 1

The main reason for the u.s using aircraft carriers in WWII was the abillity to provide air support to ground, naval, and air attacks while still being in the ocean, this ability allowed for aircraft to be closer to the enemy and deal more powerful and deadly attacks. An example of this is the Doolittle raid, without aircraft carriers the b-25's involved in this operation would not have been able to reach tokyo.

Answer 2

Aircraft carriers were built because once the airplane was used as a military weapon, they knew that whoever controlled the skies, controlled the battle. Since our enemies were too far away for us to fly directly from the continental US, they knew that they had to get the planes there somehow. Early on they had seaplanes that were launched from a ramp on a ship. The sea plane had to land in the water and taxi alongside the ship and be hoisted aboard with a crane. This was only safe in calm seas. Knowing that they would be better off with a floating airport, they built carriers.

Answer 3

The purpose of Aircraft Carriers was two fold.

The most important was the essential fact that the age of the battleship was coming to a close. A single battle ship, or even a small fleet of battle ships, could do nothing against swarms of torpedo planes or navy dive bombers. Planes had much more range than the cannons or guns of that era not to mention that it often only required a few planes to actually hit their mark in order to sink an entire ship.

When weighing the loss of a dozen or even two dozen pilots against sinking a battleship it's easy to see why Aircraft Carriers became prominent during the Second World War.

The second purpose was to provide a mobile air base where none could be constructed. This was critical in the island hopping campaign in the Pacific Theater. The role of planes as infantry support for both sides is important to understand. While the Japanese planes had the benefit of established Air Bases, the US required mobile platforms like Carriers from which they could launch planes.

It's important to note that Aircraft Carriers were not born in WWII, they simply came into their own during that time. Aircraft Carriers were being built even before the First World War, pioneered by the Americans but further developed by the British and Japanese Navies.

Though Aircraft Carrier battles are more associated with the Pacific War than the European War, the first use of Aircraft Carriers in the Second World War was with the British Navy and the Fairey Swordfish torpedo bi-planes.

The Battle of Taranto in Italy exemplifies the effectiveness of Aircraft Carriers and their planes. On 11 November 1940 the British Royal Navy faced the Italian Regia Marina in dock at Taranto.

The British came with 1 Aircraft Carrier, 2 Heavy Cruisers, 2 Light Cruisers and 4 Destroyers. The Italians had 6 Battleships, 7 Heavy Cruisers, 2 Light Cruisers and 8 Destroyers. At first glance it is easy to dismiss the RN as doomed. In terms of guns there is no doubt that the British were outgunned.

The 21 Fairey Swordfish torpedo planes that the RN sent out were all that was required to tip the balance. The range that the planes provided the RN was absolutely indispensable, there is no doubt that in a head to head battle without the planes the RN would have sunk. However with 21 planes, and at the cost of two planes and four pilots the Italian Navy was effectively knocked out of the war and would not be able to re-enter before the Italians left completely.

In a repeat performance the Fairey Swordfish torpedo planes played a pivotal role in crippling and sinking of the Bismark, the largest Battleship of the time, where the HMS Hood, the heart of the Royal Navy, had failed to do so.

Of course there is also the Attack on Pearl Harbor where it was shown clearly and decisively that Aircraft Carriers with their planes would dominate over other war ships. It's important to not that during the Battle of Pearl Harbor, the Japanese Imperial Navy specifcally wanted to sink the few American Aircraft Carriers in the Pacific Fleet, knowing of the potential danger that those kinds of ships would pose to the Imperial Fleet. Pure dumb luck saved the American Air Craft Carriers.

There would be a great Naval Battle in the Pacific known as the Battle of Midway where American Aircraft Carriers faced off against Japanese Aircraft Carriers. In that battle the Americans lost one of the three carriers in that battle while the Japanese lost all four of their own. This battle is considered the turning point of the War in the Pacific because it totally crippled the Imperial Japanese Navy and specifically their Carrier Fleet. The Imperial Navy had only two Carriers of note remaining, one of which sank in the Battle of Leytee Gulf from American Aircraft while the other sank in Truk again at the hands of American Aircraft. The loss of carriers meant that the effective striking range for the Japanese was limited to the islands in their possesion. This loss of mobility severely restricted the effectiveness of the Imperial Navy and totally handicapped the Japanese Military for the rest of the war.

Answer 4

In part because the Japanese had crippled the Battleship fleet at Pearl Harbor, but mostly because it was a superior weapons platform.