Design
In choosing the best design for their carriers, the British had to consider the advantages and disadvantages of hangar design. There was a choice between open or closed hangar and the position of the armour. The placing of the strongest deck affected the strength of the hull. The further apart the deck and the keel, the stronger the design. If the flight deck was placed above the main deck then it had to be built to allow for movement with expansion sections. A closed hangar design was the strongest structurally and made for a lighter hull and the RN carried this concept one step further and designed the armoured flight deck to also act as the strength deck without any underlying plating, thus achieving an armoured flight deck on the lowest possible displacement.
The carriers that were built with armoured decks fall into two distinct types – those with armour at the flight deck level protecting the hangar and those that only had armour between the hangar deck and the lower levels of the ship. The different thickness of armour, and how they were distributed, are described in the table below.
| Class (standard displacement) | Flight deck | Main deck | Side belt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yorktown class (19,875 tons) | n/a | 1.5 in (38 mm) | 2.5 – 4 in (64 – 101 mm) |
| Ark Royal class (22,000 tons) | .75 in (19 mm) | 3.5 in (89 mm) | 4.5 in (114 mm) |
| Illustrious class (23,000 tons) | 3 in (76 mm) | 2 in (51 mm) | 4.5 in (114 mm) |
| Shōkaku class (25,600 tons) | n/a | 3.9 in (99 mm) over machinery | 1.8 in (46 mm) |
| Essex class (27,200 tons) | n/a | 2.5 in (64 mm) | 4.75 in (121 mm) |
| Taiho (29,770 tons) | 3.1 in (80 mm) | 1.3 in (32 mm) | 2.2 in (56 mm) abreast machinery |
| Implacable class (23,500 tons) | 3 in (76 mm) | 2.5 in (64 mm) | 4.5 in (114 mm) |
| Shinano (62,000 tons) | 3.1 in (80 mm) | 3.9 in (99 mm) | 5 in (127 mm) |
| Midway (45,000 tons) | 3.5 in (89 mm) | 2 in (51 mm) | 7.9 in (200 mm) |
Read more about this topic: Armoured Flight Deck
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—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)