Fleet carrier



A fleet carrier is an aircraft carrier that is designed to operate with the main fleet of a nation's navy. The term was developed during the Second World War, to distinguish it from the escort carrier and other lesser types. Fleet carriers include supercarriers and light carriers (light fleet carriers), as well as standard fleet carriers.

The idea of a modern fleet carrier was developed in 1931 by Admirals J.J. Clark and Harvey E. Yarnell of the US Navy. Fleet carriers instead of operating as scouts for the fleet, would operate in unison with the fleet, to ward off air attacks, and to strike opposing forces from the air. Cruisers and destroyers would protect fleet carriers. The place of fleet carriers would then displace battleships as the preeminent assets of the surface fleet. A fleet carrier would carry over 50 aircraft, and be fast enough to keep up with other major elements of the fleet, such as cruisers and battleships.

In WWII, a fleet carrier usually carried three squadrons, typically, a fighter squadron, torpedo bomber squadron, and a dive bomber squadron.