> So it's definitely fair to say that simply damaging a carrier is not nearly as catastrophic as sinking one. It is fair to say that the situations are not equ

> So it's definitely fair to say that simply damaging a carrier is not nearly as catastrophic as sinking one. It is fair to say that the situations are not equal. If the carrier can't fight, it's out of the battle until it's fixed. Fixable don't count if the war is over in weeks, or months. Fixing a modern carrier might can take a while. Yorktown was not a complex warship. She takes a hit on the deck. Patch up the holes in her deck (I'm simplifying) and she's back in business. Hit Ford in the same location and you damage catapults, arresting gear. Ford is out of the war until she is fixed and this will not happen soon. How long to replace a catapult: I'd guess months at best. Where do they even keep the spares?