The development of the aircraft carrier and its importance in the War in the Pacific 1941-45 and the Falklands War

The development of the aircraft carrier and its importance in the War in the Pacific 1941-45 and the Falklands War.

1. The aircraft carrier began development during early WW2 when the British used the Swordfish aircraft carrier against the Italians in the Battle of Taranto, damaging three Italian battleships and ending Italian naval power. The Japanese observed this and used similar tactics at Pearl Harbor over a year later. In the later 1940s, the slanted deck was introduced, giving carriers two runways from which to conduct operations. The first nuclear carrier, USS Enterprise, was launched in 1961.
2. The War in the Pacific, a war between the USA and Japan, proved the importance of aircraft carriers in naval conflicts. Control of the pacific area was dependent on the air, which, in turn, meant that the side that used their aircraft carrier fleet more effectively gained the advantage. 
3. The Falkland Wars in 1982 was a war between the UK and Argentina which began when Argentina invaded the Falkland Islands. The war relied heavily on sea power and used two aircraft carriers, Invincible and Hermes, which both served as floating airfields and helped the British aircraft make quick escapes back to safety. The carriers also protected the landings of the British troops when they landed on the invaded islands. The British nuclear submarine, HMS Conquerer, sank the Argentinian cruiser General Belgrano, forcing the Argentine Navy to withdraw for the most part.