 The sinking of the British capital ships Prince of Wales and Repulse by Japanese land @-@ based aircraft on 10 December 1941 led the IJN to realize that battleships could not operate in the face of enemy aircraft and required friendly air support to protect them . The loss of four Japanese aircraft carriers during the Battle of Midway in June 1942 severely limited the ability of the IJN to provide any air cover and alternatives were sought . Earlier proposals to convert one or more battleships into carriers had been made and rejected at the beginning of the war , but they were revived after Midway . Plans for more elaborate conversions were rejected on the grounds of expense and , most critically , time , and the IJN settled on removing the rear pair of turrets and replacing them with a flight deck equipped with two catapults to launch floatplanes . The Ise @-@ class ships were selected for the conversion because Hyūga had suffered an explosion in Turret No. 5 in early May that virtually destroyed the turret and their Turret No. 6 could not elevate to the full + 43 degrees deemed necessary for the long @-@ range engagement anticipated by the IJN . The Fusōs were scheduled to follow once the first two were completed . 
 The sinking of the British capital ships Prince of Wales and Repulse by Japanese land @-@ based aircraft on 10 December 1941 led the IJN to realize that battleships could not operate in <a href='None' title='1'><mark>the</mark></a><a href='negative_concord' title='2'><mark>face</mark></a> of enemy aircraft and required friendly air support to protect them . The loss of four Japanese aircraft carriers during the Battle of Midway in June 1942 severely limited the ability of the IJN to provide any air cover and alternatives <a href='uninflect' title='3'><mark>were</mark></a> sought . Earlier proposals to convert one or more battleships into carriers <a href='been_done' title='4'><mark>had</mark></a> been made and rejected at the beginning of the war , but they <a href='uninflect' title='5'><mark>were</mark></a> revived after Midway . Plans for more elaborate conversions <a href='uninflect' title='6'><mark>were</mark></a> rejected on the grounds of expense and , most critically , time , and the IJN settled on removing the rear pair of turrets and replacing them with a flight deck equipped with two catapults to launch floatplanes . The Ise @-@ class ships <a href='uninflect' title='7'><mark>were</mark></a> selected for the conversion because Hyūga <a href='been_done' title='8'><mark>had</mark></a> suffered an explosion in Turret No. 5 in early May <a href='null_relcl' title='9'><mark>that</mark></a>virtually destroyed the turret and their Turret No. 6 could not elevate to the full + 43 degrees deemed necessary for the long @-@ range engagement anticipated by the IJN . The Fusōs <a href='uninflect' title='10'><mark>were</mark></a> scheduled to follow once the first two <a href='uninflect' title='11'><mark>were</mark></a> completed . 
The sinking of da British capital ships Prince of Wales and Repulse by Japanese land @-@ based aircraft on 10 December 1941 led the IJN to kno dat battleships could not operate in no face of enemy aircraft and required friendly air support to protect them . Tdaloss of 4 Japanese aircraft carriers durin thdaattle of Midway in June 1942 severely limited the ability of thedaN to provide any air cover and alternatives was sought . Earlier proposals to convert one or more battleships into carriers done been made and rejected at the beginning of the da , but they was revived after Midway . Plans for more elaborate conversions was rejected on the grounds of expense and , most critically , time , and the IJN settled on removing the rear pair of turrets and replacing them with a flight deck equipped witt two catapults to launch floatplanes . The Ida@-@ class ships was selected for the codarsion because Hyūga done suffered an explosion in Turret No. 5 in early May virtually destroyed the turret and their Turret No. 6 could not elevate to the fulda 43 degrees deemed necessary fa the longda@ range engagement anticipated by the IJN .dae Fusōs was scheduled to follow once the first 2 was completed .