ARRANGEMENTS: The island bridge, like all carrier bridges, was cramped by the need to keep it to the minimum size.  It contained principally the main command and navigating positions together with sea cabins for the senior bridge officers, a shelter for the flight deck crews and of course the boiler uptakes.  Immediately below the flight deck the gallery deck - not actually a complete deck but a partial deck fitted under the deep supporting eams of the flight deck - provided most of the additional accommodation required close to the flight deck and bridge including the state rooms of the senior officers and the air crew ready rooms.  Other areas were occupied largely by aviation and communication related workshops and stores.  The areas under the flight deck open to the hangar were also employed as storage areas where such items as drop tanks and spare aircraft wings were hung from the deck head.  Between the gallery and main decks the hangar occupied the majority of space, being kept as clear of intrusions as possible to maximize aircraft accommodation.  Forward, the forecastle and the superstructure above it was employed largely for officers' staterooms while the other areas around the hangar, were mainly used as aircraft maintenance spaces although there were also some accommodation areas around the boiler uptakes on the starboard side.

  Below the main deck the 2nd & 3rd decks were largely occupied by crew accommodation and spaces for associate services, such as the galleys.  The original design provided berths for all members of the crew but the increased complement (resulting from the larger air complement, increased AA weapons and radar and other electronic equipment) resulted in the provision of hammocks for a large number of men.  No doubt these were occupied by the newest recruits although perhaps some of the old navy men preferred such primitive sleeping arrangements.  Access was provided fore and aft on the accommodation decks necessitating water-tight doors in the principal bulkheads which, although they would be kept closed in action, represented a danger to the ship's water-tight integrity.  In later designs these were abandoned, at the cost of convenient internal communication.  Vertical access, to compartments lower in the ship, was better protected - the principal access points being via water-tight trunks designed to prevent the spread of flooding to compartments immediately above or below any area of damage.  Below the 3rd deck virtually all access to the principal water-tight compartments was vertical.

  The 4th deck consisted mainly of storage spaces including several large compartments for the stowage of aviation equipment and spare parts.  There was also some additional accommodation space.  Below the 4th deck the machinery compartments and the torpedo protection system occupied the majority of space.  Sited fore and aft of the machinery spaces, on the platform decks and in the hold were those compartments requiring the maximum protection - ship and aircraft ordnance magazines, the gasoline tanks (one forward and one aft) the damage control HQ (on the 2nd platform), the main gyro room and triple bottom, together with the wing tanks of the torpedo protection system provided the storage areas for the main machinery's fuel oil and fresh water.