[tanknetter]

The WW2 Royal Navy fleet carriers — the HMS Ark Royal, HMS Eagle class, HMS Indomitable class, and HMS Illustrious class employed hurricane bows. But, all USN carriers of WW2 — CV, CVB, CVL, and CVE — did not use them. Instead, the open areas of the bow and stern underneath the flight deck overhangs were given over to anti-aircraft guns.

The driving reason for this is that in the Brit carriers the armored deck was the strength deck. For the Americans the strength deck was the hangar deck, with the flight deck built on top of it.

The hurricane bow was backfitted into the Essex and Midway classes as a matter of convenience, following experience operating carriers in both the Pacific during the War and the North Atlantic afterwards. At least one US open-bow carrier (Hornet, I think), had its forward flight deck collapse while steaming through a Typhoon.

The hurricane bow became a necessity with the Forrestal class, which followed Brit practice and had the flight deck as the strength deck. Interesting enough, there's an engineering design trick (allegedly still classified) that allows US supercarriers to have the flight deck as the strength deck while also having four(with the Ford Class, three) large holes cut in the sides of the hull to accommodate the deck-edge elevators.

[MasterGunner01]

Another reason for going to the hurricane bow on the Essex and Midway class carriers was the removal of all of their 3”/50 RF AA guns and most of their 5-inch guns. With the exception of USS Boxer and USS Princeton that stayed straight deck helicopter assault carriers, the conversion of the Essex and Midway class carriers under SCB-125 and SCB-110 resulted in major changes.

Essex (SCB-125): reconfiguration of island; fitting hurricane bow; removal of all 3”/50 RF guns and four twin 5”/38 guns [8 5”/38 single open mount guns remain]; mirror landing system fitted; steam cats fitted.

Midway (SCB-110): reconfiguration of island; fitting hurricane bow; removal of six 5”/54 Mk 39 guns [8 5”/54 guns remain]; mirror landing system fitted; steam cats fitted.