WI: The South Carolina-class Battleships had been converted into Aircraft Carriers

[Dilvish]

On 29 August 1916, the USS South Carolina lay at anchor off of Santa Domingo when disaster struck. An undersea earthquake produced a tsunami which struck the Dominican coast. The South Carolina was pushed into shallow water and onto rocks. The heavily damaged ship was deemed salvageable. The cost however would be high, too high for a ship that was rated a "second-line" battleship. The reconstruction funds could instead be spent on (part of) a modern replacement.
SS
South Carolina's salvation lay in a proposal to use her hull as an experimental aviation ship. Somewhat over a year later in September 1917, South Carolina's sistership USS Michigan was selected for conversion to a somewhat different design of aviation ship. The rest is history.

That is my brief proposal. The armored cruisers would make better candidates for conversion. Here, South Carolina takes the place of USS Tennessee as the tsunami victim. An undamaged Michigan does make for a strange choice for a second conversion. Her sistership is already undergoing conversion, so that design and conversion process could be carried over. The armored cruisers may be considered more valuable than the second-line battleships for their speed and use as flagships and troopships. And, it fits the OP's proposal.

 

[Mordalfus Grea]

On 29 August 1916, the USS South Carolina lay at anchor off of Santa Domingo when disaster struck. An undersea earthquake produced a tsunami which struck the Dominican coast. The South Carolina was pushed into shallow water and onto rocks. The heavily damaged ship was deemed salvageable. The cost however would be high, too high for a ship that was rated a "second-line" battleship. The reconstruction funds could instead be spent on (part of) a modern replacement.
SS
South Carolina's salvation lay in a proposal to use her hull as an experimental aviation ship. Somewhat over a year later in September 1917, South Carolina's sistership USS Michigan was selected for conversion to a somewhat different design of aviation ship. The rest is history.

That is my brief proposal. The armored cruisers would make better candidates for conversion. Here, South Carolina takes the place of USS Tennessee as the tsunami victim. An undamaged Michigan does make for a strange choice for a second conversion. Her sistership is already undergoing conversion, so that design and conversion process could be carried over. The armored cruisers may be considered more valuable than the second-line battleships for their speed and use as flagships and troopships. And, it fits the OP's proposal.

Yes!

It also works in the long run as well, the United States Navy gets Two Airceaft Carriers of different configurations with the USS South Carolina being the converted flat deck with the bridge tucked away in the bow of the ship while the USS Michigan features the island layout of the modern carrier design