@Iron Man @Bltizo
If a US carrier is planning a launch operation and is in the middle of it, they wil try and get the airraft off the deck by launching them so that they are in the fight.
To do that, the deck personnel will continue working to try and make that happen right up to the moment they take a hit.
It is VERY unlikely that the captain will stop everything to try and get the deck clear. He is there to get aircraft off the deck on on target to the enemy. To do that, he will try and rush the people as the attack is incoming to get as many aircraft off the deck and into the air as he can before it gets there.
Now, if he is not in the middle of such an operation and there is an attack, general quarters will be sounded as soon as the attack is detected, and the personnel will all head to their duty stations, establishing water tight integrity as they do, setting into battle damage and assessment positions, getting into rescue positions, and getting to their battle stations to fight the ship.
As I say, if that involves launching aircraft, that is what they will do until ordred not to, or until an enemy action prevents them from doing so...at which time they will be fighting fires and trying to get the ship ready to stay in the fight if at all possible.
These sailors know this. it is hammered into them in training, and then once they are on the ship, constantly through as realistic aof training exercises as they can conduct.
Both sides understood this in world War II. Sometimes...they got caught with many aircraft on the deck and the results were very difficult. Carriers were lost as a result.
Other times the attacks, or parts of them got off and went after the opposing forces.
THings have sped up now. it is likely that we will see an attack coming from a lot further off (shrt of a sub getting in range undetected and launching missiles from close in).
But even with more range, it wil be less time because the aircraft and missiles move so much faster now.
but that basic doctrine holds.
Better to get an extra five to ten aircraft launched in the 3-4 minutes (or more) that you may have, then to try and use that same short space of time to simply try and get them into the hanger...where they are still vulnerable and may not be able to use the deck after the attack