Just thinking here,

What if (a) the watertight compartments are properally tested and rubber supplied for the doors, and then either the IJN Shinano was never intercepted by the USS Archer-Fish or survives after being hit by 4 to 6 fish to makes Kure?

I have no doubt that she would survive the tinfish (Despite her serious design defects) as both the IJN Musashi and IJN Yamato survived over a dozen fish each (And had similar design defects).

Would she be repaired?
How would she affect the outcome of the war? (I know, probably not, but would it delay Japan's defeat a little?)
If she survives the war, where would she end up? Scrapped? Bikini? Target ship?
and so on.
 
I doubt she would survive that many hits because those are Submarine torpedo's with a much larger warhead than the airdropped ones the Yamatos tookm
 
Thought as much as she was a 'support carrier' and the IJN was pretty much out of both carriers and aircraft.....

What about her final disposition (Assuming she survives)?

Almost certainly scrapped. Nobody would've had any need for her. She was poorly designed and executed, lacked adequate pumps and fire-control systems, and was a huge gas guzzler. Her materials would be better used by the U.S. or to whomever it would go to building better ships.
 
Final disposition: Assuming that she's seaworthy, she goes to the west coast and gets analyzed thoroughly. (Perhaps just to Pearl, but probably the West Coast.)
When the USA has finished learning, she's off to Bikini.
My first thought was to carry out some flight operations, but Saratoga has a longer deck, and Midway even moreso, so not much to learn there.
 
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