MatthewDB
Banned
HMS Courageous - sunk 17 September 1939
HMS Glorious - sunk 8 June 1940
HMS Ark Royal - sunk 14 November 1941
How is Britain's naval strategy changed if these three carriers survive unscathed to Jan 1, 1942? Just to eliminate any sense of invulnerability in the RN's carrier arm, we can still sink HMS Audacity per OTL on 21 December 1941. Let's assume the torpedoes miss Courageous and Ark Royal, and that Scharnhorst and Gneisenau do not come across Glorious and instead return to their base at Kiel to fight another day.
For starters I'd like to think the Nov 1940 Taranto raid will be larger than the single carrier HMS Illustrious and her 21 Swordfish. What else? Into 1941 the three carriers might be called upon to relieve HMS Illustrious (Jan 1941 hit by eight 500 - 1,100 lb. bombs, out of service until Nov 1941) and/or Formidable ( May 1941, hit by two 2,200 lb. bombs, out of service until Dec 1941). Ideally I'd like to see two carriers sent to Saigon in advance of Japan's planned takeover in Sept 1940.
HMS Glorious - sunk 8 June 1940
HMS Ark Royal - sunk 14 November 1941
How is Britain's naval strategy changed if these three carriers survive unscathed to Jan 1, 1942? Just to eliminate any sense of invulnerability in the RN's carrier arm, we can still sink HMS Audacity per OTL on 21 December 1941. Let's assume the torpedoes miss Courageous and Ark Royal, and that Scharnhorst and Gneisenau do not come across Glorious and instead return to their base at Kiel to fight another day.
For starters I'd like to think the Nov 1940 Taranto raid will be larger than the single carrier HMS Illustrious and her 21 Swordfish. What else? Into 1941 the three carriers might be called upon to relieve HMS Illustrious (Jan 1941 hit by eight 500 - 1,100 lb. bombs, out of service until Nov 1941) and/or Formidable ( May 1941, hit by two 2,200 lb. bombs, out of service until Dec 1941). Ideally I'd like to see two carriers sent to Saigon in advance of Japan's planned takeover in Sept 1940.