What if HMS Victorious along with HMS Hood,PoW,Norfolk,Suffolk and 8 destroyers find Bismarck and Prinz Eugan in the Denmark straight what happens next?
With the heavy cruiser support alone, it's going to most likely be a British Victory.
Norfolk and Suffolk are free to fire at PE while Hood and POW can fire away at Bismarck.
The destroyers were left behind OTL because they couldn't keep up, but if they are there, 8 destroyers will be a right Menace for the Germans, although some will probably stay off with Victorious
Then you've Victorious. She's fresh out of the shipyards, only has a quarter of her air group.
Nonetheless OTL the pressed the attack well and scored a hit, so with the battle already in the favour for GB, it's quite plausible she's effective.
Where she will be effective is the question.
I think it's most likely the British will go for what everyone thought CVs were for.
Slowing the Germans down so the Fleet can come in, engage what's hopefully a slowed target, which is therefore not only easier to hit, but easier to dictate the range too.
Following a carrier strike, successful or not, I see Hood and POW coming in, with N&S splitting off to divide German fire.
Destroyers close for torpedo runs.
Victorious stays back with (probably 2) destroyers.
She might try another strike, but you've got 6 heavy ships trading blows, shells are going to be flying as much as they did in Bismarck's last stand, when Arks Swordfish couldn't go in for another run due to the sheer amount of shells being fired.
Once any major hit on Bismarck's superstructure is in, it probably hit something to do with FC, or even the turrets themselves, which were notably delicate.
At which point Bismarck gets knocked out very quickly.
If Hood recognises Bismarck right off, she could get a hit in the second or third salvo, as OTL her first salvo on PE landed just off her starboard bow.
PoW, despite her flaws, was also pretty accurate OTL, before she had to sheer out of line, and half of her guns got jammed, and took several hits etc.
PE probably dies quickly. She's got N&S to deal with, not to mention Hood's and PoWs secondaries later on, and even the destroyers. If she gets hit in the initial carrier strike it's probably even worse for her.
Bismarck might run, if she manages a hit on Hood that slows her down she can run, as long as her speed isn't also compromised. At which stage Victorious might again come in handy.
But I don't see it really happening, especially with the cruisers and destroyers added to the mix. Bismarck probably gets torped during the battle