How earlier British carriers might change Taranto

The proposed response to Courageous's loss is to accelerate every available carrier, including Unicorn. That effort would need careful production choices so corvettes, Hunt-class escort destroyers, and C-class anti-aircraft conversions continued without losing resources. A second armored carrier at Taranto could have given the operation a much larger Swordfish striking force. The possible effects remain cumulative and uncertain: greater damage to the Italian fleet might reduce later pressure around Crete and Malta, leaving more ships available for the Far East.