Could angled decks arrive during the Second World War?

Would a US Navy angled-deck carrier in the Second World War cause a wider shift in carrier aircraft design?

Not directly. The deck responds mainly to higher landing speeds, which could arise from twin-engined aircraft as well as jets.

An angled flight deck answers a recovery-safety problem created by landing speed rather than a requirement tied exclusively to jet propulsion. Sufficiently fast twin-engined carrier aircraft could therefore create pressure for the idea during the Second World War. The deck arrangement would not itself dictate whether those aircraft used pusher propellers, conventional engines or another layout. Separating the operational cause from the technology historically associated with it makes the counterfactual more useful. Carrier-deck evolution should therefore be traced from approach and recovery demands.