Italian shipyards still have battleship work to finish, limiting how quickly several carriers could appear. Aquila is the plausible single carrier in this part of the scenario. A larger British force could launch an attack from four carriers against the Italian fleet in harbour. That prospect also tests Italian assumptions about the danger of torpedoes in shallow water. Italy might instead remain outside the war if France held and Germany's position looked poor.
Notable Point · 3:00:02-3:02:09
Italian yard limits leave Aquila facing a larger carrier threat
The estimate allows roughly one completed Italian carrier by 1942, while British carrier growth could support a larger harbour attack.