Northern Norway gave German forces a strong position beside the most isolated stretch of the Arctic convoy route. The convoys were far from Britain and had limited Soviet support there. Aircraft carriers could bring British air power into that exposed area. The counterfactual assumes Churchill allowed carrier construction to continue alongside the wider capital-ship programme, with the Illustrious class and Implacable ships completing on their intended schedules. More carriers and continued follow-on construction would have changed the naval forces available for wartime operations.
Notable Point · 2:32:17-2:34:28
Why carrier construction choices shaped Arctic convoy cover
Uninterrupted carrier construction is proposed as a way Britain could have brought more air cover to the most exposed part of the Arctic route.