Béarn combined a compromised carrier design with politically driven machinery changes, leaving her ill suited to front-line fleet operations. Individually plausible aircraft-handling ideas accumulated without forming a coherent whole. In this scenario she could still serve as an escort carrier. Aircraft aboard her could support convoys and anti-submarine patrols in the North Atlantic or Arctic. Trade protection demands less speed and striking power than a Mediterranean fleet operation, giving the ship a useful second-line role.
Notable Point · 7:00-10:15
Béarn as an Atlantic escort carrier
Béarn's flaws rule out front-line fleet-carrier work. She could still carry anti-submarine aircraft for Atlantic and Arctic convoy escort.