A stronger aircraft industry and a more robust pilot-training pipeline could make the Philippine Sea a much closer carrier battle. The counterfactual holds the other circumstances of the war unchanged to isolate those improvements. More ships prepared for rapid conversion into carriers could enlarge the Japanese force further. Heavy losses on both sides are envisaged in place of the one-sided destruction associated with the Marianas Turkey Shoot.
Notable Point · 3:03:36-3:04:25
A better-prepared Japanese air arm at the Philippine Sea
Better Japanese aircraft production and trained replacements could turn the Philippine Sea into a much more costly carrier battle for both sides.