Prince of Wales, routine failure, and missing support

Was coverage of HMS Prince of Wales's breakdown overblown because it was a normal machinery problem?

The defect itself was normal, but inadequate spares and auxiliary support turned a manageable repair into a public operational embarrassment.

Both interpretations contain some truth: components fail on complex ships, yet adequate support should make the repair far less visible. The embarrassment lay in the unavailable spare and support chain, rather than in the carrier design itself. That leads into the shortage and labor problems of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary, whose ships would normally help sustain a deployed force. Responsibility therefore rests with political and organizational management more than with a routine machinery defect.