The fighter-cover counterfactual depends on a claim about the range and weight compromises made by the Japanese aircraft attacking Prince of Wales and Repulse. The claimed removal of their defensive guns to save weight for fuel would leave the attackers particularly vulnerable to interception. Under that assumption, even Sea Gladiators could exploit their lack of protection. The predicted result is severe losses among Japan's specialist anti-shipping aircrews. Both the equipment claim and that outcome belong to the counterfactual argument and are not independently established here.
Notable Point · 1:34:46-1:35:27
Fighter cover for Prince of Wales and Repulse
Even a small fighter force is proposed as a means of changing the attack on Prince of Wales and Repulse, conditional on the Japanese aircraft's claimed lack of defensive armament.