The counterfactual retains far more than two additional flight decks. Keeping experienced personnel would ease promotion and training pressure in later carriers and could improve the quality of carrier operations and damage control throughout the fleet. The historical sinkings removed pilots, observers, fitters, and officers who understood carrier systems at every level. Preserving that cadre lets newcomers enter lower in the organization while experienced personnel fill senior posts, potentially avoiding the expertise gaps revealed in Ark Royal's loss.
Notable Point · 1:59:19-2:01:35
Saving hulls also preserves carrier expertise
The two losses removed trained aircrew, fitters, and carrier damage-control experience at the very moment the Royal Navy needed to expand.