Q&A ยท 1:50:02-1:50:57

Why Britain did not mount a Mosquito raid from a carrier

The Royal Navy considered a carrier-launched strike using Mosquito aircraft, but chronic carrier shortages made the experiment difficult to turn into an operation.

Question

Did the Royal Navy consider a carrier-launched raid using Mosquito aircraft similar to the American strike on Japan?

Short answer

Yes, but Britain struggled to spare a carrier after losing Courageous and Glorious and never recovered enough carrier capacity to make every promising operation possible.

Notes

The idea was considered, so the obstacle was not ignorance of what a long-range carrier-launched raid might achieve. Britain repeatedly lacked a carrier that could be spared for the attempt. The early losses of Courageous and Glorious removed two large, experienced carriers and many trained personnel. That loss of hulls and institutional experience constrained later choices even though prewar exercises had already demonstrated the value of naval aviation.