What if Germany had Bismarck, Tirpitz, Scharnhorst, and Gneisenau available for a major Atlantic sortie?
Short answerA larger, slower-to-assemble German operation would probably face a much stronger British response built around multiple battleships, battlecruisers, carriers, and cruiser surveillance.
NotesConcentrating Bismarck, Tirpitz, Scharnhorst and Gneisenau would change the date and preparation of the operation. If Scharnhorst and Gneisenau had skipped their earlier sortie, all four would still have to wait for Tirpitz, while the RAF tried to bomb their concentration before it sailed. That delay could allow Hood to undergo a refit, Rodney to return from refit, and Duke of York to enter service. A possible British fast force would combine the three King George V-class ships with available battlecruisers and the carriers Victorious and Ark Royal. Nelson, Rodney and Revenge-class battleships could provide a slower convoy-covering backstop with Eagle and Furious. Cruisers and aircraft would maintain contact with the Germans, supported by intelligence from radio-traffic volume as well as decoded messages. The interception would probably occur farther into open water because the British could assemble before committing their main force. British numerical strength and carrier support give them the advantage in this proposed encounter, although the battle's outcome remains uncertain.