The comparison with Renown's depleted screen turns to Courageous. Two destroyers had detached to help a torpedoed merchant ship, leaving only two alongside the carrier. The discussion argues for eight escorts arranged in inner and outer screens to keep a U-boat too far away for a useful shot at a fast-moving capital ship. Flight operations added another constraint: the carrier's course depended on the wind and could become predictable. Maintaining the course and speed needed for flying limited its ability to zigzag, increasing the importance of the remaining escort screen.
Notable Point · 2:39:21-2:40:42
Detached escorts and flight operations exposed Courageous to submarines
Courageous had only two escorts present, while flying into the wind made her course harder to vary against submarine attack.