How would the war change if HMS Courageous and HMS Glorious were not lost?
Short answerTwo additional usable flight decks would materially ease Royal Navy carrier allocation throughout the war.
NotesMediterranean operations show the opportunity cost of losing carrier hulls early. Courageous and Glorious remained large enough to be useful through the end of the war even if newer ships surpassed them. Together with Unicorn, they could have supported Seafire operations close to shore. That would release escort carriers for convoy, ferry, or amphibious duties and increase the number of aircraft available to the Mediterranean force.