Additional carriers would make it possible to withdraw Ark Royal from Force H and send her home for repair. Her known material problems included concrete issues and internal watertight doors between subdivisions. An available replacement would let the navy address those defects while maintaining operational coverage. More flight decks would therefore improve the condition of ships already serving as well as increase the force on paper. Wartime maintenance remained necessary to keep that larger force effective.
Notable Point · 52:49-53:43
Extra carriers give Ark Royal time for overdue repairs
Replacing Ark Royal in Force H could allow repairs to her concrete and internal watertight doors before material defects became a crisis.