Q&A · 3:34:50-3:35:24

A Falklands-era task force at Operation Pedestal

Sea Harriers and modern Sidewinders would be formidable, but limited missile stocks could be exhausted by the scale of Axis air attacks.

Question

What if the British force sent to the Falklands in 1982 escorted Operation Pedestal instead?

Short answer

Sea Harriers would dominate individual fights, but their limited Sidewinder supply might run out before the Axis aircraft did.

Notes

Substituting the 1982 Falklands task force into Operation Pedestal gives Britain Sea Harriers armed with Sidewinder missiles against Second World War German and Italian aircraft. The fighters and missiles would be highly effective in individual engagements. The problem is magazine depth: the task force might expend its Sidewinders before Axis air forces ran out of attackers. The counterfactual contrasts a large technological advantage with the ammunition demands of an extended convoy battle.