Fisher understood the value of aviation for reconnaissance, gunfire spotting, counter-reconnaissance, and eventually strike, yet chose large guns for the three ships. Building Courageous, Glorious, and Furious on the emerging Hermes model could have combined a purpose-built aviation layout with roughly 30-knot speed and hangars scaled to their larger hulls. Each might have carried about 60 aircraft, giving the Royal Navy a theoretical combined air group of roughly 180 aircraft by late 1916. Such ships could have supported the Harwich Force or a Baltic operation with scouting, spotting, interception, bombing, and torpedo attack. Designing a fleet around them would have required accepting the risks of still-developing aircraft over the proven value of heavy guns.
Notable Point · 45:33-47:57
What if Fisher built three wartime carriers?
A counterfactual replaces Courageous, Glorious, and Furious with fast purpose-built carriers able to field a combined air group of roughly 180 aircraft in 1916.