The Royal Navy assigned Courageous and Hermes to the northwestern approaches and Ark Royal to the southwest because few alternatives were ready. Ark Royal narrowly survived U-39, but U-29 sank Courageous three days later with 17 officers and 464 ratings, wiping out two Swordfish squadrons. Argus was in reserve and Hermes had only recently recommissioned, so early-war carrier scarcity constrained the choice. Courageous's loss still provides a force-design warning: valuable fleet carriers were too exposed in routine anti-submarine patrols. Purpose-suited escort carriers were the better answer once they became available.
Notable Point · 4:14-5:11
Fleet carriers in anti-submarine patrols
The Courageous loss becomes a force-design lesson about why fleet carriers were a poor substitute for escort carriers in anti-submarine patrols.