The Royal Navy considered a float-equipped Sea Gladiator before the war. The counterfactual gives HMS Prince of Wales and HMS Repulse two of these fighters each with Force Z. Their usefulness is uncertain, but they might buy time for Buffalo fighters to arrive. The proposal therefore offers a possible delay to the attack, with no guarantee that the ships would survive.
Notable Point · 24:03-24:49
Could float Sea Gladiators have bought Force Z time?
The prewar possibility of float-equipped Sea Gladiators suggests that Prince of Wales and Repulse might have carried a small organic fighter screen capable of delaying the strike on Force Z.