Ark Royal's career repeatedly placed her among some of the Royal Navy's strongest available escorts. Tribal-class destroyers often screened the carrier, while Renown became her regular fast capital-ship partner. Ark Royal, Renown, and Sheffield formed the principal striking core of Force H, with destroyers operating around them. Aircraft, heavy guns, cruiser support, and the escort screen gave an opponent several different threats to solve at once. The presence of Tribal-class escorts does not prove that they would have prevented Ark Royal's loss, which the later account connects chiefly to damage-control failure.
Notable Point · 7:26-8:55
The core of Force H and Ark Royal's escort screen
Ark Royal's association with Renown, Sheffield, and destroyer escorts previews the mutually supporting force that made Force H difficult to attack.