What Indomitable might have changed for Force Z

What if Force Z had included HMS Indomitable?

It would have had fighter cover and a more rounded escort, giving it a materially better chance to disrupt attacks and escape.

A carrier would have arrived with destroyers and perhaps Dido-class anti-aircraft cruisers, changing the whole composition of Force Z. Indomitable's fighters could have disrupted incoming raids in the way British carrier aircraft had helped break up attacks in the Mediterranean. Additional escorts would improve warning, anti-aircraft concentration, and the force's ability to protect damaged ships. That broader formation offered commanders more viable withdrawal choices, though assigning it east would still have imposed costs on operations elsewhere.