A German carrier war in the North Sea

What if Germany abandoned battleships for carriers and tried to strike the Royal Navy in the North Sea?

It could produce a Coral Sea-like carrier battle, but Britain would rapidly adapt and retain important geographic advantages.

A surprise attack on Scapa Flow would be difficult because the Royal Navy did not normally concentrate its entire fleet in harbour and the North Sea offered far less concealment than the Pacific. Any carrier battle would also include shore-based aircraft, poor weather, and short operating distances. British enclosed hangars were designed for Atlantic seas, where a large wave could enter an open hangar and carry aircraft overboard. German Stuka-centred air groups might penetrate the combat air patrol, but British armoured decks, torpedo bombers, radar-assisted fighter direction, and Ark Royal's larger air group would complicate the strike. A German programme would in turn accelerate British carrier construction and the introduction of Sea Hurricanes or Seafires. The resulting contest could resemble Coral Sea more than Midway, with geography giving Britain important advantages.