High-angle guns would give the Royal Navy a marked advantage against the attack methods used in 1940 and 1941. German forces would observe the reduced effectiveness of dive bombing and adapt their weapons and tactics. Radio-controlled weapons might therefore enter service earlier, shifting the threat instead of removing it. The British would probably retain an immediate early-war gain, followed by a German countermeasure toward the end of 1941 or beginning of 1942.
Notable Point · 56:12-57:49
Better fleet air defence invites a German countermeasure
The counterfactual cannot freeze the enemy: stronger British defence against dive bombers could accelerate German radio-controlled anti-ship weapons.