What if Germany completed Graf Zeppelin and sent her out with its battleships, Prinz Eugen, and ten Z-class destroyers in 1941?
Short answerThe buildup would probably delay the sortie until late 1941 and alert Britain, creating a major fleet battle with unusually high stakes for Germany's surface navy.
NotesA sortie by Graf Zeppelin, ten Z-class destroyers, Prinz Eugen, Bismarck, and Tirpitz would take much longer to prepare than the historical Bismarck operation. Finishing and working up the ships could push it to December 1941, and the preparations would be visible to Britain. British countermeasures could include accelerating King George V-class construction, especially Anson, gathering fast ships in the Home Fleet, and bombing the yards and supporting infrastructure. Victorious would also have had months longer to train her air group. Keeping the German force together would let its ships support one another, although its air group remains a limitation. Defeating the combined force or preventing its return could remove most of Germany's effective surface strength. A December sortie might also be remembered as coordinated with Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor.