A Germany that concentrated entirely on submarines would present Britain with a narrower threat that could be answered by producing more escorts. Removing German capital ships from the scenario would also free British battleships and fleet carriers for the Mediterranean. A much larger carrier force could expand the attack on Taranto and provide fighter cover for a surface follow-up. An early-1930s Mediterranean exercise concept supplies the proposed sequence: a night air strike followed by capital ships offshore in the morning. Destroyers would remain in demand for convoy escort, but the larger force could select faster capital ships and use cruisers for air defence. If that concentration neutralized the Italian fleet, Britain could then send a substantially stronger force east. These are proposed consequences of the counterfactual.
Notable Point · 48:13-51:06
How a submarine-only Germany could strengthen a British attack on Taranto
Removing Germany's surface threat could release British carriers and battleships for a larger Mediterranean campaign, while convoy escort still limits destroyer availability.