Glorious and Courageous were imperfect conversions, but neither was militarily irrelevant. Each could carry about 48 aircraft by 1939, giving the ships meaningful operational weight. A fuller modernization could have extended their flight decks, hangars, lifts, and aircraft capacity. Had they survived, extra carriers at Mers-el-Kebir, during the Bismarck hunt, or at other crisis points could have added striking power while reducing wear on the rest of the fleet.
Notable Point · 15:26-17:56
What Glorious and Courageous still offered
The converted battlecruisers remained useful 48-aircraft carriers whose survival could have eased pressure on Britain's wartime carrier force.