Hermes, Force Z, and the value of fighter cover

Had Hermes accompanied Force Z with fighters aboard, the proposed outcome is that the force probably would have survived its air attack. The Japanese bombers were operating unescorted near the limit of their range, so even limited fighter opposition could have disrupted their attacks. Communications used to coordinate those fighters could also have brought RAF aircraft from Singapore into the battle. This depends on a different deployment with an embarked fighter force; Hermes herself later faced attack without fighters or an adequate group around her. Losses then compounded one another because each missing ship reduced the resources available to protect the next operation.