How the historical carrier force might attack Wilhelmshaven

The proposed aircraft force would launch about 100 miles from Wilhelmshaven and arrive over roughly twenty minutes. Each Cuckoo would carry one 18-inch Mark IX torpedo and aim at the largest ships, normally moored in two lines. Pilots would have to thread between ships to place their weapons. Open doors and ongoing maintenance could increase flooding, while ships running partly cold would be poorly placed to react. The estimate assumes that only about a quarter of the torpedoes function usefully in these harbor conditions. A sunken ship could still be salvaged, but Germany might lack the wartime resources to restore it to service. A successful December 1917 operation could also strengthen Jellicoe's position by associating him with a decisive naval blow.