The counterfactual appeal of adding a carrier to Force Z collides with the maintenance needs of an old, heavily used ship. Furious reached Philadelphia for refit on 7 October 1941 and did not return to Britain until April 1942. She then needed roughly three months to work up before becoming operational again. The ship could have been useful to Force Z, but her condition demanded the refit. Keeping her in service would therefore have exchanged one possible operational advantage for rising mechanical and readiness risk elsewhere.
Notable Point · 42:04-43:23
A necessary refit removes Furious from the Force Z question
Furious could not accompany Force Z because she was refitting in Philadelphia from October 1941 and then required months to work up.