Q&A ยท 3:17:43-3:18:35

Implacable would transform a World War I naval campaign

An Implacable-class carrier and its air group are proposed as a means of attacking the German fleet at Wilhelmshaven during World War I.

Question

Which completed Royal Navy World War II design would cause the greatest change if sent back to World War I?

Short answer

An Implacable-class carrier, whose air group is judged capable of devastating Wilhelmshaven.

Notes

An Implacable-class aircraft carrier is the immediate British choice. The answer assumes that her aircraft accompany the ship, since the proposed effect is an attack on Wilhelmshaven. The air group is considered large enough to inflict severe damage on the German fleet at its base. This short counterfactual does not work through the fuel, ammunition, or maintenance needed to sustain those operations in World War I.