What is the most decisive British naval what-if?
Short answerHe chooses the Indian Ocean Raid, where Somerville's strike force might have caught the Japanese carriers at night and inflicted a major reversal.
NotesThe Indian Ocean Raid offers a twentieth-century encounter capable of changing the surviving force balance more sharply than many age-of-sail battles. Somerville's squadron had a chance to find the Japanese force at night. A successful strike could have placed Japan's carriers in a very difficult position. The result would reshape the carrier balance far beyond the immediate engagement.