In the 1930s, who would win between two Lexington-class carriers and all three Courageous-class carriers?
Short answerThe Lexingtons are favored in sustained daylight action, while the British carriers could win if they found the Americans at dusk and launched a night strike.
NotesTiming and doctrine decide this counterfactual because ship statistics alone do not settle it. The Lexingtons' larger air groups give them the advantage if they find the British carriers early enough to launch repeated daylight strikes. The Courageous-class ships retain a chance if their fighters blunt the attack and the force survives toward dusk. British night-strike training then creates a tactical window the American air groups were not prepared to match.