Night operations depend on training depth as well as aircraft availability. A larger Allied carrier presence would make Japanese planning harder because night air defence and the retention of experienced crews were weaker points. Night air strikes also offered the Royal Navy a way to exploit its knowledge of Japanese torpedoes without accepting a close surface engagement inside torpedo range. The Royal Navy had developed confidence in night carrier strikes by 1941-42 and was willing to accept operational risk for that advantage. Japan possessed theoretical capability but struggled to preserve veteran crews and pass their experience into a durable training system.
Notable Point · 2:59:42-3:00:13
Night operations as an Allied advantage
The counterfactual gives the Royal Navy a useful night-operations edge against Japanese forces less able to preserve and pass on specialist flying experience.