The counterfactual changes which aircraft concepts receive the first harsh test of combat. Because Britain is fighting alongside rather than against Germany in this scenario, the Zerstörer-style heavy-fighter idea has yet to be discredited by the familiar European campaign. Blenheim squadrons were still classified as fighters at Crete and formed a large part of Singapore's fighter force as late as 1941. A joke about sending the turret-armed Boulton Paul Defiant on a strategic-bombing mission underlines the hazard of forcing aircraft into unsuitable roles. Apparently flawed doctrines can remain plausible procurement choices until operations expose their limits.
Notable Point · 14:44-16:21
The heavy-fighter concept before its combat test
With Germany no longer the immediate enemy, early combat has not yet discredited the Blenheim or the wider destroyer-style heavy-fighter idea.