Q&A · 1:08:49-1:09:19

What if Italy had retained all four Caracciolo hulls?

Two Caracciolo battleships and two carrier conversions could have changed British treaty demands and French naval security.

Question

What if Italy had completed two Caracciolo battleships and converted the other two hulls into carriers?

Short answer

Such a force would have alarmed France and pushed Britain to reconsider the treaty terms.

Notes

Two completed battleships and two carrier conversions would have created a much stronger Italian force than the single battleship-and-carrier proposal. Britain would then have had reason to seek different Washington Treaty terms. France would have faced the more immediate problem of matching that force in the Mediterranean.