Sturtivant's early-war chapter shows that the Royal Navy's carriers were already dispersed when the war began. Ark Royal and Courageous served with the Home Fleet, Furious conducted deck-landing training, and Argus remained in reserve. Hermes had only recently recommissioned, while Glorious and Eagle covered the Mediterranean and Far East fleets. Those simultaneous assignments explain why the carrier pool offered little spare capacity even before combat losses made every deployment more costly.
Notable Point · 2:38-4:24
Phoney War carrier dispositions
A Phoney War passage maps where Ark Royal, Courageous, Furious, Argus, Hermes, Glorious, Eagle, and Albatross sat as the war opened.