Q&A · 2:54:33-2:56:44

When might a Malta-class New Zealand have faced enemy fire?

A hypothetical Malta-class carrier would have had few opportunities to test a reputation for invulnerability before the Falklands War.

Question

What would have happened if a Malta-class HMS New Zealand had been as invulnerable as the battlecruiser?

Short answer

There would have been few opportunities to test the premise: completion for Korea was doubtful, and the carrier would probably need to remain in service until the Falklands War to face direct attack.

Notes

The hypothetical asks what would happen if a Malta-class HMS New Zealand shared the battlecruiser's supposed invulnerability. Testing that premise would require the carrier to face enemy fire. Shore bombardment during the Korean War, as with Unicorn, is considered possible, but slow postwar construction makes completion by 1950 doubtful. Suez is discounted because Egyptian forces did not attack the British carriers in this account. The Falklands War would be the clearest opportunity, provided the ship remained in service long enough.