What changes if Reginald Henderson does not die in 1939?
Short answerCarrier work is less likely to pause, while Henderson may trade some King George V construction for the Lions and prevent Vanguard from starting.
NotesHenderson's survival could make it harder for Churchill to pause carrier and capital-ship construction. Ships already ordered or building would give him a basis for resisting a halt. One possible compromise would transfer workers from unfinished King George V-class ships to the Lions and prevent Vanguard from starting. Carrier construction would face a stronger defense against postponement. A joking reconstruction of Henderson's negotiations also invokes the friendship between his wife and Clementine Churchill as a means of applying personal pressure.