Q&A · 1:00:19-1:02:37

Renown and Glorious against a German carrier group

Scouting, weather, and different British and German risk tolerances decide whether this hypothetical Norway battle happens at all.

Question

What would happen off Norway if Renown and Glorious met the two Scharnhorst-class ships, with one German ship built as a carrier?

Short answer

Detection and weather would dominate, but German preservation orders could prevent a battle unless they caught one British capital asset separately.

Notes

With a carrier and a fast gun-armed capital ship on each side, the first decisive contest would be reconnaissance and launching an air strike before the opponent. In poor weather, the action could become an inconclusive surface encounter while both gun-armed ships shielded their carriers' withdrawal. British commanders were expected to use their assets aggressively, while German commanders faced stronger pressure to preserve theirs. If the Germans detected Renown and Glorious together, they might withdraw without fighting. Finding only one British ship could instead encourage an air strike followed by a surface attack if the aircraft failed to finish it.