Carrier force and aircraft reality in 1939

The Royal Navy would probably combine its available carriers, drawing on interwar multi-carrier practice and leaders such as Lumley Lyster. The aircraft comparison is less lopsided than a later-war reading suggests: Britain has Swordfish and Skuas, Japan has D1A and B4Y types, and the B5N is only beginning to enter service. Skua availability is still concentrated on a small number of British decks, while Japanese production and conversion training limit how quickly newer aircraft can spread through the fleet. Radar, beacon navigation, and night recovery make carrier performance a system-level question rather than a simple list of aircraft speeds.