British carrier-capital cooperation moved from exercises into wartime formations used against surface raiders and in the Mediterranean. King George V-class speed was adequate for the battle line but forced faster carriers to complete flying operations and then slow down for the battleships to catch up. Planned 30-knot Lions and Vanguard would also replace ageing fast ships such as Hood, Renown, and Repulse in these mixed groups. Against that background, sending Force Z to the Far East without a carrier appears outside normal British doctrine rather than evidence that the integration was poorly understood.
Notable Point · 59:44-1:02:01
Carrier integration makes Force Z the exception
British exercises and wartime practice paired carriers with fast capital ships, making Force Z’s deployment without a carrier doctrinally unusual.