Norway is a plausible operational consequence rather than a guaranteed British success. Historically, cruisers watching the coast could miss German forces while maintaining their own distance and safety. A scout carrier can remain farther offshore and send aircraft beyond the ship's visual horizon to inspect coastal approaches and report movement. Earlier warning could disrupt German positioning or alter the campaign, although Britain might still lose Norway.
Notable Point · 2:32:17-2:33:11
A scout carrier watches the Norwegian coast
Carrier aircraft could observe German movements off Norway from beyond a cruiser's visual horizon, making the historical surprise harder to reproduce.