Courageous need not be risked on anti-submarine patrol when scout carriers exist for that work. Greater experience and more available decks could also improve how Glorious is handled in Norway, although the scenario does not guarantee her survival. More hulls mean more crews and officers repeatedly practising the damage-control problems peculiar to carriers. Ark Royal illustrates why counter-flooding procedures learned in capital ships may not suit a carrier with a different centre of mass. The counterfactual advantage includes a deeper pool of relevant ship-handling experience as well as greater numerical resilience.
Notable Point · 1:37:07-1:39:22
Scout carriers spare fleet carriers and deepen damage-control skill
Purpose-built scout carriers could take routine anti-submarine duties from fleet carriers while a larger carrier service develops more officers trained in carrier-specific damage control.