Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 1:05:32-1:11:58

How surviving carriers could strengthen the Far East Fleet

If Courageous and Glorious survive while Italian naval power collapses, Britain can assemble a much stronger carrier-battleship force in Ceylon before Japan enters the war.

Aircraft CarriersCeylonCourageous Class Warship LineageFar East FleetFleet DeploymentWorld War II
Watch at this timeFull video guide
Question

If Courageous and Glorious survived and the Italian fleet was largely neutralized by 1941, what could the Royal Navy send against Japan?

Short answer

Britain could base several carriers and about six battleships in Ceylon, creating a much stronger Far East Fleet before Japan attacked.

Notes

Ships could move east once the Mediterranean and German surface threats became less demanding. Armored carriers, Ark Royal and perhaps Unicorn might join a force based in Ceylon, while cruisers and destroyers operated more aggressively in a weakened Mediterranean. Renown, Repulse, modernized Queen Elizabeths, Nelson and Rodney, and selected King George V-class ships could support the Far East concentration. The resulting force of several carriers and roughly six battleships would be a serious deterrent rather than the historically improvised reinforcement.