Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 1:50:08-1:50:46

Pairing each Illustrious with a Unicorn

Ordering a Unicorn support carrier for every Illustrious would give Britain four light carriers alongside its four armoured carriers.

Aircraft CarriersFleet Air ArmHMS UnicornIllustrious Class Aircraft Carriers
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Question

What if the Royal Navy ordered one Unicorn for every Illustrious-class carrier?

Short answer

Britain would gain four light carriers alongside four armoured carriers, creating much more useful carrier groups.

Notes

The proposal creates carrier groups with both an armoured fighting deck and a lighter aviation-support ship. Four Unicorns arriving with the four Illustrious-class carriers would multiply deck space and maintenance capacity. It also builds resilience by avoiding a single unique support ship. The combination could substantially change Royal Navy carrier operations in the Second World War.