The Royal Navy ordered a modern Supermarine fighter before war, only for the project to be canceled in 1939 when resources shifted toward the immediate European struggle. Had development continued, it might have reached Fleet Air Arm service in the Mediterranean by 1941. The counterfactual cannot prove how it would have changed operations, especially before later Wildcats and Sea Hurricanes arrived. It does show how a rational emergency priority can create an unforeseen capability gap years later.
Notable Point · 1:17:04-1:18:21
A canceled naval fighter and the uncertainty of wartime priorities
Canceling a planned high-performance Fleet Air Arm fighter in 1939 may have removed an important capability from the Mediterranean in 1941.