Zenker and the missing German carrier advocate

The scenario considers whether Reichsmarine chief Hans Zenker would have resisted a carrier experiment. Zenker's Jutland experience and later support for the Deutschland-class ships, light cruisers, and torpedo boats fit his preference for fast, long-range forces. On balance, he probably would not have blocked a viable joint proposal, even though he did not pursue one historically. The decisive missing element is a network linking German naval-aviation veterans with interested Soviet counterparts strongly enough to build mutual institutional support.