[polishshooter]

Oh, PS, we had a lot more in the North Altantic than that at the beginning, including the Wasp and the Ranger, and a couple of battleships, a couple of cruiser squadrons, and several Desrons NOT actively engaged in escort actions.

Now things DID get pretty desperate, and there was even talk of putting the paddle-wheel training carriers from Lake Michigan into service in the Atlantic as escort carriers, but don't forget the RN had pretty decent carriers that they eventually lent us in the Pacific during the "dark days" of early 43 when all we had left was the damaged Enterprise, after Wasp was sunk, that they would have lent us sooner, in late 42, if needed, as long as we got them fitted out with Avengers more quickly to replace the "Stringbags," but they were already flying Wildcats...they were short-legged and carried half the planes of our Yorktown class, but could take a LOT of punishment, Victorious, Indomitable and Illustrious escorted by our new North Carolina class fast BBs would have been a good deterrent to further Jap expansion...and just MAY have been ready for Midway, although without any Dauntlesses....but then again, maybe they WOULD have had them, HHHmmmm....