The Whale Has Wings is an alternate history, written by Astrodragon, first on AlternateHistory.com, but later published, with the divergence in 1933, but with major changes to the timeline starting during World War II. The Point Of Divergence is the Royal Navy retaking control of the FAA (Fleet Air Arm) from the RAF, leading to them developing planes, aircraft and aircraft carriers rather better than they did in real history. The changes start slow, and gradually snowball.
This show provides examples of:
- Butt-Monkey: The author is not a fan of MacArthur. Also Fascist Italy is having a worse war than in OTL.
- The Cavalry: Warspite at Java and the British at the Battle of Midway.
- Cheese-Eating Surrender Monkeys: Defied. To the point where this trope will almost certainly never exist in universe. Which is fairly impressive considering that the Battle of France is unchanged.
- Cool Plane: Of special note is the "Sea Eagle" - an ancestor to the OTL Sea Fury, a tough, cannon armed plane with the speed and manoeuvrability of the Hellcat.
- Cool Ship: It's a WWII Naval alternate history. Leaving aside historical cool ships (such as the Warspite), there's the Audacious.
- Curb-Stomp Battle: Operation Compass is more successful than in history.
- Death from Above: Bombing attacks during WWII should not be a surprise.
- In Spite of a Nail: Despite two successful British air attacks on fleets in harbor, including a more successful Taranto, Pearl Harbor goes ahead on schedule.
- Interservice Rivalry: The RAF and FAA do not get on. At one point Churchill is forced to step in.
- More Dakka: British aircraft carriers are designed to operate within range of land based planes. They're enthusiastic about point defense.
- Oh, Crap!: Those two escort carriers with cruiser support you were attacking? They're three Fleet carriers with Battleship support.
- Overshadowed by Awesome: Aside from missing a certain famous stroke of luck, the US Navy is doing somewhat better this timeline. It's just . . . .
- The Teaser: the timeline opens with the Royal Navy getting ready to make a raid on the Kriegsmarine base is Whilhelmshaven as the year 1939 ends.
