Why capital ships displaced escorts and support forces

The proposed construction programme would divert new-building effort from cruisers, carriers, destroyers, submarines, and other parts of the fleet. The Tribal class illustrates how large destroyers could cover some cruiser duties while smaller escorts handled anti-submarine warfare, though that substitution could not erase the underlying shortage. Japan did possess escort and ASW ideas, yet capital-ship priorities delayed their implementation and stretched the force. In political calculations, visible battleships carried more weight than the less conspicuous vessels that would make a fleet more durable in war. The result could look formidable as a deterrent while remaining badly balanced for sustained operations.