New Pacific escorts release older cruisers for Atlantic patrols

The early Alaska programme could reinforce the division between the battle fleet and the carrier-cruiser formations. Some officers would continue to favour battleship command while carrier task groups grew around the new escorts. The expected effect on doctrine before 1941 is limited, since the new large cruisers would initially fill existing roles. The newest cruisers would probably concentrate in the Pacific, where protecting carriers against a fleet opponent was the more demanding task. Older cruisers could then serve on Atlantic neutrality patrols. Large cruisers would go forward while new fast battleships continued their preparation and remained available for a later commitment. The calculation accepts that a cruiser can be risked more readily because losing it would cost the fleet less than losing a new battleship.