Earlier U-boats would provoke earlier British escort building

An earlier German U-boat buildup would be expected to bring forward British Flower-class corvette and Hunt-class escort-destroyer projects. Counterfactuals therefore need to include the reactions of other states. Assuming comparable competence on each side tends to favor powers with stronger infrastructure because additional warning gives them time to respond. That assumption does not guarantee rational government action, and a British failure to build escorts remains possible. Chamberlain's appeasement is interpreted here as an attempt to gain time for rearmament.