Did British interest in new carriers and cruisers mean it had neglected the threat of another U-boat campaign?
Short answerNo. Britain expected another U-boat campaign and developed escorts, but exercises encouraged confidence in ASDIC and rearmament plans expected war later.
NotesBritain expected another U-boat campaign, and prewar exercises made ASDIC-equipped escorts and aircraft look capable of carrying convoys through it. The operational setting changed when Norway was occupied and France fell, expanding submarine access and exposing limitations in ASDIC. The Royal Navy also built destroyers and sloops alongside its larger warships. Flower-class corvettes were ordered in June 1939 after design work since 1938 and experience from the sloop program. Their purpose was to deliver small anti-submarine escorts with suitable size and equipment. The program's timing depended on an expectation that war would come in 1942.