Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 1:50:06-1:50:13

Could the Audacious class enter service in 1944?

With the implied acceleration in materials and construction, an Audacious-class carrier entering service in 1944 is judged plausible and perhaps conservative.

Aircraft CarriersAudacious Class Aircraft CarriersRoyal NavyShipbuildingWorld War II
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Question

If the necessary inputs were available by the end of 1942, could an Audacious-class carrier commission in 1944?

Short answer

Yes; that timing is plausible and the ship might even enter service earlier.

Notes

The counterfactual turns on moving the necessary inputs and construction progress forward by the end of 1942. Under that premise, a 1944 commissioning is plausible and the first Audacious-class ship might enter service earlier. The conclusion depends on the accelerated program. The historical schedule could not produce the same result unchanged.