The same construction-time test produces a more striking result for the Audacious class. HMS Audacious, later renamed Eagle, was laid down in 1942 but did not launch until 1946 or commission until 1951. That nine-year span is compared with Ark Royal's roughly three-year prewar build. Wartime disruption could explain some delay, although the full overrun is treated as avoidable. On a faster schedule, one or two Audacious-class carriers might have commissioned in 1945 and reinforced the British Pacific Fleet.
Notable Point · 20:27-22:22
The Audacious class and the British Pacific Fleet
The Audacious-class schedule suggests that Britain might have fielded larger new carriers in the Pacific before the war ended.