Britain did not possess American-style time and industrial freedom in the late 1930s. The government in 1937 did not expect general war in 1939. Its planning horizon pointed toward 1942, which made some long-development choices appear more reasonable than they do in hindsight. Procurement decisions need to be judged against the timetable officials believed rather than the one later history imposed.
Notable Point · 1:15:52-1:16:14
British rearmament planned for a war in 1942, not 1939
Late-1930s procurement choices reflected an official expectation that the major war would begin several years later than it did.