Notable Point · 2:37:46-2:39:54

The production tradeoff between specialized escorts and fleet destroyers

British corvettes, frigates, and sloops must enter production comparisons, while specialized naval slips raise a separate question about building more fleet destroyers.

Notes

Comparing Fletcher totals with British fleet destroyers leaves out large British programs of corvettes, frigates, escort destroyers, and sloops. Those ships also consumed construction capacity. Concentrating on a broadly useful destroyer is preferred here to some of Britain's specialization. Black Swans were effective anti-submarine ships, but used full naval construction facilities and slips that could also build a Tribal. Hunts raise a similar concern. Corvettes and frigates often came from yards only then moving into warship construction, so their production was harder to substitute with fleet destroyers.