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.
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.