Interwar priorities for a forewarned First Sea Lord

With knowledge of the coming war, what should an interwar First Sea Lord change?

Build more escorts, strengthen naval aviation and carrier design, and preserve heavy-gun development so the fleet can expand quickly when treaties fail.

Affordable changes come first: more sloops for anti-submarine warfare, earlier fleet-air-arm control, better single-seat naval fighters, and deck-edge lifts. When treaty limits permit, the programme moves directly toward 27,000-ton Implacable-style armored carriers and additional Unicorn-type aviation-support ships. Keeping a 15- or 16-inch gun programme alive would also preserve industrial readiness when treaty restrictions collapsed. Institutional preparation and production continuity matter more than an implausible instant rearmament.