An audience contribution points out that repairs and refits for battle damage or heavy-sea damage occupied dockyard capacity. Earlier carrier conversions would have competed with that work. The aircraft available for the ships posed another question, with Swordfish and an earlier introduction of Sea Hurricanes considered as possible answers. Building the extra carriers was feasible in this counterfactual, but doing so meant giving up other work.
Notable Point · 1:43:04-1:43:43
Carrier conversions competed with repairs and available aircraft
Earlier escort carriers would have required dockyard capacity diverted from repairs and aircraft suitable for their decks.