Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 1:45:18-1:45:43

Pre-war cargo ships could provide escort-carrier conversion stock

Forward-looking subsidies could have produced merchant hulls suitable for conversion, while additional RFA tankers offered another preparedness route.

Civilian-to-Military Ship ConversionsEscort CarriersLanding ShipsRoyal Fleet AuxiliaryWorld War II
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Question

Could Britain have subsidized pre-war cargo ships designed for conversion into escort carriers?

Short answer

Yes; adaptable merchant hulls and additional RFA tankers could have created useful conversion and support capacity when war began.

Notes

Britain could have encouraged shipping companies to build cargo vessels with later escort-carrier conversion in mind. Constructing more Royal Fleet Auxiliary tankers before the war would also have increased useful maritime capacity. The rapid conversion of merchant hulls into landing ships shows that adaptable ships could be repurposed under wartime pressure. Enough suitably designed hulls might likewise have expanded the escort-carrier force.