Why wartime Britain delayed new fleet carriers

How badly did the fall of France delay British armoured carriers?

It was not the direct cause; Britain paused major surface construction because new carriers seemed too slow to arrive and escorts were urgently needed.

The fall of France was not the direct cause of British fleet-carrier delay. British planners believed the war might end before newly laid large surface ships could contribute. They therefore shifted construction attention toward smaller escorts with immediate value in the shipping war. The decision shows how expected war duration can reshape procurement even when later events prove the forecast wrong.