A staggered commissioning from roughly 1922 to 1926 is more plausible than treating launch as the end of construction. Slipways might produce several hulls, but fitting out a complex warship requires precise engineering, equipment, and skilled work that cannot be completed at the same pace. If treaty limits redirected the launched lead ship into a carrier, its large hull and battlecruiser-like speed could produce a 28- or 29-knot Mediterranean aviation platform. Its air group would probably be modest, yet it could still be formidable in this theatre aboard such a fast ship. The counterfactual therefore depends on industrial tempo and the possibilities for converting individual ships.
Notable Point · 7:26-9:28
Completion dates and a fast carrier alternative
Fitting out, not just hull construction, shapes the timeline for four ships and the plausibility of a fast Italian carrier.