The Glen work occupied yard space that could otherwise finish newly built warships. Merchant conversions needed fitting-out berths because weapons, accommodation, machinery, and landing-craft supports could not be installed without suitable facilities. A large conversion program therefore competed with new construction even when it did not use a building slip. Pausing capital-ship and carrier programs incidentally freed larger berths for this work. The benefit was accidental rather than the logic behind Churchill's decision to halt those programs.
Notable Point · 27:55-29:15
Conversions competed for scarce fitting-out capacity
Converting merchant hulls consumed fitting-out berths and helps explain how wartime priorities constrained new construction.