A carrier programme preserves yards and creates an aviation cadre

The Royal Navy ordered County-class cruisers and two Nelson-class battleships in the 1920s, but almost no destroyers or sloops, leaving less work for many yards. Adding roughly six cruiser-sized carriers would preserve shipbuilding capacity and sustain further work on Admiralty boilers and the 4.7-inch gun. Every hull would create another captaincy and enlarge the pool of personnel experienced in carrier operations and damage control. Australia and New Zealand would gain locally important flagships around which naval aviation experience could develop. The older ships might sometimes serve as escort carriers during the Second World War, although other station duties would probably keep that from becoming their regular role. Later expansion could then draw on active yards and an experienced workforce.