Three more peacetime years transform the British capital-ship programme

What major Royal Navy capital ships and carriers might be available if war began in 1942?

The Illustrious class should be in service, while four Lions, two Vanguards, and two Implacables could be pushed toward completion; older carriers might also survive for a time.

The extra time would bring the Illustrious-class carriers into service and could also preserve older pre-war carriers for at least part of the conflict. The Lion-class battleships, two Vanguard-type ships, and the Implacable-class carriers would receive strong completion priority. A possible force of four Lions, two Vanguards, and two Implacables would replace a simple extension of the historical 1939 fleet. A delayed war changes both new construction and decisions about retaining older hulls.