Thornycroft built the first three Shakespeare leaders, with later ships allocated to Portsmouth and Pembroke dockyards. Cammell Laird built most Admiralty-type leaders, with the remainder from Hawthorn Leslie. Two end-of-war cancellations prompt an argument that the newer leaders and V and W destroyers should have been completed. The financial case rests on the assessment that much of their cost had already been paid and completion would be comparatively cheap. Older destroyers were expected to leave service after the war, while these modern hulls offered more scope for adaptation to different missions. Their flexibility and the investment already made underpin the criticism of cancellation.
Notable Point · 52:12-53:50
Late-war cancellations and the value of adaptable hulls
The cancellation of late-war leaders prompts an argument for completing modern hulls that could be adapted as older destroyers retired.