A larger carrier force in the early 1930s would strengthen the argument for returning the Fleet Air Arm from the Royal Air Force to naval control. Its scale and importance to fleet operations would make the institutional case harder to defer. Construction would also provide employment and demand during the Depression. Yards able to build 15,000-ton carriers would have capacity relevant to cruiser production as well. That enlarged industrial base could support heavier cruiser designs as treaty restrictions broke down before World War II.
Notable Point · 3:08:22-3:09:47
Earlier carriers strengthen naval aviation and British shipyards
Building light carriers earlier could advance naval control of the Fleet Air Arm and expand the yards available for later cruiser construction.