The Royal Navy had already ordered corvettes and Hunt-class escort destroyers while the emergency destroyer orders were still being delayed. Hunts lacked torpedoes, but their speed made them difficult to fit within the treaty category for sloops. Hopes of preserving or restoring the treaty system continued to influence procurement as war approached. The emergency destroyers could have been ordered earlier using the designs and weapons already available.
Notable Point · 1:19:52-1:20:50
Treaty concerns delayed destroyers whose designs were already available
Hopes of preserving naval treaties affected the timing of emergency destroyer orders even though designs and suitable weapons were available.