Questions for Henderson, Vian, and Cunningham

What would you discuss over dinner with Henderson, Vian, and Cunningham?

Their expected prewar scenario, the fleet they prepared, and the links among carrier construction, destroyer doctrine, and escort shortages.

The opening question for the three officers would be what war they expected in 1937 or 1938 and how those expectations shaped their preparations. Henderson's role in building the fleet, Vian's influence on destroyer practice, and Cunningham's operational experience would expose different parts of the same institutional problem. Their shared destroyer backgrounds also help explain how tactical habits could travel upward into fleet command. Further questions would cover earlier sloop construction, faster carrier preparation, and more Tribal-class destroyers with 4.5-inch guns. The playful premise points toward serious questions about how people linked procurement plans to the war they thought Britain would fight.