Reginald Henderson remains Third Sea Lord when war begins in this scenario, giving an advocate of rapid fleet changes the senior position needed to advance them. Work from 1938-39 on rearming C- and D-class cruisers with twin 4.5-inch mounts shows that later wartime conversions drew on pre-war proposals. Similar staff work could offer options for ships constrained by treaty limits. Which proposals Henderson would choose, and how quickly yards could carry them out, remains speculative. Prepared designs and senior sponsorship can shorten the path from an idea to a wartime refit.
Notable Point · 30:17-31:55
Henderson's pre-war refit plans become available
Keeping Reginald Henderson in post would give the counterfactual Royal Navy an advocate with pre-existing ideas for improving treaty-constrained ships.