The laid-down, launch, and commissioning dates show why British construction speed cannot be treated as a fixed national incapacity. Illustrious entered service in May 1940, Formidable in November 1940, Victorious in May 1941, and Indomitable in October 1941 even though all four had been laid down in 1937. The interval from launch to commissioning stretched from roughly thirteen months for Illustrious to about nineteen months for Victorious. These widening gaps show the operational importance of disruption, restart work, and design changes after construction had begun. The comparison does not isolate every cause mathematically, but it makes clear why apparently modest delays mattered when the fleet needed carriers immediately.
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Illustrious-class timelines show how delay accumulated
The commissioning sequence of Illustrious, Formidable, Victorious, and Indomitable turns an abstract construction pause into months of lost carrier availability.